Trailers getting caught underwater

lizardsrule · 01-10-06, 10:08 PM

Well, a very unpleasant thing happened to my trailer Saturday. My dad backed me and the boat into the water and I floated off. He then started to proceed back to the lot to park. He was hooked on something and when he finally got the trailer pulled out, it was bent like a pretzel. First off the trailer has a poor design, without any bracing to keep this from happening. However the more important thing was that if I had realized what was going on, I could have easily have walked to the trailer and lifted it up over whatever it was caught on. Instead I assumed he would just hop over whatever it was, that he was caught on. If you feel caught on something you could be, and if you don't pay careful attention to this, you might be at the lake, without a trailer

Luckily I did have enough straps to hold it together for the drive home, and have spent the last 2 1/2 evening repairing it(now I have to reassemble it) It's a lot easier to deal with a little water, and getting wet, then it is to deal with a broken trailer. I hope this doesn't happen to any of you.

Lizards

bassintom · 01-10-06, 10:10 PM

i get the feeling something is saying to you"get out of florida...NOW"...
lol..jk,i'm jealous..i have to wait till i retire to move there.

zooker · 01-10-06, 10:38 PM

lizzy you need to hook up with a local some one who fishes. the southern style is differant than what your are used to.. besides a 5 mintue talk to a "local" would have saved your trailer from breaking...

zooker

bass kicker · 01-10-06, 11:01 PM

my dads friends trailer fell apart in the water he forgot to check to see how tight the bolts on his trailer were

1FASTLASER · 01-12-06, 07:13 AM

Lizzy
The very same thing happened to my cousin. Good thing he was only 15 minutes from me. But like you he didnt get out and look. What took him 5 seconds to tear up took me approx.12 hrs. to repair and cost him $275. Very good words to remember. WHEN IN DOUBT................LOOK.

bass kicker · 01-14-06, 01:36 AM

that is a pricey accident

Dannie Zimmerman · 04-25-06, 05:12 PM

I had a similiar incident just a couple of weeks ago. I had been using the same boat ramp for at least 10 years and never knew it had a drop off. I was
by myself and launching the boat with the boat hooked to the trailer with a 20' rope. I backed down the ramp and floated the boat off the trailer, but before I could move the boat over to the dock, the wind kept blowing the boat back on to the trailer. I backed in more and felt the trailer go down. I moved the boat and tied it to the dock. When I tried to pull the trailer out,
it wouldn't budge. I backed up a little and tried to snatch it out. Wrong!
I emptied my pockets and off in the water I went. I walked to the back of the
trailer and fell off a ledge just behind the tires. Now the water is up to my
neck and a little cold! The first thing I did was to look around to see if any one was watching me. The next thing I did was to attempt to move the trailer
by hand. I reached down in the water and grabbed a carpeted 2x6 and pulled
up. Wrong! The board came loose from the trailer, and I fell backwards and went under. I managed to get the board before it floated away, got out of the water, and went to my truck. I was able to get the trailer out by jack-knifing it and pulling it out at an angle. I tied the board to the trailer with rope. After all of this, I still went fishing. Can you believe that! Talk about making a memory.

bass kicker · 04-25-06, 08:52 PM

i hate it when thing screw up on the water one time i forgot to put the plug in the but and we traveled 5 miles up river from the boat launch that was scarey you could see water rising throught the flour boards

thanks this thread reminded me to check all the bolts on our trailer before taking it out

flfireman · 04-30-06, 12:17 AM

Probably was a very large GATOR sitting there minding his own biz, when you backed over him. Yeah, next time walk in the water and just move him!! Just another scenario for you to contemplate.

WTL · 04-30-06, 02:11 PM

I've backed the trailer off the edge of a ramp before too, and yes it was in Florida. Went for a swim, had to dive down and lift up on the trailer as my Dad slowly pushed the gas and pulled the trailer up and over the edge. It was easier cause we have a smaller trailer, I couldn't imagine doing it with a full sized trailer and since they are longer tongue to axle I would think it'd be easier to get one of those stuck in the first place. You have to watch things, especially when lakes are down due to drought or winter drawdowns.

Christopherkeene9 · 04-30-06, 06:36 PM

WTL we have that same problem. We gotta watch the ramps right now since our waters are way down and we have a big boat (24' Center Console (offshore)) So that doesn't happen.

01-10-06, 10:08 PM	#1
lizardsrule BassFishin.Com Premier Elite Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Saint Augustine, FL Posts: 7,374	Trailers getting caught underwater Well, a very unpleasant thing happened to my trailer Saturday. My dad backed me and the boat into the water and I floated off. He then started to proceed back to the lot to park. He was hooked on something and when he finally got the trailer pulled out, it was bent like a pretzel. First off the trailer has a poor design, without any bracing to keep this from happening. However the more important thing was that if I had realized what was going on, I could have easily have walked to the trailer and lifted it up over whatever it was caught on. Instead I assumed he would just hop over whatever it was, that he was caught on. If you feel caught on something you could be, and if you don't pay careful attention to this, you might be at the lake, without a trailer Luckily I did have enough straps to hold it together for the drive home, and have spent the last 2 1/2 evening repairing it(now I have to reassemble it) It's a lot easier to deal with a little water, and getting wet, then it is to deal with a broken trailer. I hope this doesn't happen to any of you. Lizards __________________ There are three types of Snakes I hate 1. Live Snakes 2. Dead Snakes 3. Sticks that look like Snakes. And Gators too!

01-10-06, 10:10 PM	#2
bassintom BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: washington(northwest) N.J. Posts: 3,958	i get the feeling something is saying to you"get out of florida...NOW"... lol..jk,i'm jealous..i have to wait till i retire to move there. __________________ A man's gotta believe in something...I believe I'll go fishing.

01-10-06, 10:38 PM	#3
zooker BassFishin.Com Premier Elite Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: denton nc Posts: 13,441	lizzy you need to hook up with a local some one who fishes. the southern style is differant than what your are used to.. besides a 5 mintue talk to a "local" would have saved your trailer from breaking... zooker __________________ the godfather.. aml in remission since 7-20-09

01-10-06, 11:01 PM	#4
bass kicker BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Beamsville,ONTARIO,CANADA Posts: 2,023	my dads friends trailer fell apart in the water he forgot to check to see how tight the bolts on his trailer were __________________ Rob Downs St. Catharines BASSMASTERS

01-14-06, 01:36 AM	#6
bass kicker BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Beamsville,ONTARIO,CANADA Posts: 2,023	that is a pricey accident __________________ Rob Downs St. Catharines BASSMASTERS

01-12-06, 07:13 AM	#5
1FASTLASER BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: crossett,arkansas Posts: 2,777	Lizzy The very same thing happened to my cousin. Good thing he was only 15 minutes from me. But like you he didnt get out and look. What took him 5 seconds to tear up took me approx.12 hrs. to repair and cost him $275. Very good words to remember. WHEN IN DOUBT................LOOK.

04-25-06, 05:12 PM	#7
Dannie Zimmerman BassFishin.Com Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Leesville, Louisiana Posts: 45	I had a similiar incident just a couple of weeks ago. I had been using the same boat ramp for at least 10 years and never knew it had a drop off. I was by myself and launching the boat with the boat hooked to the trailer with a 20' rope. I backed down the ramp and floated the boat off the trailer, but before I could move the boat over to the dock, the wind kept blowing the boat back on to the trailer. I backed in more and felt the trailer go down. I moved the boat and tied it to the dock. When I tried to pull the trailer out, it wouldn't budge. I backed up a little and tried to snatch it out. Wrong! I emptied my pockets and off in the water I went. I walked to the back of the trailer and fell off a ledge just behind the tires. Now the water is up to my neck and a little cold! The first thing I did was to look around to see if any one was watching me. The next thing I did was to attempt to move the trailer by hand. I reached down in the water and grabbed a carpeted 2x6 and pulled up. Wrong! The board came loose from the trailer, and I fell backwards and went under. I managed to get the board before it floated away, got out of the water, and went to my truck. I was able to get the trailer out by jack-knifing it and pulling it out at an angle. I tied the board to the trailer with rope. After all of this, I still went fishing. Can you believe that! Talk about making a memory.

04-25-06, 08:52 PM	#8
bass kicker BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Beamsville,ONTARIO,CANADA Posts: 2,023	i hate it when thing screw up on the water one time i forgot to put the plug in the but and we traveled 5 miles up river from the boat launch that was scarey you could see water rising throught the flour boards thanks this thread reminded me to check all the bolts on our trailer before taking it out __________________ Rob Downs St. Catharines BASSMASTERS

04-30-06, 12:17 AM	#9
flfireman BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Palm Bay, Fl Posts: 2,751	Probably was a very large GATOR sitting there minding his own biz, when you backed over him. Yeah, next time walk in the water and just move him!! Just another scenario for you to contemplate. __________________ In the Lord all things are possible.

04-30-06, 02:11 PM	#10
WTL BassFishin.Com Premier Elite Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Huntsville, Al Posts: 7,466	I've backed the trailer off the edge of a ramp before too, and yes it was in Florida. Went for a swim, had to dive down and lift up on the trailer as my Dad slowly pushed the gas and pulled the trailer up and over the edge. It was easier cause we have a smaller trailer, I couldn't imagine doing it with a full sized trailer and since they are longer tongue to axle I would think it'd be easier to get one of those stuck in the first place. You have to watch things, especially when lakes are down due to drought or winter drawdowns. __________________ Selling live waterdogs for less since 2005.

04-30-06, 06:36 PM	#11
Christopherkeene9 BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Oviedo, Fla Posts: 2,270	WTL we have that same problem. We gotta watch the ramps right now since our waters are way down and we have a big boat (24' Center Console (offshore)) So that doesn't happen.

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)