You wanna know what I hate the most about the off-season? It's getting back into the flow of things come spring.
I mean, it's bad enough having to deal with all those "senior moments" that just keep coming my way on a routine basis. But if two or three months pass without my being able to get on the water, I face a real problem remembering some of those things that were in "automatic" mode when I was fishing regularly.
For example, I remember one early spring tournament a couple of years ago when I got to the marina to start rigging my boat and realized I had forgotten my rods. They still were leaning against the workbench in my garage, where I had placed 'em the night before... of all things, so I wouldn't forget them!
The only thing that saved my fanny was the fact I always get to the marina super early on tournament mornings. I jumped in my van and took a back road all the way home. Fortunately, I didn't encounter any cops going home or coming back, or I'd probably still be stinging from the speeding ticket I surely would have gotten.
It was shortly after this incident that I started making a trip to the marina the day before a tourney and rigging my boat then, which has prevented a recurrence of the earlier episode.
There was the one spring, too, when I took my boat to the mechanic for dewinterizing. After just a brief glance around, he wanted to know where my tie-down straps and motor toter were. Fortunately, I had them in my van, so I was able to batten everything down properly for the return trip to the marina.
I'll be the first to admit that remembering everything necessary to ready my trailer for the road is always a challenge for me--far more so than any other evolution. The problem lies in the fact I keep my boat at the marina (and have since 1977), which means I seldom have an occasion to use the straps or motor toter. And it took my tourney partner telling me this past summer I needed to check the tire pressure on my trailer before I finally got around to even doing that. After most days on the water, I simply unload my tackleboxes, rods and any other gear, wipe down the boat, then back it in the shed, hook up the charger, and lock the door.
As the Sgt. Rick Hunter character in the old Hunter TV series used to say two or three times during an episode, "Works for me." However, there's really a whole set of checks you should go through anytime you're planning to take a trailer of any kind on the road, even for a short trip.
Here's a pre-departure safety checklist endorsed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration:
* Check and correct tire pressure on the tow vehicle and trailer.
* Make sure the wheel lug nuts/bolts on the tow vehicle and trailer are tightened to the correct torque.
* Be sure the hitch, coupler, safety chains, and other equipment that connect the trailer and tow vehicle are properly secured and adjusted.
* Check that the wiring is properly connected--not touching the road but loose enough to make turns without disconnecting or damaging the wires.
* Make sure all running lights, brake lights, turn signals, and hazard lights are working.
* Verify that the brakes on the tow vehicle and, if applicable, the trailer are operating correctly.
* Check that all items are securely fastened, including the bow boat strap and safety chain, as well as the transom tie-downs and motor toter.
* Be sure the trailer jack is completely raised or turned and locked in place.
* Check side- and rearview mirrors to make sure you have good visibility.
Following these tips is a good way to avoid any unwanted surprises en route to your favorite fishing hole in the wee hours of the morning. I think we all can generally agree that the only "good" stop at oh-dark-30 is maybe to pick up a sausage-and-egg biscuit and a cup of coffee at a local fast-food place--right?
The boat trailer in this photo had a wheel bearing seize. When that happened, it ripped off the suspension mounting points, resulting in what you see here.
No comments:
Post a Comment