3 Tips to make sure your boat insurance doesn’t sink

We love our boats! And let’s face it, our climate is perfect for year-round boating. Take some extra time to make sure that your vehicle and your boat and trailer survive the trip to the water without incident. The easiest way to ruin a perfectly planned day is to have something go wrong and then have to file a boat insurance claim.

Boat hauling tip #1

Before you leave, make sure you fill up your vehicle with gas – it’s a lot easier to do when you’re not towing a boat and trailer! After you get the trailer hooked up, grab a friend to help you double-check the trailer’s tire pressure, turn signal and brake lights.

Boat hauling tip #2

Pulling a boat on a trailer can challenge even the best drivers.  Make pulling your boat on its trailer as easy as possible by making sure the boat’s weight is balanced on the trailer. For optimum handing, 60% of the boat’s weight should be positioned on the front half of the trailer.   Then make sure the boat is balanced on each side by counter balancing any side-mounted fuel tanks.  This balancing will ensure that the towing vehicle has better control over the weight of the trailer.  The balancing will allow the driver better maneuverability both forward and backwards!

Boat hauling tip #3

When towing your boat behind your vehicle, make sure the boat is firmly secured to the trailer with at least two ratchet type straps across the width and one ratchet type strap from the rear of the trailer to the bow eye. To further secure your boat, the bow eye should also be attached to the trailer winch.

With a little pre-planning and an extra few minutes of caution, you can ensure that your boating day floats perfectly along and you don’t sink your boat insurance!