How to pack your boat
by Haines Hunter 20 Dec 2022 23:24 UTC
How to pack your boat © Haines Hunter
Weight distribution and loading
The summer holiday season is a great opportinity to pack up the family and the boat, and head to your favourite summer get-away. It's important not to overload the trailer as it can cause instability, and even damage to the hull of your boat.
The best way to avoid your boat developing its sea-legs while being towed is by correctly loading it. This means getting the centre of gravity as low as possible with weight evenly distributed. As well as bow-to-stern weight distribution, you should also consider starboard-to-port load distribution.
Watch the video here
When towing, consider the following:
- Don't overload the boat and trailer as it can damage the hull.
- Don't exceed the tongue weight or vehicle towing capacity.
- Check your tyre pressure is within 5psi of the max recommended pressure.
- Pack the boat carefully, spreading the load evenly with heaviest items over the axle/s in the centre. Keep the contents secure so they don't move around and affect the vehicle's handling and safety.
- Check and tighten all tie-downs (strops).
- Check that the coupling and safety chains are secure.
- Test the trailer's lights to ensure they're all working.
- Don't speed and drive carefully. - The maximum legal towing speed in New Zealand is 90kp/h.