bdubz06 said:
Thanks, Guys! I live on the East side of the Sound; just north of Everett. The first weekend we had the boat we took it to Chelan over in Eastern Washington. We also take the boat to Lake Stevens which isn't too far away.
We just got back today from Crabbing off Saddlebad Island near Anacortes! Great crabbing up there.
About the ties downs, is the angle the problem? The back trailer bunks extend out just to the end of the transom. Not a good idea to have the boat tied down that way?
Thanks for all your input and this forum is great!
Take care.
It's the best forum on the net for boating. Tons of help here, lots of experience and knowledge.
Oh my, you have the best cruising grounds in the world.
We spent many a weekend out at Saddlebag, anchored out and fishing for dungeness. The skagit river delta is absolutely huge, been dumping sand for a million years and the crabs love it. We'd catch 'em and cook 'em right on board, fresh bread and a bottle of wine and things don't get much better than that. I had a 40' alden yawl that we'd sit out there on, go check the pots with a zodiac and a outboard.
Chelan is a fantastic lake, there are many good ones up there, Roosevelt is another, and of course there's always Lake Washington. We raced 8' home-made hydroplanes up the Sammamish slough by Kenmore when I was a kid. And I got kicked out of the city of Chelan when I was 18 for riding my dirtbike in the city park. I was there in my van visiting my girlfriend and their family. When I pulled the bike out of the van to set it up to sleep in, I don't know how I got the notion I should pull wheelies in the park. The mayor called the park manager and told him to throw me out of town :shock: Why did my girlfriends parents let her go home with me the next day in my van? What, were they nuts???? I guess the 70's were a crazy time, weren't they?
When I was a kid Dad had a Bryant 22' with twin merc 75's, and we got all the way up lake chelan and were docked up at a resort and had a helluva windstorm and rough water. We were afraid the side of the boat was going to cave in.
Anyway, I digress.....
I don't see a problem with the tie-downs unless you get chaffing on the hull sides. I hate the over-the gunnel, it wears on the deck and gets it dirty. But they are secure.
Tie-downs are also supposed to keep a boat from sliding forward if it's in a collision. I have seen them go right over the winch post and into the tow vehicle. If you can get a secure spot under the back of the trailer bunks you would probably have a better angle. My boat doesn't move much on the trailer, but I'm not sure what things would be like if you had to make some evasive manuevers on the hiway or something. They will slide around if enough force is put on it or it gets sideways or something.
Tell us some more about the NW boating....where's the spot with the dock and the big rock shorline with a camp ground? The trees are what we miss up there....
BTW, my younger sister still lives up there, her and her husband recently bought a 39' carver they moor in Everett. I would love to trailer my boat up to Vancouver Island for a vacation, but with gas costs now it's not in the cards.
