Transom Tie Downs

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Boat buckles work fine. Once they're adjusted to the proper length, all you have to do is hook them and flip the buckle, arguably a little bit handier than ratchet straps. They use a cam lock to take up slack.

Capacity wise a ratchet strap is a lot stronger, even the cheapest ones meet the capacity of those.

I use ratchet straps and see no reason to change, the couple seconds saved don't mean that much to me, why spend the money to change something that already works.

The mistake I see a lot of people make with ratchet straps, they will pull the free end tight and then start ratcheting. You don't want to do that, especially on a boat, they will loosen up. The strap really needs to have a full wrap or more on the spool to create enough friction to hold, leave some slack before you start ratcheting. I only learned this after donating a couple. 😄
 
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The thing I don't like about ratchets is none of the ones I have are padded and I don't like the metal against my boats. Sometimes I stick a rag underneath or try to wad up some of the strap and shove it in there. Neither method works very well.

I get the point about not having too much slack, but never considered they might loosen up. Guess I'll leave a little more on the spool now to ensure they stay tight.
 
I prefer the rachet type, used the cam units for years and never had them stay tight. Tried many different brands and made numerous adjustments to them but they were always loose when I arrived at my destination. Switched over to rachet straps last season, the ones I have, do have pads on them to prevent scratching, and since I went back to rachet type....boat is always tight when I arrive.
 
I'm using BoatBuckles and have been very satisfied with their ease of use and performance. I purchased a set of polyester protectors so metal makes no contact with hull.

Only negative so far....I don't like that they have to be stored when not in use, but it's just a minor inconvenience. It can be a problem if you tend to misplace/lose things!

The yellow protectors that are included with BB are OK.....but I preferred to cover more surface area and wanted more durability so I went with Aerofast products from New Zealand.

BoatBuckle

Aerofast - Protective Pads PS30
 
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The cam/buckle type work well. I think any type of transom tie down is really just a security blanket. Maybe they are useful for boats with really slick hulls. If the trailer is adjusted properly I don’t think transom tie downs really do much.
 
Still Afloat said:
The cam/buckle type work well. I think any type of transom tie down is really just a security blanket. Maybe they are useful for boats with really slick hulls. If the trailer is adjusted properly I don’t think transom tie downs really do much.
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You must not live in the mountains. On some the roads I trailer on, you'd bounce a boat right off a trailer if it wasn't tied down, or at least make it jump off the bunks and cause damage to the hull or transom. And for the OP, why not use retractable boatbuckles? They are one of the best inventions for trying down boat transoms and every boat I have and previously had all have retractable tie downs. And there isn't ever any metal to bounce against your boat while going down the road.
 
FWIW: On my small boats use one ratchet strap over the boat, about a foot and a half forward of the transom.

My bowrider had the protected cam lock. They never loosened in 20 years and protected the fiberglass. I did use a ratchet strap attached to bow eye vertical to trailer frame. Cam locks also came on the G3.

The pontoon didn’t come with any, and thought that BPS just forgot them. They said they don’t come with any of the pontoons and not needed. Owners can add them for piece of mind. I used ratchet straps because there is no contact points that the ratchet can hit.

If it can scratch the transom, my preference is the protected cam locks.
 
A bit surprised how opinions differ so much. The Belt Buckles look nice, but kinda pricey and not easily moved from boat to boat. Guess I'll probably go with another set of ratchets since they seem quite secure to me. I just don't like how it seems like no matter what I do end up with the metal part against the transom. Currently have the ones I use to tie my bike down when trailering on the Crestliner. I just couldn't stand looking at the single huge "trucker" ratchet going all the way around the boat. Just seemed ghetto to me.
 
Would sure like to know how you guys keep those cam buckle type tight!! I have three pair hanging on my barn wall and neighbor has two sets hanging on his. Neither of us have had any sucess with keeping them snug. When we arrive they are flapping loose. I have lost two pair, neighbor one pair. Boat is not moving forward or backward on the trailer, cant, locked in position on winch stand. Never had sucess with these over the past 10 years over three different boats! My ratchet straps are always tight..
 
Striper57 said:
You must not live in the mountains. On some the roads I trailer on, you'd bounce a boat right off a trailer if it wasn't tied down, or at least make it jump off the bunks and cause damage to the hull or transom. And for the OP, why not use retractable boatbuckles? They are one of the best inventions for trying down boat transoms and every boat I have and previously had all have retractable tie downs. And there isn't ever any metal to bounce against your boat while going down the road.
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I was being a devil’s advocate but, the reference was for highway towing. I do use the straps with low expectations for what they can actually do.

Our home is in the foothills of the Northern Rookies and yes we have washboard dirt roads too. I slow down to 5 mph or less to avoid beating up the boat and truck. The reason the gravel roads are trashed is because people are driving too fast. Slowing down and using 4WD really helps prolong the road surface between grading.

If you are referring to off-roading with a boat I step down to a small inflatable pontoon when fishing these mountain lakes.
 
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airshot said:
Would sure like to know how you guys keep those cam buckle type tight!! I have three pair hanging on my barn wall and neighbor has two sets hanging on his. Neither of us have had any sucess with keeping them snug. When we arrive they are flapping loose. I have lost two pair, neighbor one pair. Boat is not moving forward or backward on the trailer, cant, locked in position on winch stand. Never had sucess with these over the past 10 years over three different boats! My ratchet straps are always tight..
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I do have them adjusted so they are about as tight as they can be. It takes some effort to close the latches. You don’t want your fingers on the back side when it latches. The ones I have are just the dealer installed ones. Nothing special.
 
airshot said:
Would sure like to know how you guys keep those cam buckle type tight!! I have three pair hanging on my barn wall and neighbor has two sets hanging on his. Neither of us have had any sucess with keeping them snug. When we arrive they are flapping loose. I have lost two pair, neighbor one pair. Boat is not moving forward or backward on the trailer, cant, locked in position on winch stand. Never had sucess with these over the past 10 years over three different boats! My ratchet straps are always tight..
Click to expand...
Ill have to figure out which brand is on mine they came with the boat but even on a 3hr trip for vacation they stayed tight.
 
airshot said:
Between myself and my neighbor we have three different brands, all are in good condition. We have not had sucess with any of them...
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I don’t doubt your experience. Not having the same, never looked at the mechanisms for problems/fixes.

I haven’t had problems with ratchet straps, either. Old ones can rust and need lube. Have stainless ones on boat covers.
 
Gosh, I have style like @LaqueRatt originally pictured. Put them on snug they stay snug. I didn't know they were problematic until I read this thread. Seems the only way they could loosen is if the strap is stretching, they are poorly made, or the boat is moving sideways or back and forth. IDK.
 
Funny how some peoples' experiences can be totally different. The major complaint I noticed on the buckle straps when reading about them was that some are held together with cheap hollow rivets which sometimes failed. I've never examined the ratchets that closely though. For all I know they have crappy rivets holding them together as well.
 

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