Winch Accident and Safety

[Last Boat Off]

How often have you been loading up your boat at the launch with a buddy and had something close to this happen? You are bending down near the winch handle releasing it and your buddy pulls the winch strap to get some slack to hook to the boat. The winch handle whips around at a high velocity and almost hits you. I know someone who had such an accident and the winch handle hit him hard in the eye rupturing it open. In spite of surgery his eye was lost. You can't unscramble scrambled eggs if you know what I mean. As we start getting ready for that first spring outing please be reminded to be careful. We are always more prone to forget some small detail like the plug that first time back out in spring. Don't let this winch accident happen to you.

[AquaMan]

Good point! My brother-in-law was launching his boat last summer in Canada. While rushing to get the boat in the water his feet slipped off the trailer and he sat down hard on the sharp edge of the winch tower. He ripped a deep gash in his thigh and G.Maximus that ruined the weekend and many after that. Sitting in the car was a pain let alone the boat.

Excitement should not give way to caution.

AquaMan~~~~~~~~~~~~~

.·´¯° --- "It all begins and ends at the water's edge"

[MarkG]

Thanks for the reminder...I would also like to add be careful with all those bungie cords! Lots of accidents with those as they whip up and hit you in the face. Be Carefull!!

[FlyBoy]

I think I'll go put the plug in right now :)

-John

[REW]

This accident happend several years ago on the large lake in North Dakota on the Missouri
We were camping with my brother and friends. We had heard that a storm was brewing and had either pulled up the boats or had taken them into the sheltered harbor.
However, some other folks who were camping on the side of the lake elected to leave their boats tied to shore.

At about 1 in the morning - the wind was really whipping up - and I went out to check on the sleeping children in the tents (the adults were playing cards in the hard sided trailer).
The children were fine -- I had heavily guyed the tent to hold it down in the forcasted high winds.

Then I walked down by the shore line and observed one of the campers 16 ft runabouts being hammered by the waves. I went over and wakened the sleeping camper and informed him of his problem.
Since - his trailer was unavailable - my brothers friend volunteered his trailer, and I vonunteered my new car to pull the boat vertically 4 feet - which was now full of water - up over the bank and onto the trailer (it was a tilting style trailer).
My brother - who was the biggest person in the group - agreed to try to winch up the boat. We hooked the trailer to my new car - backed the trailer to the bank - let the trailer tip up - and began winching .

My brother was extremely concerend about the potential danger of broken winches, ropes etc. so was standing well out of the flyline of the rope --- suddenly the hook broke on the end of the winch - the nylon winch rope flew forward - just missing my brothers head - and the broken hook punched a hole through the trunk of my new car.

We then recovered our senses -- doubled the winch rope - tied the doubled rope to the bow eye and began winding again. After about a 1/2 hour of slowly winching - and as the boat began to rise - letting the water drain out the back - until finally the boat was safely on the trailer.

I went over the next morning and made a settlement with the boat owner - for the repair of my car - switched trailers under the boat - and he took the boat in for the required repairs. I suspect that it was mostly electrical - since the entire motor had been underwater for about an hour. I suspect that there was little damage to the boat.

In any event - we were all so thankful that there was no personal injury - and that the bulk of boat motor trailer and car were ok.

Just always remember - that when winching - stay out of the winch rope line - you never know when something might give way - if something does break - things can fly and hit anyting in their path with a great deal of force.

Take care

REW

[Boatnut]

Better yet,,,replace your nylon winch line with a steel aircraft cable..or..second best..one of those flat strap lines. Anything that stretches like nylon is a poor choice for a winch line. Too much elasticity...its like a bungee cord.
my 2 cents
Mike(boatnut)

[Paul]

I've had 2 flat straps break at the hook stick with cable.

[fishguy]

I can count the times I've actually winched a boat onto the trailer with one hand in 15 years. I drove the boat on with a bunk trailer and always with a roller trailer. The most I have to winch is 12"-- to snug it up. have never had a broken strap, or cable. Rope belongs on the dog leash. My concern is the truck popping out of gear and rolling into the lake. Has anyone seen that yet?

[Fin Addict]

I had someone steal the cap on my winchstand the second time I used my trailer. The following year I slipped while standing on the tongue of the trailer and as I tried to stop my fall I grabbed the top of the winch stand. The metal cut the webbing between my finger and thumb (through the tendon and all the way to the bone on my left hand). My brother finished loading the boat and we drove 1-1/2 hrs to the Grand Marais hospital where they patched me up very nicely. Needless to say I always keep a plug on the winch stand now. They are actually very cheap and readily available. If any of you do not have the capo on your trailer, it is really something to consider.

[bottomfeeder]

A friend was using winching my boat upon the bunk trailer. The boat pulls hard for the last foot. As he was exerting maximum for down on the winch handel the rope broak. His face smashed foreward into the winch. He lost teeth and was cut badly.

[Lanceye]

I was down at Pueblo Res. in Colorado and watched as this elderly couple tried to back thier boat down a very long extremely steep ramp with a large motorhome. They jack knifed the trailer about 1/2 way down, so the older gentleman got out to check out the situation. As he was walking back the ##### thing jumped out of gear and the whole works went into the lake, and it was quite deep. What a disaster!