When towing a boat at highway speeds, will the boat cushions remain in the boat?
I have a 1988 Super Sport 15. I just installed the Anderson Seat bottom cushions. Is it safe to tow at highway speeds with these snapped in place or am I taking too much chance of them flying away? Thank you.
Towing Boat With Cushions in Cockpit
Re: Towing Boat With Cushions in Cockpit
It is a funny coincidence that you have a SPORT 15 and ask about cushions flying out of the boat while towing. Right after I got my SPORT 15, I towed the boat about 10-miles to a local lake. When I got to the ramp, I looked at the boat and thought, "I am sure I put the seat cushion in before leaving." Of course, I did, but it wasn't there when I got to the lake. Never saw that cushion again. I even drove home the exact same route looking for it. It was gone.
The SPORT 15 has very low gunwales, and it's a really open boat. Be careful with expensive cushions.
Another event: many years ago we were cruising on Cayuga Lake in New York in our REVENGE 22 W-T Whaler Drive. We had been running north, up the middle of the lake for some time. I happened to turn around at the helm and notice that this big cushion was no longer on the big seat at the aft end of the cockpit. Chris said, "It was there a few minutes ago." I turned the boat around and followed our wake back south. About a mile later we found it floating.
The SPORT 15 has very low gunwales, and it's a really open boat. Be careful with expensive cushions.
Another event: many years ago we were cruising on Cayuga Lake in New York in our REVENGE 22 W-T Whaler Drive. We had been running north, up the middle of the lake for some time. I happened to turn around at the helm and notice that this big cushion was no longer on the big seat at the aft end of the cockpit. Chris said, "It was there a few minutes ago." I turned the boat around and followed our wake back south. About a mile later we found it floating.
Re: Towing Boat With Cushions in Cockpit
I have seat cushions in my 15 and the snaps are really secure. Unlike Jim, I was lucky enough to see my cusions fluttering around before they took flights and had time to pull over and stow them in the car on the side of a busy highway.
Now I don't leave anything for chance, cushions and anything not bolted to the hull goes in the car.
D-
Now I don't leave anything for chance, cushions and anything not bolted to the hull goes in the car.
D-
Re: Towing Boat With Cushions in Cockpit
Thanks everyone. I had suspected it was a chance not worth taking, and you have confirmed that.
Re: Towing Boat With Cushions in Cockpit
Snap-on cushions are quick and easy to remove and reinstall. I would do that before towing, especially at highway speeds.
Butch
Re: Towing Boat With Cushions in Cockpit
Answer this.
Do you want to replace your cushions that were lost on the way to or from the ramp?
(The universal answer continues to be NO.)
Do you want to replace your cushions that were lost on the way to or from the ramp?
(The universal answer continues to be NO.)
1992 Outrage 17
2019 E-TEC 90
2018 LoadRite 18280096VT
Member since 2003
2019 E-TEC 90
2018 LoadRite 18280096VT
Member since 2003
Re: Towing Boat With Cushions in Cockpit
The comments from dtmackey really hit home. To take it one step further, it's also a good practice to check items bolted to the hull when doing a walk around inspection of the trailer and hull before hitting the road as well as each time there's a stop for fuel, food, etc. I came close to learning that lesson the hard way.
In March, we towed our 1995 Outrage 17 on a 4,000 mile round trip. All snap on cushions and the stern bait well cover were stowed in the truck.
At a fuel stop in Chattanooga, I started my standard walk around (to check tires, bearing temperature, tie downs, wiring harness connection, lights, safety chains, winch strap and so on). It takes a minute or two, tops.
I immediately saw the backrest cushion from the front of the reversible pilot seat was wedged into the stern bait well. The machine screws that fasten into the cushion T-nuts, through the fiberglass seat back, had vibrated free allowing the cushion to flip up and over the seat back and land at an odd angle in the bait well. The machine screws were laying at the bottom of the seat back storage compartment.
It was very, very fortunate that the cushion with its plywood base stayed in the boat instead of, say, blowing out of the boat and slamming into the windshield of some vehicle on the road behind us.
Normal road vibration and a lengthy stretch of very rough pavement on I-24 south of Nashville likely played a role in the machine screws vibrating free. But, were the screws not seated tightly enough before the trip started? Maybe, maybe not. The cushion had shown no signs of being loose in the few months we've owned and used the boat. And virtually every other fastener on the hull had been checked with a wrench or screwdriver. Missing these machine screws was definitely an error on my part.
I'm not saying that bolt on items should be removed from the hull before trailering. Not at all. It is, however, a good idea to regularly check fasteners to make sure they're tightly seated (once, twice a year?), then visually check and give those items a nudge, even before leaving on short trips. There can be bigger problems than the cost of replacement when a cushion, or anything else, blows out of a boat trailered at highway speeds.
In March, we towed our 1995 Outrage 17 on a 4,000 mile round trip. All snap on cushions and the stern bait well cover were stowed in the truck.
At a fuel stop in Chattanooga, I started my standard walk around (to check tires, bearing temperature, tie downs, wiring harness connection, lights, safety chains, winch strap and so on). It takes a minute or two, tops.
I immediately saw the backrest cushion from the front of the reversible pilot seat was wedged into the stern bait well. The machine screws that fasten into the cushion T-nuts, through the fiberglass seat back, had vibrated free allowing the cushion to flip up and over the seat back and land at an odd angle in the bait well. The machine screws were laying at the bottom of the seat back storage compartment.
It was very, very fortunate that the cushion with its plywood base stayed in the boat instead of, say, blowing out of the boat and slamming into the windshield of some vehicle on the road behind us.
Normal road vibration and a lengthy stretch of very rough pavement on I-24 south of Nashville likely played a role in the machine screws vibrating free. But, were the screws not seated tightly enough before the trip started? Maybe, maybe not. The cushion had shown no signs of being loose in the few months we've owned and used the boat. And virtually every other fastener on the hull had been checked with a wrench or screwdriver. Missing these machine screws was definitely an error on my part.
I'm not saying that bolt on items should be removed from the hull before trailering. Not at all. It is, however, a good idea to regularly check fasteners to make sure they're tightly seated (once, twice a year?), then visually check and give those items a nudge, even before leaving on short trips. There can be bigger problems than the cost of replacement when a cushion, or anything else, blows out of a boat trailered at highway speeds.