Proper knot for trailer winch?

[BlindSqrl]

I was pulling my boat out of the water last night and the rope on the winch broke. The rope was old and about to go and was hoping to fix it soon anyway. What is a good knot to use on the hook so I can trust it on the road way? I picked up 3/8" hollow braid poly utility line, will this be good enough?

[broken_line]

whats the breaking strength?? i would say 4 regular overhand knots and some glue.. your boat should be strapped is if the rope breaks it dont fall off....

[mamohr686]

Why not purchase a winch strap intended for boat trailers? You can pick one up at fleet farm for $10-$15 and it has a nice metal clasp on the front. Normally on the winch you will have a small bolt that runs through the center of the winch. Just run the bolt through the loop on the winch strap, re-tighten the bolt, and crank up the strap as tight as you can. Sunday afternoon on lake Ida near Alex, the same thing happened to a boat that was loading in front of us. We waited over 30 minutes while they tried to fix a rope like you mentioned (other people were already helping them out or I would've stepped in). Be courteous to your fellow boaters and do it right.

[Tom7227]

That poly stuff stretches and is hard on the hands. If the boat is very heavy it will be a problem for you. I would go for the woven nylon, maybe even 1/2 inch, or even pop for a strap if your boat is heavy. There most likely is a hole in the side of the winch that you thread the rope through a couple times and then a device that has a bolt through it that pinches it down and holds it in place.

[pulsar_nx]

What is a good knot to use on the hook so I can trust it on the road way?

You should be using a safety chain when trailering.

[BlindSqrl]

Thank you, I didn't realize that they sold just the strap, I was looking for something and only saw new winches. I had people waiting behind me as well but I just took the excess rope and did a quick knot and was out of the water right away. It helps that my boat is just an aluminum 14'.

[BlindSqrl]

I have a everything that is required for safety issues on my trailer. The line snapped as I was pulling it out of the water. I retied the rope and hooked up my back up safety chain and was on my way.

[broken_line]

i had a 1/4" coated steel cable on my boat last year and it never got caught up in the gears but the clicker broke so i put the strap one back on..

[mamohr686]

Thank you, I didn't realize that they sold just the strap, I was looking for something and only saw new winches. I had people waiting behind me as well but I just took the excess rope and did a quick knot and was out of the water right away. It helps that my boat is just an aluminum 14'.

The first time I bought a new winch, I got home and found out it didn't include a strap (I was a little PO'd). Most of them are sold seperate. Good luck and cudos for not holding up everyone on the holiday weekend.