We snapped this picture coming up 279 a few weeks ago and I wanted to use it as an opportunity to remind everyone how not to trailer your boats while taking them to storage. Hopefully the owner isn't a forum member, but if you are take this as friendly advice and not someone making fun of you - its just plain dangerous.
Traffic was backed up for miles as this boat went up the highway because nobody would get close to them for fear of being caught up in carnage that would ensue when his tarp finally let go. I didn't want to be on the receiving end when it finally came loose and made my move to pass him while someone took the photo for me.
As a friendly reminder, for the safety of everyone else on the road and the sake of keeping your boat cover in one piece... if its dry out and you can remove it, don't tow with it on even if its designed to do so because you're shortening the lifespan of it every mile you tow with it on. If your cover was not designed to be used while trailering, take it off every time. If you're uncertain whether your cover can be used while in tow these styles of covers have a draw string or strap below the snap line that hugs the boat below the rub rail, may have tie down loops to secure it to the trailer in addition to the strap or drawstring, and other features designed to hold it in place. Cockpit covers, mooring covers (covers that end above the rub rail), enclosures of any kind, and everything in between were not designed to handle highway speeds so do yourself a favor and remove them before hitting the road. If you're not sure whether your cover is designed to travel, feel free to post a picture here, send me an email, or call and I'll help you determine whether or not you're safe to do so. Lastly... don't forget to secure everything inside first - what can blow out, will blow out at the right speed including seat cushions that look too large to grow wings and fly - I know someone on here can confirm this thought personally... (in their defense, they did not tow the boat but became the innocent victim unfortunately).
If all your cover has on it are snaps to secure it on the water, take it off! Those little snaps can let go otherwise and before you know it your cover will look very much like this one before it tears, comes off, or just stretches itself beyond usefulness for next season. While I'd love to sell a dozen more new covers next spring because people tow with them on, I'd rather you get to your destination safely and not harm anyone else on the road instead, plus save some money to use towards that next upgrade instead!
I've seen full convertible top enclosures installed going 70 mph down the highway on boats that would never see 35 MPH on the water and got close enough to see plastic frame hardware hanging on for dear life on the frame before i got as far away from that boat as I could. Along the same lines, I see a lot of bimini frames standing up while in transit which is another big no no for high speed travel. Most of the time the frame mounts for these tops are held on with "wood screw" type threads into an aluminum or steel windshield frame where you know there is no nut securing the other side, fiberglass on the gunnel that doesn't have any backing under it or a machine screw and nut which would make it the most secure but still not up to this type of stress, and other "safe for water use" but not highway use designs applied to them by the original installer that I come across all the time. Along the same lines, most frame systems are designed to have downward pressure from the front and rear of the top together to help hold the main hoop of the frame in place so when its standing in the closed but up position with the boot on it, the frame becomes top heavy and with that boot acting like a parachute essentially the top uses the rear stanchion support to act like a lever which basically tries to pull the primary mount base out of the hull / windshield / etc. If the mounts don't fail they could tear a hole in your fiberglass with enough force and if your top's frame has those plastic cheap fittings instead of aluminum or stainless steel (recommended) you're flirting with disaster. At the same time, the shock forces placed on the boats while trailered aren't as soft as even the hardest wake you cross so the pressure exerted while standing up and hitting a pot hole has been known to rip the best mount out of fiberglass.
Hopefully everyone here is wise enough to not do any of the above, but I've been seeing tons of boats every weekend on their way to storage lately with all of the above in place at 70 MPH on Rt 28, 79, the Turnpike, etc and I'd have to imagine a hefty ticket comes with doing so but don't know the law well enough to quote it.
Please be safe and think about what can go wrong before you head up the highway so your boat, its contents, and your fellow drivers all get to their destination safely! We all want a safe ending to what was hopefully a safe season for everyone and still is for you die hard folks still cruising the waters - I was envious of quite a few boaters near River Forest this weekend while i was working on a cover down that way.
How not to load / tow your boat
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