help w/bow tiedown for tsunami

Just upgraded boat to a WS Tsunami 120, but concerned about transit. My rack system is on top of pickup and and I always use a bow/stern tiedown because of 70+ mph speeds. But… the carry handles for Tsunami are not really designed for straps… they have this “give” system… I feel that they are a little too fragile for tiedowns.



Any suggestions? I thought about installing a U bolt in the front of boat, good? bad?



Thanks!



BTW, no debate about using bow/stern tiedowns… saw a friends boat flip off the front rack and rise high in the air… hilarious view, but scary!


use a loop around bow
And use bow lines off that.


Maybe take a closer look at the handles

– Last Updated: Sep-17-09 1:24 PM EST –

I cartopped a Tsunami 145 a couple of years ago, and the "give" that you speak of was just a little elastic cord which was there to "take up the slack" and keep the handle from flopping around when not in use. On that boat, the actual "attachment" of the handle to the hull was pretty solid, and the elastic part was totally non-functional, as far load-carrrying is concerned. Does this sound like the system on your boat? If so, don't worry, it'll be fine.

By the way, straps are usually not as good as ropes when used as tie-downs on the ends of your boat. Ropes are more versatile and can be attached with a lot less fussing around.