A tie down locking mechanism includes a first plate including a first cavity and a first aperture, a second plate including a second cavity and a second aperture, and a spring mechanism that biases the first and second plates into a first position and that moves the first and second plates into a second position when the bias is overcome with an application of force. Each cavity includes an interior portion connected to an opening on a perimeter of the respective plate. When the first and second plates are in the first position, the openings of the first and second cavities are aligned and the apertures are not aligned. When the first and second plates are in the second position, the openings of the first and second cavities are not aligned and the apertures are aligned.

A portable container assembly that can include a wheeled hand cart for transporting articles mounted on a platform or basket can be mounted in an elevated, horizontal position on the rear of a vehicle. The hand cart includes a downwardly facing channel that can be aligned with and inserted over a support bar extending from the rear of a hitch receiver on a vehicle. Upright handles on the hand cart supply sufficient mechanical advantage to allow the user to first tilt the and cart, and when the channel is aligned with the support bar, the hand cart can be rotated so that it is lifted into position and supported by the support bar on a vehicle. The support bar is attachable to and detachable from a conventional hitch receiver. A cooler can also be mounted directly to and supported only by the hitch extension.

A sheet of polymeric material that is constructed to be coiled into a roll while in a substantially flat configuration. The sheet is positionable over a load bearing surface and at least partially around side surfaces of a bunk of a trailer. The sheet of polymeric material has at least two living hinges that are disposed along a length of the sheet and are substantially parallel to opposing side edges. The living hinges provide areas for the sheet to flex which allows the sheet of material to be manipulated about the trailer bunk. The sheet includes a top surface is configured to contact the trailer bunk where the top surface includes a plurality of ribs extending parallel to the opposing side edges and along a length of the sheet. The plurality of ribs is spaced apart and defines channels there-between that are configured to drain water from the trailer bunk.

A navigational system and method for guiding a boat onto a trailer, which comprises at least one marker mounted on the trailer; a camera located on the boat to assist the system with determining a longitudinal axis of the boat, and generating images of at least a front area of the boat and the at least one marker; an image processing unit for 1) receiving and processing the images to determine the at least one marker, 2) estimating the longitudinal axis of the trailer, 3) generating a desired boat trajectory for aligning the longitudinal axis of the boat with the longitudinal axis of the trailer; and 4) periodically generating guidance output commands to the user to assist the user with following the desired boat trajectory and facilitate loading of the boat on the trailer; and an image display for sequentially displaying the generated images of the camera to a user.

An improved trailer chassis assembly primarily constructed from extruded components including an extruded chassis rail component, a cross member component and a connector component. The component has a wall surface defining an interior channel and an opening in the wall surface extending through the wall surface to the interior channel. The connector component has a first region adapted to engage with the interior space of the chassis rail component, and a second region adapted to engage with the cross member component. The interior space of the chassis rail component is adapted to capture movement of the first region of the connector component in vertical and horizontal planes, and yields movement in the axial plane.

An illuminating bow roller assembly to facilitate loading a watercraft onto a trailer under dark conditions is disclosed. Example components of the assembly include a pair of end bells, a roller, and a yoke into one or more of which lighting elements are recessed into, and a fastening assembly to connect the components to form the assembly. Generally, the lighting elements are arranged such that light therefrom is emitted toward one or more of the end bells and roller. The end bells and roller are composed of a translucent material that propagates light emitted from the lighting elements, which extends illumination to areas surrounding the bow roller assembly in addition to the bow roller assembly itself. A water-activated switch can be implemented to control the illumination of the assembly such that the lighting elements only emit light when the trailer is contacting water.

A device and assembly for loading a watercraft. In one embodiment, the device includes an elongated extension brace and a lever pivotable about the elongated extension's second end. A tether may be aligned about the lever and repositionable between a vehicle and the watercraft. The result is an assembly to repositionably secure a watercraft from a surface to a loaded vehicle position.

A vessel controlling device for positioning a vessel includes a base for supporting the vessel. A primary guide is coupled to the base. A secondary guide is couple to the base. The vessel impacts with the primary guide and the secondary guide. The primary guide and the secondary guide direct the vessel towards the center of the base during launching and recovering the vessel relative to the base.

A vessel guidance system is used with a boat trailer typically having a frame formed of a pair of side rails with numerous transverse rails ding therebetween. The guidance system includes a pair of elongated, buoyant supports, each hingedly attached to the front end of one the trailer side rails. Each support configured to receive a pontoon or a discrete portion of a boat hull. Extending from the rear end of each support is a V-shaped guide for capturing the nose cone and the skeg on a pontoon or boat hull. Once the hull or pontoon is captured, the vessel is guided onto the supports as the vessel is further propelled onto the trailer. As the towing vehicle withdraws the trailer from the water, the supports gradually lower the vessel onto the trailer frame.

An illustrative embodiment of an enclosed boat trailer may be configured to allow loading of a boat in the water for the purpose of removing the boat from the water using the enclosed boat trailer to engage the boat for storage and/or transportation. An illustrative embodiment of an enclosed boat trailer may be comprised of a roller system positioned on the floor and a right and left rear arm adjacent a rear opening in the enclosed boat trailer. In an illustrative method of use, a boat operator may load and/or unload the boat into the water from the enclosed boat trailer without leaving the boat and without additional personnel.