Towing a Dinghy

[AlanT]

Actually, even an inflatable/rib pounding on a hull keeps us up all nite. They need fenders too.

Agree. We keep fenders permanently on our 14' Rendova RIB. The problem is that the fender rope hangs over the inflatable pontoon and abrades it. I need to add rubbing strips on the pontoons.
Happy Thanksgiving

~A

 

[diver dave]

Rubbing rope is brutal on inflatables[emoji51]
The other thing I notice is that low stretch line is violent on dinks. Going from Dacron to nylon is a huge improvement when there is any wave action during any docking/tying up .

 

[Group9]

For my 44’ Tolly, we’ve started towing a 15 Whaler.
55’ of nylon double braid towline.
For approaching and leaving our dock, we side tie with fenders from the mothership to the flat aft half of the boat.
For anchoring, I tie up short and have the wife tend the line. Haven’t eaten a line yet but probably will.

I did flip the whaler over once. Was bringing in the anchor after a hurricane. Storm was over but wind had just kicked up and we were getting bounced. Whaler was tied short. Anchor was dug in and I was concentrated on that. Bow was pitching. Pulpit broke off. Anchor finally freed up and came on in. Looked back and the whaler was upside down. Engine needed replacing anyway…

We came really close to flipping our 11' Boston Whaler once. We were going in an inlet, and the Whaler surfed down a wave. The problem was, we had two tow lines, one to each cleat on the big boat, and we had the outboard partially raised.

Somehow the outboard foot got tangled in one of the tow lines, and the next thing we know, we are towing the Whaler sideways. In the middle of the inlet, we didn't want to stop, so I grabbed a knife and just cut the line the motor was hung up on and let it go free. It seemed like minutes, but it was probably less than a minute that we towed it sideways like that, doing about 8 knots.

Later, we found that the force had bent the bow eye of the Whaler over by 45 degrees! But, the darn thing didn't flip.

 

[Shrew]

Get a rib, and NOT the 13' whaler. They have "built in" fenders. Just the ride difference is amazing.

I appreciate you taking the time to offer your opinion. Having had an inflatable dinghy's for at least the last 15 or so years, I'm familiar with the differences. A console rib would have been a lot less money if I decided to tow it. To get a davit would have put me in the same relative price range.

However, the configuration of my slip makes a davit difficult, and I don't like things hanging on the outside of the boat.

More importantly....We live on the boat for 6 months of the year and this is more than just a dinghy. This is our 'car' for 6 months of the year. I want range and comfort and we want to be able to fish. I have zero desire to fish from an inflatable boat.

 

[Shrew]

So I'm revisiting this with a follow-up question on towing. For those who've towed a Boston Whaler 13 or 130....

I'm assuming that I'm pulling the garboard plug to tow? This is a 2022 Boston Whaler 130 SS. There is a garboard plug in the stern and a garboard plug in the storage/anchor locker.

 

[Xlantic]

That is what I do, unless the tow is brief and weather is fine.

The one under the pilot stays on.

 

[skipperguy]

Towed a BW-13 for 20 years. Found that attract better with the outboard down and plug in place

 

[Shrew]

Towed a BW-13 for 20 years. Found that attract better with the outboard down and plug in place

All the way down?? I have heard some folks recommending to lower it until the skeg, but not the prop is in the water. Folks have reported that they feel the tender tracks better.

Is the engine in neutral or reverse? Is it ok for the prop to spin with the engine off??

 

[psneeld]

OK with prop spinning/motor off...motor just as far down as necessary to track well and not cause any stability issues with the boat with too much weight in the air (shouldn't be an issue with the BW).

 

[skipperguy]

All the way down?? I have heard some folks recommending to lower it until the skeg, but not the prop is in the water. Folks have reported that they feel the tender tracks better.

Is the engine in neutral or reverse? Is it ok for the prop to spin with the engine off??

Neutral. Our cruising speed was 10 knots and the Whaler Rode on the front of the wake wave, leaving very little load on the Tow line. That surprised me until i experimented with lengths of tow line. We ended up towing the Whaler about 25 feet behind.

 

[Art]

My decades of towing experience has conclusively shown:

If you are towing a runabout with a single straight line stemming off of transom port or starboard you're asking for trouble.

If your towing with a single straight line stemming from transom center your towed boat will wander.

If you have a bridle stemming from both sides of transom with short straight line at towed boats center from bridle's "Y" the towed boat goes straight and steady.

NAUTICAL BRIDLE:
length of rope, chain, or cable fastened in a Y position for an object to be moved by vessel that is towing; pull being exerted at the center of the Y's length where the two cables junction

Also... for correct, comfortable towing of a runabout there are many items that dictate how long the bridal "Y" should be distanced off the transom as well as how long the centered line should be from the Y's junction to the nose of the towed runabout.

These items include but are not limited to:
- Speed while towing
- Type and size of tow boat's wake
- Hull design of towed boat
- Trim of towed boat
- Weather/wind/wave conditions during tow

Each package of a towing and towed boat has its own nuances for getting the tow to be as smooth and trouble free as possible. Don't be afraid to experiment with different options. Once you get the options in correct stance towing becomes a breeze!

Happy Tow-Daze! - Art

 

[psneeld]

All tows can vary a little..... everyone needs to experiment to find the best combo...and even then conditions may warrant a drastic change in methods and equipment.

I had the luxury of towing when it was nice, easily pulling aboard when not so nice.

I have 15 years of assistance towing experience to figure out what worked for me.

 

[Shrew]

For the tow set-up, I used Rope Inc. They fabricate towing bridles for yachts. They did an amazing job.

Bridle: 2 X 30' w/ 2' Chafe eye [MFP Floatline 5/8"]

Hawser: 1 X 75' w/Snap Shackle(Wichard) [MFP Floatline 5/8"]

Pendant: Spectra 1 X 10' [10mm AS78 Dyneema 12 strand] w/ Stainless Steel Safety Bolt Shackle 7/16

All loops are spliced with chafe guard on the loops.

 

[TBill36]

Lot's of good advice. One other thing. Get a rear view mirror. I got one off amazon that's on a suction cup. You want to keep an eye on your dingy to make sure it's still back there. Turning around all the time gets old quickly and you'll end up with a strained neck.

 

[tagillette]

Towing tender

For many years have towed using floating line our unique thing is ran line through 1/2 schedule 80 pic with knot in line to keep pvc close to carabiner gives us a handle to push or steer the towed when close or maneuvering and yes you get good at walking the towed to back into slip

 

[Art]

For many years have towed using floating line our unique thing is ran line through 1/2 schedule 80 pic with knot in line to keep pvc close to carabiner gives us a handle to push or steer the towed when close or maneuvering and yes you get good at walking the towed to back into slip

Welcome aboard TF! Towing runabouts is an art in itself... and, a fun one too!!

 

[Art]

Lot's of good advice. One other thing. Get a rear view mirror. I got one off amazon that's on a suction cup. You want to keep an eye on your dingy to make sure it's still back there. Turning around all the time gets old quickly and you'll end up with a strained neck.

So true! Mirror to keep am eye on things.

 

[ABfish]

I've towed 10 times. Wrapped tow line once (that was towing a 20 ft. center console).

I'd love to know the ratio of tows versus wrapped tow lines.

 

[smitty477]

I've towed 10 times. Wrapped tow line once (that was towing a 20 ft. center console).

I'd love to know the ratio of tows versus wrapped tow lines.

We towed various RIBS for over 12 seasons at maybe 800 miles towed in each season. No wrapped lines so far.

 

[Art]

Been exposed to dink or runabout towing since before early grade school. Piloted the towing boat or been aboard same ever since [over 6 decades]. Haven't wrapped a tow line yet!

Have wrapped ski lines [outboard's prop] and anchor lines [inboard's prop].

 

[Mac2]

I'd love to know the ratio of tows versus wrapped tow lines.

I wrapped a tow line once. I told my buddy to watch the tow line as I docked.
He did. Literally. He watched the tow line go right into my prop. My fault for not being more specific.

 

[Art]

I'd love to know the ratio of tows versus wrapped tow lines.

I wrapped a tow line once. I told my buddy to watch the tow line as I docked.
He did. Literally. He watched the tow line go right into my prop. My fault for not being more specific.

There is a certain amount of implied reasoning that should hover over the mind of a person requested to accomplice an action. Especially a relatively simple, obviously meaningful one!

Your buddy??? Duh...

 

[Shrew]

Floating line should prevent the towline from being sucked into the running gear of the tow[ing] vessel.

However, outboard down could potentially get fouled on floating towline if the tow[ed]
vessel surf's and overtakes the floating towline.

 

[Hippocampus]

Just curious. What does towing do to your fuel consumption?

 

[smitty477]

Just curious. What does towing do to your fuel consumption?

At 16-17 knots I found it to be barely detectable with fairly heavy tows. Seastates, tides, bottom/prop condition, etc affected fuel use more than the tow.

 

[psneeld]

I have seen quite a few times floating tow line sucked into an inboard or otherwise prop.

Use enough reverse and be backog or twistng a bit and your chances increases dramatically.

Also, some immerded transoms are shallow and sloped down towards the prop, these can help too to suck one in.

Fuel consumption increase wod depend on drag and horsepower used.

 

[Art]

Just curious. What does towing do to your fuel consumption?

1000% improved mileage... for the towed boat that is!

 

[jbinbi]

I had a sailboat a whiles back that I towed the inflatable behind. However, I always had a second tow line, was afraid if the main line broke, to have a backup.

No idea if I was just paranoid or if this is SOP. Do those who tow regularly also do this?

 

[koliver]

I had a sailboat a whiles back that I towed the inflatable behind. However, I always had a second tow line, was afraid if the main line broke, to have a backup.

No idea if I was just paranoid or if this is SOP. Do those who tow regularly also do this?

Regular inspection of wear at the attachment points, replacement when any chafing shows, is all that is needed to allow a single line of adequate diameter to last several years. My original painter went 10 years and, though a floating line, when it was chewed by a prop and replaced with a smaller diameter line, that one went 2 years before chafe at the bow fitting mandated its replacement.
The key issue, is to keep the tow line shorter than the total distance from the bow fitting to the prop. In my case, that distance wrt to boat's prop, is ~15'.including the distance to the stern cleat. I was surprised by a failure to tie the painter back in the dinghy and it found the dinghy prop, with predictable results. I now tow on a line too short to reach that prop, with no issues.

 

[Group9]

I've towed 10 times. Wrapped tow line once (that was towing a 20 ft. center console).

I'd love to know the ratio of tows versus wrapped tow lines.

We towed our 11 foot Whaler to the Bahamas from Mississippi and back twice. We wrapped the tow line around the prop exactly once, on the first trip, in No Name Harbor in Miami, as I was backing up to where I wanted to drop my anchor at, (and, temporarily forgetting that the dinghy that I had already towed 800 miles was back there).

I have to admit, even I thought it would have probably happened more often when were were starting those trips.