Quick release when towing tubes?

bjp9860

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May 22, 2013
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I'm about to buy a new (used) boat and tow tubes for the first time. I've read about how the tubes sometimes submarine and act like an anchor that can exert a huge amount of force on the tie in points, and the engineer in me really gets nervous with that much force on a small area of fiberglass (though I don't have much experience with fiberglass). Has anyone ever used a maximum-force quick release to prevent this huge amount of force being applied to the tie in points?

For instance, a simple implementation might be to attach the tow rope to the tie in points with a cord only rated to, say, 800 pounds and that cord would (intentionally) break before pulling too hard on the tie in point. The more elaborate implementation I had in mind would be a parachute-style release on a short bungee that would pull out the pull cord when the bungee stretched farther than a certain distance. Either way, the idea is that the tube tow rope would release before pulling more than a certain force on the tie in points.

Has anyone done something like this? Or is it just totally unnecessary? Has anyone broken tie-in points (either center ski hook or side transom hooks) towing tubes? I'll have both the center ski hook and side transom hooks available; which should I use to tow tubes?
 

Home Cookin'

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Re: Quick release when towing tubes?

totally unnecessary. Your hand on the throttle is all you need.

when a tube submarines, it's at low speeds. you correct the problem immediately.

They make quick release gadgets but to me, it's more dangerous to have the metal on the line, to pop loose and hit someone. Keep it simple.

I tow mine on the stern eyes and so far after 40 years no problem. Get a harness (traveller) that has a pulley so the tube (or skiier) can swing nad track center.

The most important safety device is safe and knowledgable operation. This includes a spotter and the passenger on the tube knowing hand signals. The best set-up is to put the spotter in the bow, facing back and looking straight at the tuber--and at the driver's face. The spotter can convey signals instantly; the driver focuses on the river ahead. A spotter sitting behind the driver is unforgivably dangerous. Mirrors are of marginal utility.
This also includes maintaining safe speeds.
 

briangcc

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Re: Quick release when towing tubes?

Agreed with Home Cookin. You're over analyzing this way too much. Only way you would run into your situation is if you buy a boat with a compromised transom and you wouldn't do that right? Because you're going to be getting it inspected/surveyed right??

I towed tubes with both newer boats in my sig line and I've submarined a tube a sum total of (1) time...and that was due to the rider goofing off. Once I backed off the throttle, they popped right up. The Bayliner had a ski pylon and I tow using the ski hook on the Four Winns.

Get a quality tow rope, quality tube, a good spotter who will communicate with you, and a ladder so that the tuber(s) can climb back aboard your boat and you're fine.
 

oldjeep

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Re: Quick release when towing tubes?

That would be a great way to injure someone. Rope detaches from one side and flies into the face of the tuber or the back of the drivers head. A ski rope leaves big enough welts, I can't imagine what a tube rope would feel like.
 

bjp9860

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Re: Quick release when towing tubes?

Only way you would run into your situation is if you buy a boat with a compromised transom

(and associated quotes from others)

Sounds good -- one less thing to worry about :) Does anyone have experience actually damaging tie in points because of something they were towing? Basically, I want to know what an idiot could do to cause problems (apart from obvious stuff like too fast, too many people, too aggressive turns, bad equipment, bad spotter) so I can not do those things

Rope detaches from one side and flies into the face of the tuber or the back of the drivers head.

If I did I would put the weak link/release at a single attachment point (like the traveler on a tow harness) and make sure there was no flying metal (final ring would just be a loop of rope). But sounds like there's no need so it's moot.
 

briangcc

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Re: Quick release when towing tubes?

No. You're over thinking this all over again...

The rear tie downs are used so that you can strap the boat to the trailer. So you're talking a point where a couple thousand pounds of force would be exerted if you went over a bump while trailering the boat to a launch. The stuff you're so worried about is putting a lot less force on the boat. Even in a hard turn while pulling a tube, you won't approach this. And once you dump the rider, the drag is minimal at best as the tube will be bouncing all over the place until you slow down.

Only issue I've had on any of my boats was that there was a void where the starboard rear tiedown went through the transom. It was a manufacturing defect that was repaired under warranty. Has yet to resurface after 8 years of ownership.


Here's a situation where you could pull out the rear tie down....plan on towing the Queen Mary any time soon? Or a lake freighter??


But if you're really this overly concerned about it then here's my suggestion...install an additional backing plate. Seal it up with Polyester resin or epoxy and then run your rear tie downs through the 1.5-2" or so thick transom and into your backer plate.


I mean no offense by this next part but...you sound new to boating in general, correct? Have you signed up for a Safety Course? If you're local to me, I'll be happy to take you out on mine (once its open for the season) and show you what forces are at play when tubing. I've pulled 2 tubes with my boat - separate lines - and no issues with both hooked to my ski hook.
 

JASinIL2006

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Re: Quick release when towing tubes?

I don't recall reading/hearing of anyone pulling the attachment point(s) out of the boat due to tubing. On my boat, the transom tie-down U-bolts, which I use to attach the towing bridle for my tube rope, are bolted thru the transom shield itself; that's about a half-inch of fiberglass and almost two inches of plywood. Unless there was REALLY bad rot, those things aren't going anywhere. Even the ski rope hook, which is "only" bolted through 1/2" thick fiberglass, is amazingly solid.

I think the tow rope would be likely to fail long before the attachment points...
 

tpenfield

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Re: Quick release when towing tubes?

As a beginner, keep it slow . . . You will want to become familiar with handling the boat itself, then graduate to tubes.

25 mph is pretty fast for tubing, although some go a bit faster. At speed water is like concrete, so think about that in terms of riders falling off. You will also need to be safe about having people in the water once they have fallen off. Safe from you as well as safe from other boaters. Just remember that the propeller can be fatal.

You do not want the line to release as it has been mentioned, it will cause more problems than it prevents. Tubes will go nose first at low speed if the riders have their weight too far forward. At speed they don't really have any way of going under. If they did try to go under, then the line would snap due to the high amount of force.

so, take it slow, exercise caution so that you can learn as you go.
 

bjp9860

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May 22, 2013
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Re: Quick release when towing tubes?

So you're talking a point where a couple thousand pounds of force would be exerted if you went over a bump while trailering the boat to a launch. The stuff you're so worried about is putting a lot less force on the boat. Even in a hard turn while pulling a tube, you won't approach this.

Are you sure? It's not like the boat is actually suspended from the rear tie downs when trailering; I don't see how those tie downs could be loaded with even a thousand pounds during trailering since a bump is going to launch both the trailer and the boat (so those tie down points aren't even being loaded by the trailer). But I've heard of tow lines snapping, and even the small ones seem to usually be good for at least a thousand pounds.

Here's a situation where you could pull out the rear tie down....plan on towing the Queen Mary any time soon? Or a lake freighter??

Nope :) But that doesn't seem like the case in which the tow points will be loaded the most. The boat only has so much thrust, but at 15 mph it has a huge amount of inertia. I'd imagine tying the boat to the dock via the tie in points and then running WOT would produce far, far less force on the tie in points than submarining a tube (but maybe one can't submarine a tube at 15mph?).

But if you're really this overly concerned about it then here's my suggestion...install an additional backing plate. Seal it up with Polyester resin or epoxy and then run your rear tie downs through the 1.5-2" or so thick transom and into your backer plate.

May do -- ski hook already has a backing plate, but it would only go through 1/4" (maybe...just an estimate) fiberglass without the backing plate.

I mean no offense by this next part but...you sound new to boating in general, correct? Have you signed up for a Safety Course? If you're local to me, I'll be happy to take you out on mine (once its open for the season) and show you what forces are at play when tubing. I've pulled 2 tubes with my boat - separate lines - and no issues with both hooked to my ski hook.

No offense taken, you are correct. I'm looking for a good class that isn't 8 weeks long, but in the mean time I'm reading and watching lots of information and plan to go out on a slow day first. I'd definitely take you up on your offer, but alas NY is pretty far from Los Angeles :)
 

bjp9860

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Re: Quick release when towing tubes?

I don't recall reading/hearing of anyone pulling the attachment point(s) out of the boat due to tubing. [...] that's about a half-inch of fiberglass and almost two inches of plywood. [...] Even the ski rope hook, which is "only" bolted through 1/2" thick fiberglass, is amazingly solid.

I think the tow rope would be likely to fail long before the attachment points...

Cool, sounds good -- thanks!

As a beginner, keep it slow [...] You will also need to be safe about having people in the water once they have fallen off. Safe from you as well as safe from other boaters. Just remember that the propeller can be fatal.

Will do.

If they did try to go under, then the line would snap due to the high amount of force.

Sounds good -- as long as it's not a major safety issue, I just wanted to make sure the weak link was the line rather than the tie in point. It sounds like that's already the case.
 

oldjeep

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May 17, 2010
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Re: Quick release when towing tubes?

(and associated quotes from others)

Sounds good -- one less thing to worry about :) Does anyone have experience actually damaging tie in points because of something they were towing? Basically, I want to know what an idiot could do to cause problems (apart from obvious stuff like too fast, too many people, too aggressive turns, bad equipment, bad spotter) so I can not do those things



If I did I would put the weak link/release at a single attachment point (like the traveler on a tow harness) and make sure there was no flying metal (final ring would just be a loop of rope). But sounds like there's no need so it's moot.

LOL - I don't think you have ever been hit by a broken ski rope before, metal is irrelevant.
 

CHARGER2

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Jun 14, 2012
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Re: Quick release when towing tubes?

LOL - I don't think you have ever been hit by a broken ski rope before, metal is irrelevant.

I've been hit by a broken ski rope, and I sure glad there was no metal in there. Anyhow (from experience) the rope is the weak link by a long shot. The tow hook is much stronger than you think. No need for any kind of quick release, metal or not.
 
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