Tow rope getting caught in water

trejac

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
Jan 31, 2009
Messages
89
I have a 18' Glaxie I/O runabout and I'm having problems with my tow rope submergin in the water while pulling a tube. I've tried many different rope and tube combionatioins but they all do it. It's fustrating because when I take turns it really hampers the movement of the tube. I'm usually pulling a mega slice four person tube with the 5000lb rope. Here are my questions;
1) does anyone have this problem?
2) what are you doing to overcome this? I know a tower or pylon would help but I hear that manf's frown on pulling tubes with those.
 

H20Rat

Vice Admiral
Joined
Mar 8, 2009
Messages
5,199
Re: Tow rope getting caught in water

you just need to raise the attachment point, plain and simple. pulling a tube with a tower is a BAD idea, you will find out why on the first sharp turn where the tube doesn't whip out and instead sinks down in the center of the turn.

depending on how your transom looks, you could either put a tow eyelet higher, or put a ski pylon in.
 

trejac

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
Jan 31, 2009
Messages
89
Re: Tow rope getting caught in water

Due to the transome the attach point cannot go higher. Not sure about the ski pylon, I really don't want those straps running all the way to the front of the boat because it limits people movement. Thanks for the suggestion.
I thought about taking a 2" peice of IMC that is about 5' tall and mounting to the rear seat. My boat has the sundeck(engine is under it) then a seat that runs across the entire sundeck. There is a flush wall that makes the seat that is about 24" tall. I thought about mounting a 2" 5' tall peice of IMC to that flush spot and the reinforcing the back side with a peice of 1" plywood. Other than being an ugly option, I'm worried it would not take the strain. Any thoughts? on the strength portion, I already know it would look horrible!
 

conk3416

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
Jul 25, 2009
Messages
76
Re: Tow rope getting caught in water

You could try attaching a flotation device like a dock buey to the rope about six feet from the boat. That should keep the rope out of the water.
 

trejac

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
Jan 31, 2009
Messages
89
Re: Tow rope getting caught in water

THX I'll try that:)
 

sharps45

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
May 13, 2007
Messages
135
Re: Tow rope getting caught in water

$120 for that thing looks a little pricey to me. Don't know why a soccer ball inside some webbing with the rope running through the webbing wouldn't work just as well.
 

Jonathan3206

Seaman
Joined
Jul 15, 2009
Messages
52
Re: Tow rope getting caught in water

I have 2 in line floats on my rope. If not it would be pulled under. And I have another rope that is 60' and has a built in float. Also I only use water rope that floats itself.

I can chunk my rope over and it will float to the top.
 
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