How to Properly tow boat in

[woodee148]

Ok, If you have been radioed and someone is in distress and you decide to go help them what should you do? I have a 100' ski rope is that enough if I need to be towed in?
where do you attach the ropes? to the bow eye of the towee and the trailer tie-downs on the stern?

I recently was asked by a worker at our marina to go out and find a boater whose engine had died and it was getting late so we did it no questions asked but if I am asked to do so again I want to make sure I do it right.

thanks

Woodee

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: How to Properly tow boat in

bow eye is good place, i run a loop thru transom tow eye, which you call tie owns then secure the tail end, to a deck cleat. remember the towed boat has not brakes, and control. have the passengers it towed boat move to the stern of their boat. never get a hand, arm, any body part between the boats. good way to get a break. ski rope is not the best for this, but better than nothing.

 

[xxxflhrci]

Re: How to Properly tow boat in

I usually use about a 50 ft rope attached to the bow eye of the dead boat and to my ski rope harness attached to both tie-downs in the stern.

 

[10 FOOT INVADER]

Re: How to Properly tow boat in

I prefer to tow side by side. A little tricky at first, but once you get used to it works great. You can controll both boats. Use fenders between boats.

 

[triumphrick]

Re: How to Properly tow boat in

I have towed about a half-dozen boats over the years and always towed with at least a 50' 1/2" rope tied to their port bow cleat to my starboard stern cleat. This keeps them slightly off set to me to the starboard side. Also some steering control can still be had if their motor is down. Always gets a little tricky while coming to the dock. At that time we cinch up the lines, use fenders and pull them closer in. Good post!

 

[fishmen111]

Re: How to Properly tow boat in

If possible, it is a good idea to tie a wet shirt (or the like) somewhere near the middle of the tow line. Unless a steel cable (never use!) the line stretches while towing and if it were to break, or worse yet, pull a cleat, the weight of the shirt will dampen the energy of the line tension minimizing the chance of you forever wearing an Attwood Zymak cleat in your head.

 

[woodee148]

Re: How to Properly tow boat in

great idea! I was actually worried about the line snapping cause it kept making a loud noise but it was just the knots tightening up (the captain had pieced a couple of ropes together)

when we did it we towed very slow and to be honest I did not feel a great deal of resistance. Once we pulled into the marina we had to manuver around everything and take him to his slip at the back corner of the marina. It was a little nerve wracking with the sailboats and everything all around and the captain yelling at me too slow down - speed up-turn-move- but we managed to get it to slide right into his slip with a bit of help from a few guys on his dock.

 

[haskindm]

Re: How to Properly tow boat in

The best advice is to GO SLOW, as you said you did. You will see a commercial tower towing "on plane", but they are set up to do so and have the insurance to cover it. Going slow not only reduces the strain on both boats and the towing gear, it gives you more time to react if something goes wrong. Everyone in both boats should be wearing life jackets. Be prepared to "drop the tow" if things get out of hand.
Many people like to use a polypropylene line for towing as it will float and is less likely to get tangled in the prop. Personally, I prefer nylon as it stretches and acts as a shock absorber.

 

[CATransplant]

Re: How to Properly tow boat in

When I'm towing with my little 12' aluminum boat, I don't tie off at all to my boat. Instead, I take a wrap around both sides of one of my stern cleats and hold the rope's bitter end, ready to drop it and let it slip off. No knots between the cleat and the end of the rope. At least 30' of rope. I keep 50' of 3/8" polyethylene rope coiled on a hook under my seat. It has a snap hook on one end, and is whipped and melted at the other. I don't use it for anything else.

I tow a larger boat at slow speed, just enough to make good way. It may take a while to get to the dock, but there it is. Near the dock, I'll approach the dock at dead slow, go past the end of the dock to protect my boat, tie the tow rope to a cleat, then get out of the way. Just let the towed boat's occupants pull themselves to the dock.

So far, there have been no incidents in doing it this way, but I have had to let the towline loose a couple of times crossing large wakes. I just go back and pick it up again.

It's amazing how many times I've had to tow a much larger boat back to the ramp. I fish on weekdays and on lakes where there isn't much traffic. Seems like folks' boats break down a lot.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: How to Properly tow boat in

you are the captain, not the person being towed. sure take his directions, as to where to go. buy you are the captain.

 

[Limited-Time]

Re: How to Properly tow boat in

If the boat you are towing in is larger than tow boat boat be sure you have a way to sever the tow line if needed. Although not common there have been times when a tow boat has been taken down when a larger in tow went down. We towed a 30 Plus footer in once with our then 17' bow rider. I'm sure had something unforeseen happened we would have collateral damage.

 

[woodee148]

Re: How to Properly tow boat in

you are the captain, not the person being towed. sure take his directions, as to where to go. buy you are the captain.

Point taken, I was just indicating the person in control of the other boat.


If the boat you are towing in is larger than tow boat boat be sure you have a way to sever the tow line if needed. Although not common there have been times when a tow boat has been taken down when a larger in tow went down. We towed a 30 Plus footer in once with our then 17' bow rider. I'm sure had something unforeseen happened we would have collateral damage.

Might be a bit crude but my wife sat by the line with a knife at the ready to cut the line.


My ski hook has a rather large plate behind it, it seems more solid then my pop-up stern cleats. would you still recommend using the cleats?

 

[tommays]

Re: How to Properly tow boat in

I have towed people in with the sailboat and would allways help BUT the lines and cleats on MOST boats were NOT ment to do this and some pretty dangerous stuff can fly around



Personaly at this point i would get the people safe and call a towing company because around here it is generaly to rough or other boats will make so many BIG wakes it could get dangerous


And between the harbor master ,marine police and other services there are just to many PROs close at hand with boats that are setup to tow safe

 

[Tacklewasher]

Re: How to Properly tow boat in

I've towed a few and the one thing I have to say, after towing my friends much newer and nicer boat in multiple times (it had a Merc 488 with carb issues), the most important thing to have is your camera. Got lots of picks with my beat up 115hp in the shot pulling his pretty boat in.

Bow eye on the boat being towed, stern cleat on the tow boat, keep it slow and keep the towed boat to one side. Two people in the tow boat, with one watching where he is going and one watching the boat being towed.

 

[Boatist]

Re: How to Properly tow boat in

We have towed over 60 boats in. Some I have towed with my 14 foot car top aluminum boat with a 15 hp motor. This is a big challange when your boat weights under 200 pounds with the motor and they weigh 3000. This is where you first learn you must have a towing bridle. If you just tie to a stern cleat or towing ring the first thing you learn is you can not turn and really can not even go straight. Without a bridle you will fine best thing to do is tie your end of the line around the motor. This will let you turn some.

On my larger boat I set up to tow because we did it so offten. The first thing you do is make sure your stern lifting eyes are heavy and have large backing plates on the inside. Next you do the same thing with the stern Cleats. Make sure they are heavy and have large backing plates behind.
The towing bridle I made attaches to the stern clete on one side then goes down and thru the stern Ubolt on that side then thru the stern eye boat on the other side and up to the stern clete on the other side. It is just long enough to clear all your motor and other gear on the stern. This way you will find not too much pressure on any cleat or eye. In the center it has a metal roller that the bridle goes thru and can roll from side to side as you turn. The metal roller is also has a 2 foot tow line attached then goes thru a big float to to keep everything above the water and out of the prop if you have to stop the other end of the two foot line has a big loop where you would attach your tow line.

This sound like a lot but it what allows you to turn when towing a much larger boat. When you get in the harbor you go dead slow and shorten the line up very short. I allways call the marina or harbor master and let them know we are coming in with a boat in tow. Also have the boat in tow call any other near their slip that they know and see if they can come to their slip and catch a line. So far I have always been able to put boat right in their slip or to the launch ramp but I allways ask the harbor master if they have a easy to access guest dock if we can not make it to the person slip.

Only one time did we consider doing that. We were pulling a 28 foot bayliner with dual engines and a fly bridge and it was very windy. When we came upon the boat it had black smoke pooring out of the back and had a lady with a lifejacket on the bow outside the bow rails getting ready to jump in. Guy in the back with no life jacket opening all the covers trying to find the fire. I call the Coast Guard with a station about 6 mile away to report and all they said was do not get too close.

The smoke slowly cleared and the lady got back inside the bow rails and we towed in. The electrial was dead on the boat his radio did not even work. He could not tell where the smoke came from but there was fluid or oil all over. We hooked up and started to tow him in but with the wind and about a 4 knot current in the center of the channel I had to start my 15 hp kicker to make any progress at all. Once we got out of the center of the shipping channel the current slowed and we made much better head way. When we got inside the marina the seawalls blocked a lot of the wind and no current at all so took him to his slip. Many saw us bringing him in and went to his slip to help. Also he had a good boat hook so put him right in his spot with the stern in like he wanted.

Towing offshore if the seas are large then you need a lot of line. The goal here is for each boat to be one wave apart. So if your on top of the first swell he is on top of the second swell. When your on the front then he is on the front of the next swell. Matching your postion on the swells reduces the load on the tow line a lot and keeps it very even. I alway tow at sub planing speeds 5 or 6 MPH most of the time. Always have someone watch the boat in tow and really hope they have a radio in case they have a problem.

Last but most important you only tow if you can do it safely. You must help the people in distress if you can do so safely with out endangering your crew, but you are not required to bring the boat in. If the boat sinking do not try to tow in, it will be too heavy and could take down both boats. Call the Coast Guard and hope they can arrive with big pumps and a diver in time.

Anytime you tow insist the people on board have on Lifejackets.

 

[erlindbl]

Re: How to Properly tow boat in

At the river we are constantly towing boats and sea doos that break down. To me the most important thing is to keep it simple. The sea doos are often driven by kids who don't know what they are doing.

I keep a 25 foot 1/2 inch nylon rope with a flotation bulb and heavy duty quick connect at each end right by my side in the boat. I can toss it out and they can quickly clip it on to the front eye bolt. I snap it on the stern U bolt and we are good to go....

I've never had to tow anything bigger than about 23 feet. I go slow and have never had any issues....

 

[GatorMike]

Re: How to Properly tow boat in

Ok on the lighter side a question of ethics under tow. Several years ago we broke down 15 miles off Port Canaveral, we called for Seatow but before they answered another fisherman in the area offered us a tow. It turned out the other fisherman and his partner were quite drunk but that is a whole nother story. Anyway while under tow my 10 year old son kept asking if he could troll while we were under tow. We thought it was sort of funny and actually allowed him to slip a line over without the tow boat seeing anything. After all we had been trolling all day without a bite so what harm was it? Next thing we knew he had a sailfish on the line jumping and dancing behind the boat. The drunk captain of the tow boat actually stoped and let us land the fish before proceeding. We all got a lot of laughs out of that one.

Ok my question is fishing under tow ethical? My guess is we were pretty rude that day. LOL

 

[fishmen111]

Re: How to Properly tow boat in

Next thing we knew he had a sailfish on the line jumping and dancing behind the boat. The drunk captain of the tow boat actually stoped and let us land the fish before proceeding. We all got a lot of laughs out of that one.

Ok my question is fishing under tow ethical? My guess is we were pretty rude that day. LOL

Now that's making lemonade out of lemons. Rude? Probably. Unethical? Could be...but as long as the tow captain was cool with it, go for it. You were at trolling speed anyway.