Warning when pulling multiple tubes.

[chambers1517]

Heads up guys. If pulling 2 or more tubes always attach all of them in a center location. I had a friend pull 2 tubes, each on an outside cleat. He went into a sharp turn which basically shortened the outside rope and instead of the tubes hitting each other, the tubes were at different distances from the boat and the tube further back clothes lined the other guy.

 

[R055]

You can also rip your cleats off during a turn. Cleats aren't made to tow anything.

 

[willamettejeff]

Thanks for the warning. Friend should have used a tow bridle that attaches to tow hooks on both sides of the back of the boat and has center connector for objects being towed. Also, towing from sides of boat can led to some really dangerous steering issues as boat may be suddenly pulled hard from one side of the boat or other. My .02

 

[roffey]

Just my thinking, but would you just use the tow hook for pulling water sports or just pulling on the water. Use the cleats for tying your boat to the dock and the loops or hooks on the stern for tying your boat to the trailer. I'm not trying to be a smart ss here, I'm asking a serious question.

 

[southkogs]

Depending on the boat build, the cleats aren't reinforced like a tow hook or transom eyes are. I'm not keen on pulling two tubes anyway ... they're gonna' hit at some point and that can get rough. But, personally If I were gonna' - I'd put a harness between the two transom eyes and hook into that.

 

[roffey]

Depending on the boat build, the cleats aren't reinforced like a tow hook or transom eyes are. I'm not keen on pulling two tubes anyway ... they're gonna' hit at some point and that can get rough. But, personally If I were gonna' - I'd put a harness between the two transom eyes and hook into that.

.. and as I remember back in the day we had a rig with a float and wheel that could move from side to side. It would attach to the transom eyes.

 

[southkogs]

^^^ that's the way I did it on the Silverline I had. The Bayliner has a tow hook that I use more often (thought it does have transom eyes).

 

[SkaterRace]

Pulling two tubes is always dangerous no matter what you do to make it safer. I am always for only towing with 1 person or two adults that know what they are doing.

 

[bruceb58]

Pulling two tubes is always dangerous no matter what you do to make it safer.

+++1

 

[mr 88]

Man these replys are tame, compared to the other site that this was posted on.

 

[Grub54891]

Man these replys are tame, compared to the other site that this was posted on.

That's because we want you to be safe. Not like other sites that just find way's to make you feel like a fool.

 

[thumpar]

I have towed 2 tubes many times. When doing it I go slower than normal and don't do any crazy turns. Mine has the center hook. If it is an outboard without the hook contraption over it use a bridle. I have a 3 person tube also. It works better for multiple people.

 

[drrpm]

I frequently pull 2 tubes, both off the tow hook. Double the tubes is 4 times the fun. Make sure both towlines are the same length and if you tone down the driving a bit its fine for the bigger teens I'm pulling now. For wilder rides we just put out 1 tube.

 

[TomCz]

Always best to use stuff for the purpose it was designed. Cleats for mooring and tow eye for water sports. I might be wrong, but tow eyes look to be bolted through the transom while cleats are screwed into the hull.

Pulling two tubes can be a blast, but don't do the kind of stuff you do with one. In waves once we had one tuber fly off and land on the other. Spectacular, but it could have easily resulted in a dental injury or worse if two heads had collided. Another time we put the boat into a sharp left turn and... I don't know that we could have flipped or swamped, but the drag created by two tubes pulled the port side down to within inches of the water - so close it scared the daylights out me - enough to cause me to immediately cut power. Never again made a turn like that pulling two tubers.

87 Ebbtide Montego 17
3.0L Alpha One