boat for towing?

[chaddemler1980]

i have an 84 cruisers inc 22' with a 350 merc inboard. cruise speed about 30-35 knotts. transom is tall and solid with a teak swim platform on the back. will this boat be good for pulling a tube behind? worrid that the "hooks" they sell may rip through my transom even with the washers they supply. i mean tube weighing roughly 600 pounds. 3 person tube and few of my friends push over 200 pounds.... worried if the tube nose dives in a wake it will just rip out or mess up the fiberglass bad. any suggestions? will an aluminum plate behind it help or is the transom just not strong enough?

 

[tmcalavy]

Re: boat for towing?

Do you have an eye at each corner of your transom? If so, tie an 8 foot or so rope to the eyes (tie each end of rope to an eye), put a floater in the middle and tie the tube rope near the floater...so you have a harness to attach the tube that is long enough to clear your outdrive, float should keep it on the surface. I think a 350 Merc should be able to pull 1,200 lbs. afloat on the water quite easily, but then I'm not a tuber.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: boat for towing?

what he is describing is a tow harness, when you install it adjust it so it will not fall below the av plate on the motor, and put a float on it. http://www.iboats.com/Wakeboard_Ski...ategory--**********.451217453--view_id.258725

 

[oops!]

Re: boat for towing?

if you use the rig described above....with that motor youll be fine.....have fun

 

[180shabah]

Re: boat for towing?

His concern was not a lack of power, but a fear that the stress of tube pulling would pull the eyes right out of the transom.

Yes, an aluminum plate will help spread the load to resist pull out.