Had to tow a boat tonight - how fast?

[H20Rat]

Re: Had to tow a boat tonight - how fast?

This has been around for some time but illustrates the need for slow speed boat towing.

Looks like the boat made it out fine! The heli on the other hand, the guy is an idiot.

 

[JimS123]

Re: Had to tow a boat tonight - how fast?

Having been towed by SeaTow once, I did pick up a few pointers . . .

Open waters: tow at a slow speed 5 - 8 mph depending on conditions. Best to tow from 2 points on your boat (Aft cleats) to a single bow point on the disabled boat.

Harbor and Slip areas: tightly secure the disabled boat along side yours with lines & fenders and then you can navigate the boat more easily into tight areas. If the slip does not have access on either side of the boat, then you will have to get the boat as close to the dock as possible and use lines to pull it into the slip.

NEVER use cleats of any kind. TowBoat is equipped with towing cleats - you aren't.

A pair of through-bolted stern eyes coupled to a bow eye is the only acceptable method. If you don't have the equipment don't tow.

 

[tpenfield]

Re: Had to tow a boat tonight - how fast?

NEVER use cleats of any kind. TowBoat is equipped with towing cleats - you aren't.

A pair of through-bolted stern eyes coupled to a bow eye is the only acceptable method. If you don't have the equipment don't tow.

Why wouldn't you ever want to use cleats ???

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Had to tow a boat tonight - how fast?

NEVER use cleats of any kind. TowBoat is equipped with towing cleats - you aren't.

A pair of through-bolted stern eyes coupled to a bow eye is the only acceptable method. If you don't have the equipment don't tow.

I disagree completely and my experience backs me up--not just towing but hauling sunken stuff, dragging stuck boats off bars or through mud, running in gear while tied to a piling to dredge, etc.

But you want a cleat that's mounted horizonally so the the pressure is not pulling the screws straight out, such as a cleat mounted on the gunwale, as opposed to the transom. In fact, the direct pull against the stern eye might be worse than the perpendicular pull against a cleat.

Besides, pulling a floating boat is just not all that intense, especially once you get it moving. You're not pulling a loaded gravel barge with your jon boat here.

 

[Wind dog]

Re: Had to tow a boat tonight - how fast?

I towed a 20' cabin cruiser with my 12' Tiny once. We did'nt tie off at all, I held the rope, my buddy drove & we went real slow. The guy was just out of the Monterey harbor & we had totaly flat conditions. It all worked out well.

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: Had to tow a boat tonight - how fast?

generally under 10 mph in the open and no wake in a marina BUT the fastest I have towed is 30 mph as that was WOT on that particular boat... a 26' cruiser towing a 20' bass boat..... the guy on the bass boat was late for work so I helped him out
his outboard had croaked and he was trying to go 5 miles upriver with a trolling motor... I towed him 100 yards upstream of the ramp and he motored in with the T/M

 

[kfa4303]

Re: Had to tow a boat tonight - how fast?

Tow at no wake speeds.

+1. It's slow going, but your patience will be rewarded.

 

[lfunk11]

Re: Had to tow a boat tonight - how fast?

all great responses - I do need a paddle for my boat. I was really careful when I wanted to stop to control his speed - even with being careful he still glided past his slip by about 10 feet. The boats were about 40' apart on a lake without wind or much boat traffic. Jumping in the water here is not a big deal, but I am sure controlling the boat wasn't easy.

 

[JimS123]

Re: Had to tow a boat tonight - how fast?

I disagree completely and my experience backs me up--not just towing but hauling sunken stuff, dragging stuck boats off bars or through mud, running in gear while tied to a piling to dredge, etc.

But you want a cleat that's mounted horizonally so the the pressure is not pulling the screws straight out, such as a cleat mounted on the gunwale, as opposed to the transom. In fact, the direct pull against the stern eye might be worse than the perpendicular pull against a cleat.

Besides, pulling a floating boat is just not all that intense, especially once you get it moving. You're not pulling a loaded gravel barge with your jon boat here.

You just pointed out the reason for not doing it. Many boats have cleats that are merely "screwed in". Unless you can be 100% certain that they are through-bolted with a sturdy backing plate its not safe! Transom eyes ARE bolted, and better suited to handle the strain.

Just before Chris Craft went bankrupt they lost what was at that time the largest settlement in a personal injury lawsuit. A cleat broke thru the towing boat, snapped back and hit the girl riding in the towed boat right between the eyes, turning her into a....well you get the idea. Big story at the time; one of the reasons for the company's failure. A good lawyer and a sympathetic jury.

Re-read your USCG or PS safety manual that you got when you took the course. They are very specific about that in the towing section.

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: Had to tow a boat tonight - how fast?

BTW on a side note... do not jump in the water in a marina there is an electrocution risk if ANY boat has a faulty electrical system

 

[AChotrod]

Re: Had to tow a boat tonight - how fast?

Saw a wave runner towing a 20'+ cruiser last night. They had to be going at least 20mph. I kept thinking the jet ski better not make any hard stops.

 

[tpenfield]

Re: Had to tow a boat tonight - how fast?

I found an article about the lawyer that was involved in the Chris-Craft "cleat towing" case . . .

David Bianchi

Towards the bottom of the article talks about the Chris craft case.

It was back in 1979 . . . a wooden Chris Craft was towing a sailboat with a bunch of students on it. The cleat being used to tow broke loose and struck one of the occupants of the sailboat. Chris Craft argued that the cleat was not meant for towing, but the lawyer found a previous case involving Chris craft where they indicated that the cleat was adequate for towing. The person was awarded $7.5 MM.

Chris Craft filed for bankruptcy in 1988 after a period of mis-management.

I too would be concerned about towing a boat with inadequate cleats or towing eye. So, anyone who offers to tow another boat should be familiar with the capabilities and limitations of their boat.

Interestingly enough this was my previous boat after we spent a few hours in town sightseeing. . .

Pretty much high and dry as the tide went out (oooppps) . . .

The local harbor master offered to tow us off. He attached a line to the starboard aft cleat. . . . and had to use pretty much most of the 200+ hp of the patrol boat. As he was doing this, I was figuring that there was a pretty good chance that the cleat would either snap or pull out. . . . to my surprise the cleat held up and he pulled the boat into deeper water. Not even a gelcoat crack around the cleat or anything years later.

The cleats on my previous boat and on my current boat are very substantial, thru-bolted, and certainly stronger than the tow eye. So, if I was in a situation where I had to tow, it would be reasonable for me to use the cleats. If I had an economy boat, maybe not.

I think it is a matter of knowing your boat and being safe.

 

[500dollar744ti]

Re: Had to tow a boat tonight - how fast?

I tow at speeds less than 10mph, especially when you don't know the boating experience of the person you are towing. If I was towing a trusted friend a long distance, I might get up on plane and see how everything handled but I wouldn't do it with a stranger's boat tied behind mine.

My last tow was a boat 20 years newer than mine with a family full of people. They waved me down and throughout the tow offered me cold drinks and snacks. When I got to the ramp where I was headed anyway, the man insisted I take $200 (which I actually needed badly) and told me to show up at his restaurant anytime for free tacos.

The current was pushing them towards a bridge, I don't know why they didn't anchor or if they even had one but out of the many boaters around, apparently they were waiting a while and I was the only one who stopped to help.

 

[JimS123]

Re: Had to tow a boat tonight - how fast?

I found an article about the lawyer that was involved in the Chris-Craft "cleat towing" case . . .

David Bianchi

Towards the bottom of the article talks about the Chris craft case.

It was back in 1979 . . . a wooden Chris Craft was towing a sailboat with a bunch of students on it. The cleat being used to tow broke loose and struck one of the occupants of the sailboat. Chris Craft argued that the cleat was not meant for towing, but the lawyer found a previous case involving Chris craft where they indicated that the cleat was adequate for towing. The person was awarded $7.5 MM.

Chris Craft filed for bankruptcy in 1988 after a period of mis-management.

I too would be concerned about towing a boat with inadequate cleats or towing eye. So, anyone who offers to tow another boat should be familiar with the capabilities and limitations of their boat.

Interestingly enough this was my previous boat after we spent a few hours in town sightseeing. . .

Pretty much high and dry as the tide went out (oooppps) . . .

The local harbor master offered to tow us off. He attached a line to the starboard aft cleat. . . . and had to use pretty much most of the 200+ hp of the patrol boat. As he was doing this, I was figuring that there was a pretty good chance that the cleat would either snap or pull out. . . . to my surprise the cleat held up and he pulled the boat into deeper water. Not even a gelcoat crack around the cleat or anything years later.

The cleats on my previous boat and on my current boat are very substantial, thru-bolted, and certainly stronger than the tow eye. So, if I was in a situation where I had to tow, it would be reasonable for me to use the cleats. If I had an economy boat, maybe not.

I think it is a matter of knowing your boat and being safe.

Just shows to go you how bad it is to use a cleat, and furthermore how sad and frequent it has been for CC.

The link above is not the one I was referring to. I thought I had saved it somewhere, but I couldn't find it. It involved a bowrider and a little girl who was sitting forward. It was mid 1980's and the parents were basically awarded damages that would cover care for the girl in a hospital bed for her lifetime. It was pointed out that the wood was not any good and CC had installed it properly decades before, but they lost anyway.

I have seen molded handles on tinnies give way, and deck cleats pull out of boats tied to a dock in a bad storm. I've owned boats myself that were bolted, and some screwed. Fact is that most of us don't own Cobalts or Formulas, so we need to be forewarned.

 

[tpenfield]

Re: Had to tow a boat tonight - how fast?

The link above is not the one I was referring to. I thought I had saved it somewhere, but I couldn't find it. It involved a bowrider and a little girl who was sitting forward. It was mid 1980's and the parents were basically awarded damages that would cover care for the girl in a hospital bed for her lifetime. It was pointed out that the wood was not any good and CC had installed it properly decades before, but they lost anyway.

Here is a link from another law suit against CC in the mid-1980's

Google News Archive Search

It is from an old thread where you mentioned this incident. I found another article that mentions both cases . . .

Noteworthy Cases | Stewart Tilghman Fox Bianchi & Cain, P.A. - Page 2

Scroll towards the end of the article.

Seems like both times it was wooden CC boats with screwed in cleats. Looks like they took a beating for them.

 

[lfunk11]

Re: Had to tow a boat tonight - how fast?

I really hate lawsuits sometimes. I know they are necessary sometimes, but it stops people like me from offering help when people need it. I have only had a boat a few weeks, but I saw someone waving me down and I thought it was an obligation to offer any and all help you could in that instance. I honestly had no clue what do to do, but did my best. I figured there would be a day in the future that I would need the same help. I might not completely buy into karma, but I won't screw with it either

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Had to tow a boat tonight - how fast?

good thing my screweed in cleats are in fiberglass.

under safe towing conditions of recreational boats on calm water there isn't enough force to send a cleat like a missile. Of course there are counterexamples and commercial towing situations, not what we are talking about here (like the time they towed off my island a 35' sailboat that was cast 20 yards up on the beach by a storm...)

 

[tpenfield]

Re: Had to tow a boat tonight - how fast?

I really hate lawsuits sometimes. I know they are necessary sometimes, but it stops people like me from offering help when people need it. I have only had a boat a few weeks, but I saw someone waving me down and I thought it was an obligation to offer any and all help you could in that instance. I honestly had no clue what do to do, but did my best. I figured there would be a day in the future that I would need the same help. I might not completely buy into karma, but I won't screw with it either

Yes, lawsuits can make you stop and think about things. Just make sure you don't tow a wooden boat . . .

One thing that you *could* do is to tie a secured second line over any cleat or eye used for towing as a safety line in case the hardware in question lets go. The secondary line will keep the hardware from flying in the direction of the primary line.

 

[26aftcab454]

Re: Had to tow a boat tonight - how fast?


I towed in our village idiot while his girl friend rode in the boat with me.

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: Had to tow a boat tonight - how fast?

View attachment 211723
I towed in our village idiot while his girl friend rode in the boat with me.View attachment 211727

I don't see any problem here ... lol