Towed a guy in, have some questions.

[dsiekman]

The wife and I were on our way home Sunday afternoon and came across a small boat (18' or so) that had lost power and didn't have an anchor. He flagged us down and we wound up towing him to a local marina. Everything went just fine but this was the first time I have towed anyone, so I have some questions:

1. All he had was a ski rope. I spent the whole trip waiting to get wacked in the back of the head with it. What does anyone carry just in case they have to tow/get towed?

2. I never got above about 5 kts but he was getting beaten around pretty good. What is a safe speed to tow at?

3. I tied him off to one I my stern cleats. I have a tow eye but it is real close to the water and I was concerned about getting the rope caught in the props if it came off or went slack. These are pretty hefty cleats and have backing plates, but is there a better way?

4. Not a question but a comment. When I got him to the marina I had to navigate up to the ramp through a bunch of piers and other boats. Wound up bringing him up and tying him beam-to with a couple fenders between us. Worked REALLY well. Granted, I've got twins and his boat weighed almost nothing, but it made getting him to the ramp safely a whole lot easier than I thought it would be.

 

[seabob4]

Re: Towed a guy in, have some questions.

Was this the guy that had called boatUS and the Captain wouldn't come get him because it was starting to rain and he didn't want to get wet? Chesapeke, right?

 

[dsiekman]

Re: Towed a guy in, have some questions.

No, it was actually a really nice day. I got the sense this guy had never heard of seatow - he made a comment about not having drained the fuel for the last couple of years...huh??? Actually, it was on the Severn which is a tributary to the bay.

 

[shrew]

Re: Towed a guy in, have some questions.

Ski line floats, which is great to avoid getting it fouled in then running gear, but it's also static, so there is no stretch in the line. Floating with some stretch would be a better choice. However a line that stretches will also catapult when it parts. What is the tensile strength of the ski line? Probably not enough to safely tow another boat. Any sturdy fixture through-bolted with a backing plate shoudl be sufficient. I have a backing plate on my bow eye, and that is how boat us towed me when I needed one. I don't carry line for towing, call a tow company.

When I was towed by boat us, I don't thing we were doing 5 kts. I think we were at headway speeds at best. The boat being towed should have his drive down and should try to steer to stay behind you. If he was on a static line and had the drive up or was not steering, particularly if you point of attachment was on the side of the transom and not centered, I would bet he got snapped around pretty good. However that is not really your problem. If he doesn't like the ride, he's welcome to all another person for a tow.

Using a bridle connected to two points with the two line connected to the bridle is the better way to tow. side by side is great for close quarter manuevering. The tow boat guys will tow you behind until they get into close quarters, like a dock or ramp, then tie up on the side to barge you in the rest of the way.

 

[Greg Mrozinski]

Re: Towed a guy in, have some questions.

1. All he had was a ski rope. I spent the whole trip waiting to get wacked in the back of the head with it. What does anyone carry just in case they have to tow/get towed?.

For small boats carry a few extra dock lines. Better yet carry towing insurance. A BoatUS towing card can be used on any boat so long as the card holder is on the disabled boat.

2. I never got above about 5 kts but he was getting beaten around pretty good. What is a safe speed to tow at?.

Depends. 2-5 knots sounds about right. If the towed boat is getting bounced around a lot then increase the towing distance so the towed boat is in calmer water.

3. I tied him off to one I my stern cleats. I have a tow eye but it is real close to the water and I was concerned about getting the rope caught in the props if it came off or went slack. These are pretty hefty cleats and have backing plates, but is there a better way?.

The towing boat should use both aft cleats or tow eyes. Never tow off of one cleat only. This makes it very difficult to control your boat while underway. The boat in tow should be pulled by its bow eye (small trailer sized boats) or the two front cleats for larger craft.

4. Not a question but a comment. When I got him to the marina I had to navigate up to the ramp through a bunch of piers and other boats. Wound up bringing him up and tying him beam-to with a couple fenders between us. Worked REALLY well. Granted, I've got twins and his boat weighed almost nothing, but it made getting him to the ramp safely a whole lot easier than I thought it would be.

You did the proper thing. Good job. That's how the pros do it.

 

[haulnazz15]

Re: Towed a guy in, have some questions.

I also don't carry a "tow line" but have used dock lines before. I wouldn't hesitate to use my 60ft tube line to tow with if I had to. Most ski line floats anyhow, so I wouldn't have been worried about it fouling the prop under a bit of slack. You did right by tying them up broadside when in close quarters to avoid throwing them into other boats or piers. I would recommend towing just above idle, but I wouldn't go above 10mph. I would have used the transom tie downs, but if you could have made a bridle between the two rear cleats it would have eased the load and lessened the chance for stress cracks.

 

[pootnic]

Re: Towed a guy in, have some questions.

We used to tie a tire(car) sometimes 2 in the tow line.
This is with big boats 45-50' lobster rigs,the tires are used as bumpers that the reason there on the boats.
If we didn't have a tow rope,the 5/8"trawl line worked okay(it would break at times).
On something like that I imagine even a sweater tied in the middle(closest to you),would take the snap from the line should it let go.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Towed a guy in, have some questions.

You should have dock lines and an anchor line on your own boat, and so should he. Basic safety equipment.

Always make a bridle so it will tow straight. The easiest way is to tie one of your lines, about 15-20', to each of your stern cleats. then tie his bow line with a bowline (knot) in the middle of yours; the other end is on his bow cleat, if centered, or bow eye. When you depart, just flip the line over the motor. As long as you have any forward motion you won't hit your prop. When you are close in, do as you did or pull him up close to one side and cleat him off.

You can also use a ski bridle.

Don't worry about stress to the cleats; the pull is lateral so as long as you aren't pulling a batteship you'll be fine.

I towed 2 kids last night (11:30 pm, empty river, spun prop, weeknight, outgoing tide--they flagged me down with their cell phones). Their boat was a little square puddle boat that only had handles on the front. So I tied one line to my boat as above, and then another, one end to each handle, with it crossing through mine.

 

[dsiekman]

Re: Towed a guy in, have some questions.

You should have dock lines and an anchor line on your own boat, and so should he. Basic safety equipment.

.

I keep docklines on the boat but was concerned about not being able to get them untied after putting that much stress on them. The anchor line would have been a PITA to get the chain off of, stow the anchor, etc.

I have towing insurance - both with BoatUS and my boat owner's policy. Wouldn't leave home without it.

Thanks for all the tips. Will definately use a bridle next time and will keep a snubber of some type on the boat - probably won't be carrying any tires...

 

[H20Rat]

Re: Towed a guy in, have some questions.

Ski line floats, which is great to avoid getting it fouled in then running gear, but it's also static, so there is no stretch in the line. Floating with some stretch would be a better choice. However a line that stretches will also catapult when it parts. .

Depends what kind of line, cheap (under $50 or so) ski line is quite stretchy. I've personally launched handles over the boat by accident using cheap rope. Once you get into the higher dollar stuff it is most likely to be spectra or something very similar. (absolutely zero stretch)

 

[Dick Sorensen]

Re: Towed a guy in, have some questions.

Tow with a bridle or towline is the way to go for distance.....it's not the way to handle close to shore.. Alert the guy you're towing that you'll be slowing down so that both boats lose forward way or motion....then pull the guy alongside....plenty of fenders....plenty of line connecting the two boats...then side by side head into shore....I once put the very sharp 'nose' of a racing sailboat into and thru the side of a 26 cruiser slicker than snake-snot!....I wasn't paying attention when the tow boat stopped!

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Towed a guy in, have some questions.

I keep docklines on the boat but was concerned about not being able to get them untied after putting that much stress on them. The anchor line would have been a PITA to get the chain off of, stow the anchor, etc.

This is a good reason to learn a few basic knots, because all nautical knots are designed with a release, so they can be untied no matter how tight they've been pulled--they also typically lock on themselves so they don't slip. It makes a difference, though, how you cleat as to which part of the knot gets the load and which leads to the loose (bitter) end.

It's second nature to me, having grown up on the water, and my family on my mother's side has been on the coast since the 1600's, but my father came from the mountains of East Tennessee. He was a good sport when I teased him about his "Tennessee Yacht Knots."

As for the anchor line, just use the end that doesn't have an anchor on it!

 

[high'n'dry]

Re: Towed a guy in, have some questions.

I

As for the anchor line, just use the end that doesn't have an anchor on it!

My anchor rode is spliced to the boat and spliced to the chain and is 500 feet long. Not everyone uses knots or cheap hardware for life important connections.

JR

 

[Beefer]

Re: Towed a guy in, have some questions.

I didn't read every post, so forgive me if it has been mentioned.

I won't use my towropes to tow your boat. If you need a tow, you supply the proper ropes. A ski rope isn't what I would like, but in a pinch... It's all about liability. My rope, my liability. Your rope, your liability.

BoatUS/SeaTow provide ropes because they trust their ropes, not yours, and I think you waived their liability when you signed up for their services.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Towed a guy in, have some questions.

you have a good point, within reason, but unless you are doing something radical, towing another boat isn't going to hurt your rope. So I'd rather use mine, knowing it's in good condition and the right size, than someone's clothesline or ski rope.

And not to sound like some people around here, but from my experience of towing a lot of people, it seems like the ones who need tows are often not well equipped in the first place. Coincidence?

 

[Beefer]

Re: Towed a guy in, have some questions.

I'm not thinking about damage to my rope. Besides, if they throw me a frayed bit of clothesline as a towrope, I'll offer to call SeaTow/BoatUs for them. From my understanding, if let's say, their boat sinks while you are towing them with your rope, or the boat is damaged in some way, or one of their passengers falls off, etc., you could be held liable. I'm not honestly 100% on the legalities of the liabilities involved in towing, but I'd rather not take the chance. Now, if this was x miles offshore, and their lives were in peril, or something, I wouldn't worry about whose rope was being used. I'm not that much of an _s_h_l_.

 

[oldjeep]

Re: Towed a guy in, have some questions.

1) We always just tow with a ski rope - just towed in 19ft runabout yesterday on Prior behind my father inlaws malibu with one.
2) Depends on the water, but I never tow at much more than a no wake speed
3) We tied off on his bow loop and hooked to our ski hook (not the pylon)
4) We aimed at the dock then did a 90, released the rope from the hook on our boat and then just pull steered him to the dock

 

[haulnazz15]

Re: Towed a guy in, have some questions.

I'm not honestly 100% on the legalities of the liabilities involved in towing, but I'd rather not take the chance. Now, if this was x miles offshore, and their lives were in peril, or something, I wouldn't worry about whose rope was being used. I'm not that much of an _s_h_l_.

I'm assuming you meant NOT 100% on the liabilities. I'm pretty sure the "good samaritan" statutes would apply in this situation, as you are not a operating tow service and would assume no responsibility in most cases. The only time I could see you assuming some liability would be in the case of knowlingly operating in an unsafe manner while towing their vessel.

 

[Beefer]

Re: Towed a guy in, have some questions.

I'm assuming you meant NOT 100% on the liabilities. I'm pretty sure the "good samaritan" statutes would apply in this situation, as you are not a operating tow service and would assume no responsibility in most cases. The only time I could see you assuming some liability would be in the case of knowlingly operating in an unsafe manner while towing their vessel.

Nope, I meant the legalities. Yes, there is the 'Good Sam' law, but I wouldn't stake my life's savings on it. I also don't know how Maritime Law deals with the Good Sam Law, and in civil cases (lawsuits) juries don't always use logic or common sense, and they don't expect plaintiffs to use them either.

 

[Nandy]

Re: Towed a guy in, have some questions.

No particular citizen HAS to TOW anyone. If you are worried about legalities you better not tow anyone. There are other ways to assist.