towing rope spray

R

robbjunk

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May 24, 2011
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15
Looking to pull a tube behind my outboard boat. If I hook to the eye hook on the stern, the rope gets caught in the wake and sprays the riders badly. I have a wake-board tower, but it is not recommended to hook the tube rope to it. Does any have any suggestions on how to help reduce the spray?
 
Friscoboater

Friscoboater

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Re: towing rope spray

I have the same problem, and I wish I had the answer. I will tow the kids from the wake tower as we not sling them out of the wake. Now the adults is a different story. I tell them that the spray is part of the and that way they cannot see what I am doing. It adds to the Horror :)
 
H

Home Cookin'

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Re: towing rope spray

are you using a bridle to keep the line in the center? you should. Also try a longer line.

Could be that you are making too much wake. I've pulled all kinds of stuff from stern eyes on all kinds of boats nad haven't had that problem, unless I was going too slow, off plane and dragging the stern.
 
truckermatt

truckermatt

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Mar 29, 2009
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384
Re: towing rope spray

what type of tube are you using, I have a big mable which has a higher tow point, and the design of the tube keeps more weight on the back thus have the rope higher in front.

Your always going to have some spray, we are in water. I bought some cheap goggles for some people in my group so that solved the spray issue
 
Ernest T

Ernest T

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Re: towing rope spray

I had same problem. I use a "Y" harness to tow from the stern eyes. The solution is called a Booster Ball http://www.amazon.com/SportsStuff-4...8TNY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1329338126&sr=8-1. Keeps the rope out of the water for the most part, and also acts as somewhat of a shock absorber to make the ride less jerky. Disadvantage is that it is something else to have to blow up, but its pretty quick.

893691424_AkK6F-L.jpg

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smokeonthewater

smokeonthewater

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Re: towing rope spray

friends and I have had no trouble towing two tubes with up to 3 adults (650-700 lbs total) on his wake tower... honestly I don't know what it is about towing tubes that is worse on the tower than wake boards. We don't try to kill each other with really extreme slingshot stuff so maybe that might have something to do with it.....
 
jdlough

jdlough

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Re: towing rope spray

smokeonthewater said:
friends and I have had no trouble towing two tubes with up to 3 adults (650-700 lbs total) on his wake tower... honestly I don't know what it is about towing tubes that is worse on the tower than wake boards. We don't try to kill each other with really extreme slingshot stuff so maybe that might have something to do with it.....
Click to expand...

I guess it depends on the tube, but every now and then some teenager I'm towing gets too far forward or something, and manages to bury the 'bow' of the tube in the water. The instant drag just about stops my boat.

This seems to happen only if the tube is a bit under-inflated, and the rope is dragging through the wake.


The 4K Booster Ball corrected this.

http://www.iboats.com/4K-Booster-Ba...5557220--**********.606938004--view_id.484189

(I fixed the link)
rolleyes.gif
 
H

Home Cookin'

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Re: towing rope spray

I wonder if the wake tower restriction is not about the strength of the tower but the risk of pulling the boat over too much? Never operated a tower but is there a difference in handling? Anyway, I agree that a digging wake board should have more pull than a planing tube.
 
Friscoboater

Friscoboater

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Re: towing rope spray

The forces involved when you are whipping a tube are incredible, and it causes a huge stress point where it mounts to the hull. All wake towers have a disclaimer that state not to tow tubes with them. Also it can make a smaller boat unstable with a lot of weight. We has a small 17 foot capsize when whipping two tubes on our lake towing from the tower.
 
H

H20Rat

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Re: towing rope spray

Home Cookin' said:
I wonder if the wake tower restriction is not about the strength of the tower but the risk of pulling the boat over too much? Never operated a tower but is there a difference in handling? Anyway, I agree that a digging wake board should have more pull than a planing tube.
Click to expand...

Until the tube flips over... I've seen 5000 pound ropes snapped like they were fishing line from large tubes that flipped. They become very effective anchors.
 
R

robbjunk

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May 24, 2011
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Re: towing rope spray

I will try the bridle first since it is cheaper, but if that does not work that booster ball.
 
southkogs

southkogs

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Re: towing rope spray

There are also some smaller "floats" that can be put at the end of your bridle (usually plastic). They're kinda' 50/50 on doing any good - but ya' never know 'til you try.
 
jdlough

jdlough

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Re: towing rope spray

robbjunk said:
I will try the bridle first since it is cheaper, but if that does not work that booster ball.
Click to expand...

I use this harness with the pulley. When you turn, it distributes the weight evenly between your two stern eyes.
The harnesses without the pulley shift all the weight to the outside stern eye during a turn.

http://www.iboats.com/12-Tow-Harnes...5557220--**********.592811838--view_id.166433


Also note that the 4K Booster Ball comes with its own tow rope, so that saves you a bit if you don't have one.
 

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buildmark

buildmark

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Oct 27, 2011
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Re: towing rope spray

the tow harness and ball are the safest way to do it and you can whip the tube around better when the rope is not stuck in the wake.
 
R

robbjunk

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May 24, 2011
Messages
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Re: towing rope spray

jdlough said:
I use this harness with the pulley. When you turn, it distributes the weight evenly between your two stern eyes.
The harnesses without the pulley shift all the weight to the outside stern eye during a turn.

http://www.iboats.com/12-Tow-Harnes...5557220--**********.592811838--view_id.166433


Also note that the 4K Booster Ball comes with its own tow rope, so that saves you a bit if you don't have one.
Click to expand...


The pulley one seems like a cool idea, plus I already have a tow rope. Does the pulley float or sink when it is just sitting on the water?
 
jdlough

jdlough

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Re: towing rope spray

robbjunk said:
The pulley one seems like a cool idea, plus I already have a tow rope. Does the pulley float or sink when it is just sitting on the water?
Click to expand...


It floats. It has a foam float right behind the pulley.

The rope does still get stuck in the wake on turns, because the bow eyes are so low, so
I still recommend the Booster Ball along with the pulley harness.
 
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