Towing a Tender

[Cheechako]

Long tow line, as mentioned above. personally I'd put good davits on and go with a dink no bigger than the max beam of your boat. 13-14ft? That ought to get you anywhere you want to go. A whaler 13 will take a lot of rough water as will a 14 RIB!

[zeehag]

unfortunately the winchester isnt allowed in many countries.......

[Il Pescatori]

Unfortunately shooting thieves isn't allowed either! hmmmm time for a plan "B" electrified bow rails!

[Sailagain]

I remember reading something in Cruising World magazine about a trawler that was towing a whaler type dinghy. In rough seas the tow line fouled the rudder and the prop - and they were rescued by the cruise ship Valor.

The captain said the ship had handled rougher seas in the past - and this was the first time he decided to tow the tender in this fashion. Ending up with the loss of the vessel and all his personal possessions.

[Il Pescatori]

Well that's why I started this thread to see what I could find out. Thank goodness we don't have to always rely on a propeller.

Seems to me if I'm towing close i.e. in the Intra-coastal I need something rigid because of the need to stop and I don't want to be "bumped" from behind. If I'm cruising long distance and under sail then something like a "Mighty Tow" set up would be appropriate. Then of course their is the concern for security... so lots of things to consider.

If I make a list of all the things I want a dingy or tender to do a standard RIB or something like a Trinka doesn't quite fit the bill. A big consideration is a stable and comfortable platform to fish from all day...hence "Il Pescatori". The ability to have a live well, capacity for friends, the dog, and spear guns which have very sharp points. Also being able to use it here at home in the bay but also for some inshore striper fishing and perhaps some offshore fishing in the Caribbean, or wherever I may end up, are all part of the formula.

For me "Dream" provides comfortable shelter and transportation. The Whaler is the real toy!

[Sailagain]

Originally Posted by Il Pescatori

Well that's why I started this thread to see what I could find out. Thank goodness we don't have to always rely on a propeller.

True, true! But you will be wanting that rudder. Best of luck! Just thought I would throw in what I read : )

[Il Pescatori]

Yeah the rudder helps! Again challenges to understand and resolve. I always bring in my fishing lines before I tack. Learned that lesson early on. The lovely thing about ocean sailing is the long tacks before you have to change course!

[capngeo]

I once was told I had a dinghy on steroids..... a 19’ Nautica RIB with a 200 Black Max. I towed it behind a 28’ Bertram with twin Yanmars, on plane, in crap seas between Sarasota and Key West. If your motorsailer throws any wake, tow the “dink” on the back side of the second “hump”. Rig a double bridle... in other words, 2 cleats on both boats, with one line between. Use Poly so it floats.

On a smaller scale, I’ve towed a 13 Whaler literally thousands of miles. Similar set up for the tow though. On both boats, I would pull the plug, and leave the motor down tied amidships and prop in neutral...

I must admit, that I never towed in excess of 10’ seas!

[SkiprJohn]

You might want to read this and related threads on the forum.

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ghy-44873.html

kind regards,

[captainKJ]

And you have a high probability of losing or causing significant damage to it if you encounter any large waves and/or winds.

Not true. With the proper towing rig you can tow in just about any seas. I tow a 32 foot intrepid all the time, crossing the Atlantic 2 times a year with the intrepid in tow. Read the rules of the road for safety. you will have to have lights on the tow. shorter in the ICW (maybe alongside) longer in the ocean. You still want the ability to be able to move the tow closer or farther back from the boat depending on weather conditions.

you should consider a water tight cover, to keep any waves out, I have seen 2 tenders sink on other peoples yachts, and 1 the tow line broke. (crew did not know it for 4 hours) they never checked it. Keep an eye on it every 15 to 30 minutes.

Towing can be safe, just set it up right the first time with the proper gear. Seatow has towed people from the bahamas to florida before, they do not wait for the weather window, they just know how to do it

[S/V Antares]

Zeehag, Il Pescatori, Depending where you go it can be easy to avoid theft. In the Bahamas "they" only steal Yamahas. Put a Suzuki or Merc on the back and it will be much safer. Can't comment on Mexico or Central Am. Buddy had 3 dinks stolen in one winter.

[osirissail]

Originally Posted by captainKJ

And you have a high probability of losing or causing significant damage to it if you encounter any large waves and/or winds.

Not true. With the proper towing rig you can tow in just about any seas. I tow a 32 foot intrepid all the time, crossing the Atlantic 2 times a year with the intrepid in tow. . . .

- - Interesting, but towing a 32 foot Intrepid (Photo below) is not quite what a "cruising sailboat" or small (under 50 ft) cruising motor yacht would have as a tender. So that example is quite far from relevant to the OP's 49 ft motorsailor.
- - Then if the quote is "not True" why do you list the following tenders that did sink / get lost?

. . . I have seen 2 tenders sink on other peoples yachts, and 1 the tow line broke. (crew did not know it for 4 hours) they never checked it. Keep an eye on it every 15 to 30 minutes.
Towing can be safe, just set it up right the first time with the proper gear. Seatow has towed people from the bahamas to florida before, they do not wait for the weather window, they just know how to do it

- - Yes - towing can be safe as I stated if you are conservative and don't push the conditions beyond what you and your boat and the tender can safely take. However, I don't think the OP is an experienced mega yacht captain or an experience Seatow captain. Although SeaTow is not, I'm sure, going to tow a boat across the Gulf Stream in a strong north wind.

[SkiprJohn]

If towing a tender is really an exceptionally great idea then why doesn't everyone do it? I know why I don't do it. I lost my friends dinghy that way once. It overturned in the middle of the night and it was a hard lesson. we couldn't bring it aboard before the tow line broke. You constantly have to be watching your tow as well as everything else on your boat. All it takes is one bad wave to capsize the tow and once its capsized there will be no recovery with the size you are talking about.
Good luck in whatever you choose to do but I certainly don't recommend towing your tender unless you are absolutely certain of the weather and wave conditions.
kind regards,

[Il Pescatori]

Lots of great advise here. How can you beat the cost of everyones experience without leaving your keyboard? I remember when I was a kid and we were out one day deep sea fishing... our captain had gotten a distress call from another fishing boat during a hurricane... can't tell you why dad took us kids out in that weather but I do remember the day very very well... perhaps it was for the experience cause we didn't catch any stinkin' fish. The other vessel, another 60 footer, had lost power and we were to closest vessel to them. Towed them for about two hours back into port. Never once did I think we were going to lose them or that we were in any danger. So I do appreciate all the advice. I guess sometimes being good is better than being lucky. Our captain knew exactly what he was doing and we kept watch and a tight line the entire time. Actually I can't imagine not looking back every few moments let alone for 4 hours??? Asking these questions now because the "big" trip is just under three years away so I'll have lots of time to practice, adjust, and perfect.... of course you know what they say about perfect plans... I picked a Whaler because they are "unsinkable" and I still haven't heard anything to the contrary. Can't say that about other dinks. I think good judgement goes a long way. Again mostly here looking for the guy/gal who has done this before with total success. No point in reinventing the wheel if someone else has already perfected it.

[HopCar]

Taylor Made Products makes a semi ridgid towing system that uses a fiberglass mooring whip. I couldn't seem to get a direct link to the product but go to their website, search on the word "towing" then click on "Boat Mounted & Towing System Mooring Whips" Welcome to Taylor Made Products

A good friend of mine used to tow large tenders behind his sport fisherman to the Bahamas. He quit when he was told his tender wouldn't be covered by his insurance while under tow.