Want To Buy: Towing Service Wanted, Abacos to Florida

[Sand crab]

Originally Posted by Tupaia

Temporary stern bracket and an outboard motor? Just musing.

That's what I was thinking. This one will handle a 35HP motor that can weigh up to 263 pounds. I had the baby brother on my boat.
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Panther-Aux...E&gclsrc=aw.ds

[SVSOLITAIRE]

You can sign up for towboat us premium literally minutes before you need the tow.

I’m with everyone else as far as getting sails and an outboard go.

Something to give a lot of consideration to it the possibility of damage to your vessel. I personally know of two individuals whose deck were literally torn out because of the rowing pressure on the anchor cleats. Because of the way a sailboat must be towed (more like jerked along) there are substantial forces at work and that’s in calm seas. In anything over 2’ seas I wouldn’t even risk it.

[Cadence]

Maybe you could contact the Capt. of the Pig Iron if she is still making runs to West Palm from the Rock.?

[scherzoja]

Not sure if one can sign up for BoatUS and get towed within minutes, they have a 'pre-existing clause' and a 30-day waiting period for some tows.

"BoatUS Towing Services does not provide for pre-existing conditions or tows from a home dock or mooring in the first 30 days of Membership."

From: https://www.boatus.com/faq/boat-towing

[SVSOLITAIRE]

Originally Posted by scherzoja

Not sure if one can sign up for BoatUS and get towed within minutes, they have a 'pre-existing clause' and a 30-day waiting period for some tows.



"BoatUS Towing Services does not provide for pre-existing conditions or tows from a home dock or mooring in the first 30 days of Membership."



From: https://www.boatus.com/faq/boat-towing

My fault, it may have just been my lucky day with the agent or the tow company but I started my membership literally as the tow was being orchestrated. Now that may not have cared because it was less than a mile. Not trying to pass bad gas as it were. I’m sure they would probably be a little more by the books with a tow of this nature.

[oscarkramer]

Did you just buy the boat in Abaco? I presume the mast is down after Dorian. Was the engine flooded? I'm curious to know the backstory of a nice T-4100 with dead engine and no sails or rigging in Abaco. I was there one month after Dorian, looking at my old boat that barely survived in Green Turtle Cay (Abaco Yacht Services). It was pure carnage there. Only about 5% of the boats stayed standing, and half of those lost their rig. The others fell over collapsed stands that punctured holes in the hulls. Multihulls were flipped on top of others. Really nice boats were totaled.

[LittleWing77]

Originally Posted by oscarkramer

Did you just buy the boat in Abaco? I presume the mast is down after Dorian. Was the engine flooded? I'm curious to know the backstory of a nice T-4100 with dead engine and no sails or rigging in Abaco. I was there one month after Dorian, looking at my old boat that barely survived in Green Turtle Cay (Abaco Yacht Services). It was pure carnage there. Only about 5% of the boats stayed standing, and half of those lost their rig. The others fell over collapsed stands that punctured holes in the hulls. Multihulls were flipped on top of others. Really nice boats were totaled.

As Owner states in Post #39:

Originally Posted by zstine

All I need is a haul out to drop it on a truck to New Jersey. So just about any marina that can pull the boat can do that.

The boat has been unattended in Abaco for a while and was looted. All running rigging and sails, a winch, the dorade scoops, instrument cluster... all taken.

Engine was flooded with seawater. It needs to be pulled and rebuilt. That is not going to happen in the Abacos. They are pretty hard up.

[billdomb]

Originally Posted by rslifkin

Is there any reason it can't be sailed to within TowBoatUS range?

Thought their range was like 250 mi. No?

[2hulls4me]

I’ve done this more than once & it’s a cheap but very effective way to solve your problem. Preferably, you’ll need two people, but I’ve done it solo.

I’ve lashed an inflatable dinghy to the hull of my 41’ sloop, Run a line from your bow to dinghy bow, and another from dinghy stern to sailboat stern. You can always add addition lines to snug the dinghy up if desired. The dinghy should be positioned about midship.

When leaving or approaching the dock, have someone climb down into the dinghy to control the outboard throttle. . Otherwise, when in open water, duck tape the throttle to wide open position. Then have the person climb back on board your sailboat.

Obviously, bring plenty of spare gas jugs.

You’ll be amazed about how well this works.

Fair winds (and waves)!

[tdh1849]

I would suggest you contact two sailing clubs in the Ft.Lauderdale area and see if they can help you. I know from past experience that they have members who are frequently in the Marsh Harbor area.

Suggest you contact the Hillsborough Inlet Sailing Club and also the Gulfstream Sailing Club.

Good luck.................

[LittleWing77]

Originally Posted by 2hulls4me

I’ve done this more than once & it’s a cheap but very effective way to solve your problem. Preferably, you’ll need two people, but I’ve done it solo.

I’ve lashed an inflatable dinghy to the hull of my 41’ sloop, Run a line from your bow to dinghy bow, and another from dinghy stern to sailboat stern. You can always add addition lines to snug the dinghy up if desired. The dinghy should be positioned about midship.

When leaving or approaching the dock, have someone climb down into the dinghy to control the outboard throttle. . Otherwise, when in open water, duck tape the throttle to wide open position. Then have the person climb back on board your sailboat.

Obviously, bring plenty of spare gas jugs.

You’ll be amazed about how well this works.

Fair winds (and waves)!

This is called a "hip tow" and might be a super strategy.

Employed it myself in June when two very helpful fellow sailors came to our rescue when fuel contamination caused a sudden engine stop not too far off the dock.

That said, it WAS a relatively short distance. I wonder how effective a hip tow would be over a long Gulf Stream crossing - as well as the appropriate weather window.

As an earlier poster suggested, it would DEFinitely need to be in a flat calm...

LW77

[Rocinante33]

If I were in your situation, I would call Roland at “DaValley” restaurant at Foxtown and discuss hiring a local crew with him

A couple years ago he was invaluable with a friend and a similar issue.

I could tell you more, but I think you can phone him and discuss possibilities. He was very stand up in his dealings with my friend

242 365 2046

Cheers

Good luck

[BBill]

A repower over there is probably the most budget friendly when considering tow, transport cost and hassles to get to fl. You are replacing it anyway. Might be worth checking to see if they have recovered enough from the hurricane to do it. Boat Harbor?

You may try looking up Capt Mark G. on Lubbers Qtr for ideas too.

Clamping an ob on the transom sounds good in theory but reality is different on big monohull sailboats.

[timb7734]

Tow Boat US in Fort Lauderdale goes to Abacoes

[redneckrob]

Originally Posted by LittleWing77

This is called a "hip tow" and might be a super strategy.

Employed it myself in June when two very helpful fellow sailors came to our rescue when fuel contamination caused a sudden engine stop not too far off the dock.

That said, it WAS a relatively short distance. I wonder how effective a hip tow would be over a long Gulf Stream crossing - as well as the appropriate weather window.

As an earlier poster suggested, it would DEFinitely need to be in a flat calm...

LW77

Yeah, as someone who used to have to rescue people who were doing stupid stuff like this in order to save a buck...no. Great idea for your situation, maybe up to a couple miles in calm water. Across the gulf stream in open ocean? Horrible idea and I would hope the OP would think about the lives they put at risk coming to rescue him before deciding on such a foolish endeavor. There are plenty of resources to do what they need done right in Green Turtle as half a dozen people here have mentioned It's baffling why the OP continues to insist on doing it the harder, riskier, and more expensive way?