Towing Dinghy

[bigpoppop]

We are traveling in the inside of SE Alaska in a Nordhavn 55. We've been towing our dinghy occasionally but the dinghy manual (nautica) says to only tow short distances without their "tow package" add-on. I presume that the ring on the dinghy that we connect to can give way- although we are only capable of doing 8 knots.

Anyone have any feedback on whether we should worry about this towing setup? Sure is easier than using the davit twice a day.

Many thanks

 

[FF]

"Sure is easier than using the davit twice a day."

The davit hoist should be the work of a 10 year old.

Why does yours require effort?

 

[Bay Pelican]

Side issue, does your insurance policy cover your dinghy while you are towing it? Do you remove the outboard from the dinghy or tow it with the outboard in the up position.

Towing dinghies is common where we boat and at least one dinghy is lost each year. Most however remove the outboard.

 

[smitty477]

I have towed 3 Nautica's over the past 10+ years all of which were towed most of the distance at 17 knots or so. About 500 miles of towing each season across the boats which varied between 19' and 24' with no issues. The tow points on the RIBS were very robust but I do not know if they had the 'tow package' and the manuals did not mention anything about towing requirements.

 

[Simi 60]

Do you remove the outboard from the dinghy or tow it with the outboard in the up position.

On my last boat if I towed the dinghy it was always with the motor down, but unlocked.
I could adjust the rope in and out until it had bugger all load on it I guess sort of surfing but only just.

Motor up the dinghy surfed down waves, stalled in the back of the wave in front and veered sideways before the rope snapped taught which didnt feel to good.

Motor down but unlocked created enough drag to keep it back but if speed picked up the motor could start to kick up taking load off of outboard yet still create enough drag to keep it back.

 

[hmason]

We lift our dinghy on board most of the time. If we are only going a short distance we tow it (maybe 5 miles or less). I find towing quite easy however, at least for me, it's very distracting. I find myself constantly looking back to check on it. At times I forget to look back then whip my head around expecting it to be gone. It's always there but it worries me anyway.

You might say I'm a towing wuss but for me it's just not worth the constant angst. And we do have a serious towing bridle.

 

[hmason]

I think towing with the motor down would cause the prop to spin constantly. Is that damaging to the outboard or gear train?

 

[psneeld]

No more damaging than just running it...and even less so be a use there isn't nearly much torque being applied .

At least that's my understanding, maybe an outboard mech or engineer can verify.

 

[caltexflanc]

Best practice is usually just have the skeg of the motor in the water and avoid the drag introduced by the prop. Helps keep the thing from yawing around. A lot of variables in dinghy design, and how fast it's being towed, so hard to comment on what's best for a particular set-up. I'm guessing that the OP's manufacturer had that provision for his specific model for a reason, beyond just selling towing packages.

 

[smitty477]

Below is a pic of the 19" Nautica at about 17 knots and 85 feet behind the towing boat. Always have towed with the engine(s) up and only had issues when towing boats below the 15' length size as they would 'wag' more than I would have liked.

 

[bigpoppop]

We not remove the motor- and we've always raised the motor- at 8 knots it seems like a light load on the entire setup

 

[refugio]

Towed a 13.5' Nautica wide-body with 50hp Yamaha from the bow eye (had towing points but didn't use them). Engine up but skeg in water. Floating Spectra line with large snubber. Second small line off aft starboard cleat to snug up when transiting locks. Zero issues and loved this setup, but got tired of YC rules about tenders and sold it. Currently rethinking tender situation.



Keith

 

[ABfish]

I think towing with the motor down would cause the prop to spin constantly. Is that damaging to the outboard or gear train?

No, it's not damaging to the outboard. It doesn't turn anything except the gears in the lower unit. The water pump doesn't turn unless the engine is turning over.

 

[psneeld]

Be careful towing some boats with the motors up, especially 4 strokes on narrower boats.

They are very unstable...even if you don't think so. I have responded to a dozen or so that flipped at the dock just sitting there with a bit of water in them and a small wake going by.

 

[dhays]

Great question. I have yet to tow my current dinghy behind my new boat. I towed a rib behind my sailboat all the time, but always took the motor off. Now the motor has to stay on but I am a bit nervous about towing it. I will likely try it next week. I will use some leisure time to make a tow line.

 

[Mule]

I am following this string carefully. I intend to tow my Dinghy behind my 7 knot trawler. A 17 ft Boston Whaler Montauk. Comments, warnings, tips?

 

[caltexflanc]

My 2005 13' Whaler 130 Sport tows like dream. Would expect the 17 Montauk to be even better. Miami Cordage or Rope Inc in Ft. Lauderdale make excellent bridles if you want to go deluxe, but their sites have good advice on how one should be rigged. The "second wave back" rule for length holds true, a little experimentation to suit.

 

[Ski in NC]

If it is stable towing with the motor up, that would be preferred. Probably no harm with prop spinning in neutral, but there usually is no bearing in play between the prop shaft clutch dog spline area and the fwd face of the reverse gear. Not much pulling force from the windmilling prop, but there is some. Most gearcases I've been in do not have any thrust bearing provision for this type loading. Nowhere in normal ops are those surfaces loaded in that direction with relative motion between the parts.

But folks do it all the time with no apparent problems. But also gearcases poop all the time for no apparent reason!!

 

[cardude01]

I towed my 10' West Marine RIB across the Gulf from Marco Island to Key West when it was fairly rough, and after experimenting with countless arrangements, I found it did best with the 15hp Johnson in the up position but with the skeg in the water, and the boat positioned very close to my boat just behind my wake. That seemed to keep good tension on the tow line so the dingy didn't wander around too much, and it was the calmest spot.

 

[psneeld]

My biggest concerns for towing whalers were flipping the smaller ones and taking water over the bow with all of the low freeboard ones.

The much older ones had crappy, non-stainless towing eyes that break easily sometimes so using custom towing eyes are a good idea if the Whaler is worth anything.

 

[psneeld]

I towed my 10' West Marine RIB across the Gulf from Marco Island to Key West when it was fairly rough, and after experimenting with countless arrangements, I found it did best with the 15hp Johnson in the up position but with the skeg in the water, and the boat positioned very close to my boat just behind my wake. That seemed to keep good tension on the tow line so the dingy didn't wander around too much, and it was the calmest spot.

Smaller Ribs do react and ride very different from the pack.

In tight seems to work and having one overrun you is not as a big deal as a large, hard hulled dingy.

 

[tadhana]

We live aboard and cruise full time, with a dog so our dinghy is raised and lowered a hundred times a year. In 2500 hours of cruising we have towed only 1 hour. We chose not to tow our dinghy. I worked for Zodiac Avon and know of a lot of dinghies that have flipped. We have two painters on our dinghy. If a squall is approaching our anchorage we ti one painter to each side of the transom. That keeps dinghy close and centered so it is less likely to go airborn. If towing a dinghy in open waters, consider this story. The sea as school of hard knocks | Soundings Online

 

[caltexflanc]

My biggest concerns for towing whalers were flipping the smaller ones and taking water over the bow with all of the low freeboard ones.

The much older ones had crappy, non-stainless towing eyes that break easily sometimes so using custom towing eyes are a good idea if the Whaler is worth anything.

As with most issues here best to reveal and be specific as to model and year of the item in question. When our davit system was being rebuilt or when headed to a dock with a starboard-side tie (dinghy lowered from starboard side) we towed our afore specified Whaler a lot in open water and poor sea conditions. I too was paranoid the first time or two but it took anything thrown at it with aplomb. Never remotely close to a flipping or taking on water. Positioning certainly played a role, having the skeg down just right helped and perhaps the height to the stern cleats on the Hatteras played a role though it was typically 125 feet in back of the mothership.

 

[psneeld]

Well...feel free to be specific..I used the term low freeboard whalers...if you own one you know which ones I mean. I have towed many different sizes and models.

And it's not just whalers...if you have towed a lot, low freeboard anything can get dicey in certain conditions.

Sure, adjustments help, but at some point small cresting waves can put a lot of water aboard pretty quickly....and that's never good.

Plus the older 13s with 20 plus hp four strokes tilted up can get pretty unstable with a stiff wind off the bow, wakes and chop.

 

[AusCan]

It depends. With any decision like this, it's a matter of assessing the risk.

How robust are your tow points and tow line?
How much traffic?
What are the sea conditions? (Present & potential)

When conditions change - re-assess.

I lost my dinghy a few months ago when the swell picked up and the wave interval changed. (I didn't re-assess)

 

[smitty477]

The original post was about Nautica RIBS but we do not know which size or type the poster was referring to. In my experience the Nautica's of 18' and up are very robust and will take heavier and more mixed seas than most of the boats that are doing the towing. Of course we still do not know which one he was looking to get feedback on so we cannot make a good connection for that feedback.
FWIW - over the many hours of towing the Nautica's in rougher seas we also often had a Zodiac YL-380 up on the boat deck - and that is where we would keep it in anything but completely smooth water. Just not a good RIB to be pulling around in anything but calm seas.

 

[Simi 60]

Picked up one of these 2nd hand yesterday with a 15hp Suzuki , canopy, cushions and galv trailer all in mint condition for under $2k.

I hope it tows OK, though the davits should have no drama lifting it being around 140kg/310lb inc fuel and anchor.

 

[hollywood8118]

but got tired of YC rules about tenders and sold it. Currently rethinking tender situation.
View attachment 54360

What "issues" did a yacht club have with your tender?.. unless they didn't like it stored next to the boat in the water?

HOLLYWOOD

 

[Mule]

Wow, lotta good info..thanks guys.

 

[tadhana]

Simi 60. I like your tinny, but what do you do for gunwale guard?