Towing a tinny behind a larger boat?

[Flex]

Hi all,

Anyone had any experience towing a tinny behind a larger boat?
I have a 4.5m tinny and my mate owns a 6.2 Kevlar cat. We're thinking of heading up into shoalwater area and want a smaller boat for the creeks.

I have never towned a boat before, any guidelines I should follow? things I should or shouldn't do?

[Chimo]

Tow it with a long bridle with the two ends attached to bollards on port and starboard hulls. Shorten when going slow and let it way out to suit wash when travelling quicker. I use a short line off the winch eye on the tinny with a pulley block that the bridle passes thru. Works with a 12 ft at up to 25 kn.
IMHO the motor on the tinny should be tilted up as the pulley and bridle keeps it nicely centred behind and adjusting bridle length will get it sitting in the best section of the wash.

Have fun

Cheers
Chimo

[crabbie]

Flex. Chimo is spot on with his advice.When I kept a larger boat at the Manly Mariner a number of times I had to tow tinnies back to the ramp. I didn't use the pulley but recommend it for long tow's

CRABBIE

[ifishcq1]

Chimo & crabbie

do you leave the motor on and put it up or down?

Flex, now that talisman is over all the AJs have gone home it is a bloody good idea

cheers

[Chimo]

If you can take the motor off, I would as the lighter the boat you tow the better esp if you want to move quickly. If you have to leave it on I'd lift it and lock it up


Chimo

[Flex]

Thanks guys,

But I'm a little lost as to what you mean by Bridle? can someone explain the set up exactly?

And what speeds would you consider safe towing? assuming 5-10knot winds?

[bigjimg]

Flex a Bridle is a length of rope with a pulley or wheel in a block,that rides on the length of rope it will have a spliced loop each end.A waterski rope is a good example the bridle will have a thimble fitted each end which attaches to the ski hooks on the boat,one on each side of the transom. the pulley generally has a swivel with a sister clip on it that the ski rope attaches.Well the setup you want is similar as far as the bridle is concerned you will need a pulley that will handle the load of the trailing tinnie, go down to your local chandler and tell them what you are going to need and more than likely will splice the rope for you with the pulley fitted.Heypresto one bridle.Hope this gives you the picture.Jim

[Waraba Mick]

Flex, check your insurance policy before you tow, some policies dont cover your boat being towed behind another boat.



Mick.

[Chimo]

Hi Flex

But I'm a little lost as to what you mean by Bridle? Can someone explain the set up exactly?

Think water skiiing then reverse the ropes. Ie the bridle is the long length eg could be 10mm by 100 m instead of 3m as it is behind a ski boat.

If you try and use a short bridle when towing your in trouble on a couple of counts
1 How do you adjust the line length

2 You have real likelyhood of cutting or wrapping the short line around one or both of your props

3 You can not easily reach the towed boat to get it along side easily while with the setup I described you can and the other risks are minimized.

You fix one end to, say the port side and after passing the line thru the pulley block you adjust the length to suit the speed ie short length when at 6 to 10 kn and longer when faster (you should be able to feel it plus look at the fuel burn) The line on the tinny is about 3 or 4 meters long and has the pully block at one end and a dee at the other to fasten it to the tinny



And what speeds would you consider safe towing? Assuming 5-10knot winds

Speeds need to be comfortable and be viable re fuel burn with outboards so you don't flog them By adjusting the bridle length you can position the towed boat in the "sweet spot" of the wake so it sits stable and straight. Trial and error but easiest to let the bridle out over the non fixed side as you travel til the towed boat is sitting right for the speed you choose.

Is that clearer?

Chimo

[Scott79]

Great thread guys, have been searching for similar info, for a similar purpose.

Chimo, regarding speed, what would you expect a likely cruising speed to be? I realise there are so many variables to be considered, but if the towing boat usually cruises at say 25 knots, what sort of a cruising speed would you expect, all safety issues and economy considered? I would have expected perhaps 15 knots with 20 knots max? Do you think this estimate sounds reasonable?

Scott.

[Chimo]

Flex

I forgot to mention one more addition that seems to make things work easier and that is the old water ski float I have on the end of the line at the pulley block. This keeps the whole thing floating while you get set up and avoids prop / line interactions Refer to pic that I took in 2007 and forgot about last nite as I watched tv and wrote the earlier stuff.

Scott 79

I have a feeling your perhaps a little on the optimistic side but I could be wrong. Probably depends on your towing HP, prop size (s) weight of towed boat possibly less on how rough the sea is as you can move the towed boat into the sweet spot in your wake by adjusting the length back.

Have a go and let us know, its all worthwhile knowledge.

Cheers
Chimo

[Crocodile]

Consider how it will go in rough seas.
A big cat can be comfortable and safe in seas of a metre but the tinny would be getting a terrible beating and may be damaged, dented or split.
Would you be able to give the rig a test to see how it goes.
A lot of mothership fishing boats tow smaller boats, has anyone seen how they do it.

[tinman42]

Think of the tow rope as a spring. All rope has some 'give' in it. The longer the tow rope the more give and forgiving to the vessel being towed. I agree with the bridle idea and shortening up the tow at slower or speeds.

Be conscious of the fact that the tow vessel may be traveling OK but what is happening to the little tinny.

Motor down (if it can be locked to dead ahead) as it acts like a rudder and helps the towed boat track true.

Ex-VMR Skipper (9 YEARS)

[Dicko]

Here's a view you don't normally want to see.



I got a tow home a few mths ago when the fuel line from the underfloor tank perished internally & caused untold grief, but anyway. We stayed in the boat & were asked to keep the motor down. (which surprised me, as when I've towed someone else, we have them put the motor up to reduce drag).

The steering input/corrections I had to do to keep us neatly behind the coastguard boat was quite significant. There was no way it was going to track straight on it's own. If you were towing a boat with no crew, you'd have to have the motor up or securely locked to steer dead ahead. It would be too dangerous having it wander around without being corrected . You'd probably end up sinking the towed boat if the outboard went hard lock to one side.

The conditions were a little bit lumpy at first, then good as we came round a cape. We were in a 4.8 tinny with a 90 on the back & got towed about 15nm at 18kn up to about 23kn in good water in the pic above.

The ride we had was far better than we would of had if under our own power at the same speeds, though I don't recommend breaking down just to get a smooth ride home

[Chimo]

Nice pic Dicko. If we had sampson posts I guess we wouldn't need to worry about bridles and if we were in boats that big we would have out tender where there's is!.

They must have motivated you well when they first took off, "Staying out of trouble in our wake is your job, we'll see you when we get home"

Their observer is doing a b#o#n#z#e#r# job too. (Whats wrong with b o n z e er? as a word other than its a bit old?

Did you / they fasten the tow line onto the winch eye?

Cheers
Chimo