Towing a Dinghy

Cayennita · Feb 7, 2012

I towed my 8' FG dinghy from Marblehead to Virgina behind my J-36. Not all in one leg but in cruising mode. I had no problem at all. I brought it on deck from Virginia to St. Croix. It was nice to drop anchor and the dinghy ready to go. It was a rowing dinghy with positive flotation.

MrBill_FLL · Feb 7, 2012

I would want to be able to pull it aboard if it got rough. but in smooth water, probably just fine.

in 8'+ seas, it could be a big problem. also consider how to prevent it from hitting your aft... in a following sea.

RichH · Feb 7, 2012

MrBill_FLL said:
I would want to be able to pull it aboard if it got rough. but in smooth water, probably just fine.

in 8'+ seas, it could be a big problem. also consider how to prevent it from hitting your aft... in a following sea.

Consider being in 8+ ft. seas ... between Barnegat and NYC .... or well over 8ft. wakes in NY harbor .... with a swamped, full of water dinghy. The advice from Mr. Bill is very good advice - put it tied down on deck if at all possible.

I have davits on my boat, and when in the ocean I usually put my dink 'on deck' ... you dont want to be 'futzing around' with a swamped dinghy in rough ocean waves or huge 'harbor wakes' (NYC). VERY unpleasant.
If the dink is an inflatable, just partly deflate it if needed and tie it upside down on the foredeck, etc.

Stu Jackson · Feb 7, 2012

If you go "outside" or even get caught in rough stuff, the last thing you want to be doing is towing a dinghy. Put it on the foredeck.

If "inside" and calm, the dinghy can sometimes catch up with you. Years ago Maurice Griffith, an English sailor who wrote a series of terrific cruising stories, suggested to tie a painter to the dinghy and let it stream behind. It slowed the dinghy enough so it neevr hit the stern of his boat. He knew, 'cuz all his boat were on moorings - they didn't have marinas between the two wars! - so he always had his with him.

Bob S · Feb 7, 2012

I towed my 10' Zodiac everywhere for three years. I always remove the outboard (2hp) and mount it on the push pit. I had one experience when looking aft and found it being towed upside down. The waters in Nantucket Sound can get confused when wind and current oppose. It does slow you down too. I've had problems with barnacles and slime. I follow RichH's advise and tie her upside down on my foredeck. I use the spare halyard to raise and lower it.

Bad Obsession · Feb 7, 2012

I have towed a fiberglass dingy all over the bay. My Uncle had been doing the same thing for 30 years or so.

Use floating line, that is a must. It will slow you down, sometimes as much as .5 knots. It is a pain in following seas.

Recently I read where a guy was using two lines to tow the dingy. One was very very long with a few knots in it. In rough seas he would keep the short line about normal but then he would let the long knotted line drag in the water. This kept the dingy from bumping the back of his boat (just added a little drag to the dingy). It was also good insurance if the first line broke, I guess.

My dingy has done just fine in the rough Chesapeake bay seas. It would be a mess if it swamped though.

Eventually I may add a spare halyard and get some blocks and tackle to put it on the foredeck in some weather. It would also allow me to go a little faster.

Morgan30 · Feb 7, 2012

I like the idea of using a halyard to raise and lower the tender. 8 feet is probably all you could fit on the bow of the Hunter 29. If you do not have rings at the inside of the bow and the corners of the stern you could install them. Then you could fabricate a bridle. Two person job to get on and off the boat. Life lines, Genoa sheets and mast stays could be a challenge.
It is what I would do if travelling on the Morgan a distance with a tender. The stern on the Morgan is out of the water. Tenders love to end up under it!

Bad Obsession · Feb 7, 2012

I single hand most of the time. That would make it an issue to get the dingy on deck. Also, it is like reefing. It is far better to go ahead and do it if the forecast is for conditions that would require it. If you wait until you get out there it may be too late to do it. Reefing is no fun in bad conditions, imagine how much worse it would be to put a dingy on deck in these conditions.

Having a block and tackle would make a big difference. Hoist the block and tackle a good ways up. Make a harness on the dingy and attach the block and tackle. Use the block and tackle to hoist the dingy aboard. It gives you a 4 to 1 advantage and it also allows you to be there when the dingy is hoisted.

You will also need to create some pads to go under the top of the transom and front of the bow so that it doesn't mess up your deck. Then strapping it to some tie off points to keep it secure. Remember, if you take a wave over the bow there will be some force on the dingy and you don't want it to come loose!

shemandr · Feb 7, 2012

Towing is our only option to take the dink The only problems I'e had were when it filled up with rainwater in a squall and when it was swamped by an enormous power boat wake - another story Oh yeah There's the few times I backed o'er the painter and swamped it by turning too fast with it attached to the transom and crushed it pulling out of a slip Other than that - No problems at all!

dscribner · Feb 7, 2012

Dinghy Towing and other insanities

We tow our 8' dinghy behind our Lancer 25 all the time. AND in 8 foot seas. The photo attached was one such day. Seas were about 7'. We were motor-sailing with following seas. Half the time the dinghy was abaft the beam. Each wave would drive it forward, almost to the end of the painter, then it would fall back with a jolt. After a while, I looked about 1/4 mile to starboard and there she was . . . my dinghy. We had to race her towards the rocks and reattach the painter while hanging over the rail. The painter was fine. The stainless ring has snapped.

JK_Boston_Catalina310 · Feb 8, 2012

When I first read your post my first thought was that you couldn't pay enough to tow a dink through the Race.

I would follow the advice of others and get it on deck.

MrBill_FLL · Feb 8, 2012

dscribner said:
The photo attached was one such day. Seas were about 7'.

Your definition of 7' and mine appear to be quite a bit different.

in my mind, that looks like 2-4' and the sunset shot is 1-2 or a 'light chop'.

fwiw, this was 3-5'

Bill Roosa · Feb 8, 2012

hey MrBill
there are only two wave crests in the bottom picture.

I've found that using the spinaker halyard easier then a spair mainsail halyard. It is forward of the mast so it positions the dinghy better and it has a gimble where it exits so the blocks are all getting the line pulled "straight" from the masthead. If you have the halyard run to the cockpit you can use the first mate/ helmsman to winch it up for you while you "risk your life" on the fordeck manuvering it into position.

Bill Roosa · Feb 8, 2012

AND use a sheepsshank to tie the halyard to the painter prevents having to mess with tying/untying the halyard to the bow eye while the dinghy is in the water

FourPoints · Feb 8, 2012

Depends on the conditions, I've towed my dinghy through the east river and up the hudson, and I've pulled it onboard and deflated it. Just depends on what the conditions you are dealing with are like. If it gets rough, don't tow it.

http://sailingit.com/blog/boating-adventures/nyc-sailing-trip-2010-friday/attachment/img_6811

tkanzler · Feb 8, 2012

Has anyone tried using a whisker or spinnaker pole to pole out a halyard on the bow to bring a dinghy in? I didn't own a dinghy when I had a boat big enough to carry one, but I always thought it would be doable, especially with someone else on the halyard, or on the live end of a 4-part block and fall off the end of the pole.

Stu Jackson · Feb 8, 2012

A lot of this dinghy lifting issue has to do with what kind of shape you're in. Our Zodiac 10'2" air floor weighs about 70 to 80 pounds. I ain't no spring chicken anymore, but I can lift it up onto the foredeck over our lifelines using just the long painters attached to the D rings. I used a spare jib halyard once, and found it more work than necessary.

dscribner · Feb 8, 2012

MrBill_FLL said:
Your definition of 7' and mine appear to be quite a bit different.

in my mind, that looks like 2-4' and the sunset shot is 1-2 or a 'light chop'.

fwiw, this was 3-5'

I know . . . it doesn't look like anything in the photos but trust me. In the trough, waves were over my head, standing. The shoreline would completely disappear. When we were running, the boat pitched forward at about 15 degrees. (roofing gives you a calibrated eye). The dink would race ahead and snap against the line enough to fatigue and snap a SS ring. It sucked to be out there.

Towing a Dinghy

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