I have a 22' sailboat.My wife does not feel safe bringing our 3 year old for a sail without having an unsinkable dinghy behind us.She doesn't trust my inflatable. The 11'Whaler weighs 216lbs(i will not have a motor on her) Will this be ok to tow? Im not looking for speed.
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Not looking for speed
Hi David - I suppose it would be "ok" since you indicate you aren't looking for speed, but you certainly will be slowed down with a dinghy 50% the length of your boat. That whaler won't be that easy to row without an outboard either, but you gotta do what you gotta do. (cuz if the wife aint happy, nobody is happy
Have fun! Trevor
Hi David - I suppose it would be "ok" since you indicate you aren't looking for speed, but you certainly will be slowed down with a dinghy 50% the length of your boat. That whaler won't be that easy to row without an outboard either, but you gotta do what you gotta do. (cuz if the wife aint happy, nobody is happy
Have fun! TrevorSpeed depends on how fast you can row.
We towed a stranded 15' whaler with a 150HP in its transom for some 10 NM and hardly noticed it was back there. Lost perhaps 1/2 a knot.
We towed a stranded 15' whaler with a 150HP in its transom for some 10 NM and hardly noticed it was back there. Lost perhaps 1/2 a knot.
There's got to be a better way
I'm not sure where you're sailing, but I sail with 3 kids, including a 4-year old, and they absolutely love it. Sinking is not very likely, but a MOB situation with a 3-year old is. We enforce our rules for them, and we feel very safe. We don't allow them on deck without a life jacket, and I have a harness for them (that I've never used) but could use if I ever got worried enough. I'll bet it would be a lot easier to buy some safety gear than to deal with towing a dingy the size of your whaler. Depending on how you tow it, it has the potential to give you and your boat a beating exiting and entering your slip, at anchor, etc. Get your kid a good life jacket, a harness, some glow sticks for nighttime, and one of those flashing strobes. Add some lifeline netting to the boat, too, if you need to. The probability of your boat sinking in conditions you would feel safe with a 3-year old in are pretty low. Some of the best boating video I have is of us heeling at 20+ degrees outside of Mobile Bay and trying to hold on in the cockpit, but then the camera shows inside the boat and you see my (then 3 year old) asleep on the rear berth. To us it's a small boat, but to him it's huge. Good luck. - Stan
I'm not sure where you're sailing, but I sail with 3 kids, including a 4-year old, and they absolutely love it. Sinking is not very likely, but a MOB situation with a 3-year old is. We enforce our rules for them, and we feel very safe. We don't allow them on deck without a life jacket, and I have a harness for them (that I've never used) but could use if I ever got worried enough. I'll bet it would be a lot easier to buy some safety gear than to deal with towing a dingy the size of your whaler. Depending on how you tow it, it has the potential to give you and your boat a beating exiting and entering your slip, at anchor, etc. Get your kid a good life jacket, a harness, some glow sticks for nighttime, and one of those flashing strobes. Add some lifeline netting to the boat, too, if you need to. The probability of your boat sinking in conditions you would feel safe with a 3-year old in are pretty low. Some of the best boating video I have is of us heeling at 20+ degrees outside of Mobile Bay and trying to hold on in the cockpit, but then the camera shows inside the boat and you see my (then 3 year old) asleep on the rear berth. To us it's a small boat, but to him it's huge. Good luck. - Stan
tow
Towing that large a dink will put a strain on the cleats, more so if there's wind or current and will effect handling. Tow the inflatable - even deflated, it will still hold you all up and won't have the adverse effect of the whaler
Towing that large a dink will put a strain on the cleats, more so if there's wind or current and will effect handling. Tow the inflatable - even deflated, it will still hold you all up and won't have the adverse effect of the whaler
I Guess The Easy Answer Is...
...try it. If that's what it takes to make your wife feel comfortable, just do it and roll in Stan's fine suggestions until you have her confidence. Arguing about it now will just turn her off to boating, an unsatisfactory result. Keep the inflatable around and use it a lot with the kids and your wife, again until she develops confidence in it. Time and dialogue are the keys to good family sailing. RD
...try it. If that's what it takes to make your wife feel comfortable, just do it and roll in Stan's fine suggestions until you have her confidence. Arguing about it now will just turn her off to boating, an unsatisfactory result. Keep the inflatable around and use it a lot with the kids and your wife, again until she develops confidence in it. Time and dialogue are the keys to good family sailing. RD
Install some foam
David - If your wife is that concerned, wouldn't it be easier and ultimately safer to install some foam or positive flotation in your 22 ft boat, to make it unsinkable ? And carry a hand-held VHF for emergencies. Towing any dingy behind a boat as small as yours would take a lot of the joy out of sailing IMHO & a Whaler, which is relatively heavy for it's size, would be a real pain. Speed isn't the only thing you'd sacrifice: you'd loose responsiveness & manouverability, compromise the boats ability to 'ghost' along in light airs and to beat to windward in a chop etc etc. You could almost make the case that it would be less safe to tow the Whaler than to have no dingy at all. I can't imagine the scenario where it would be 'safer' to abandon ship (if it can't sink) and take to the lifeboats, especially if your lifeboat is an unpowered 11 ft Whaler. To be fair, I don't have a 3 yr old child to worry about. Hope you can find a solution that keeps everyone happy.
David - If your wife is that concerned, wouldn't it be easier and ultimately safer to install some foam or positive flotation in your 22 ft boat, to make it unsinkable ? And carry a hand-held VHF for emergencies. Towing any dingy behind a boat as small as yours would take a lot of the joy out of sailing IMHO & a Whaler, which is relatively heavy for it's size, would be a real pain. Speed isn't the only thing you'd sacrifice: you'd loose responsiveness & manouverability, compromise the boats ability to 'ghost' along in light airs and to beat to windward in a chop etc etc. You could almost make the case that it would be less safe to tow the Whaler than to have no dingy at all. I can't imagine the scenario where it would be 'safer' to abandon ship (if it can't sink) and take to the lifeboats, especially if your lifeboat is an unpowered 11 ft Whaler. To be fair, I don't have a 3 yr old child to worry about. Hope you can find a solution that keeps everyone happy.
Your wife
doesn't feel safe sailing. Take her out alone enough till she understands what she is dealing with. Lifeline nets should be mandatory with little kids. I can not imagine the pain of loosing a child overboard. The dingy is of little importance.
doesn't feel safe sailing. Take her out alone enough till she understands what she is dealing with. Lifeline nets should be mandatory with little kids. I can not imagine the pain of loosing a child overboard. The dingy is of little importance.
Doug nailed it!
Your 3-year old is just an excuse. If mama's not comfortable sailing, no tender will be big enough. After you rig the Whaler for towing and struggle with it (towing an 11 foot boat with a 22 sailboat will KILL the sailing performance of the boat), you will be aggravated and stressed. That won't make your wife feel any better and she will come up another excuse until she finds one that sounds reasonable to her but will be impossible for you to overcome. If she claims it's only concern for the child, see how eager she is to sail after you arrange for your kid to spend a weekend with grandparents ... if she still has excuses ... you know you can't win. If your wife *wants* to sail, she will be the one finding ways to make it happen, child or no.
Your 3-year old is just an excuse. If mama's not comfortable sailing, no tender will be big enough. After you rig the Whaler for towing and struggle with it (towing an 11 foot boat with a 22 sailboat will KILL the sailing performance of the boat), you will be aggravated and stressed. That won't make your wife feel any better and she will come up another excuse until she finds one that sounds reasonable to her but will be impossible for you to overcome. If she claims it's only concern for the child, see how eager she is to sail after you arrange for your kid to spend a weekend with grandparents ... if she still has excuses ... you know you can't win. If your wife *wants* to sail, she will be the one finding ways to make it happen, child or no.
Take a Lesson Together
My kids are 14 - 18. Three boys that liked to make mom scream, that we all know has a negative impact on my disire to do nothing but sail and stay married. I enrolled both of us in the ASA sailing school 101 course with a female instructor. We took the class together, one of the days was very rough, and now I can't get her off the tiller. This course made all the difference in the world. I learned a tremendous amound as well. Our boat is definately a safer place to be after taking the course and she knows it and it shows. We plan to take the 103 class in the spring. Scott
My kids are 14 - 18. Three boys that liked to make mom scream, that we all know has a negative impact on my disire to do nothing but sail and stay married. I enrolled both of us in the ASA sailing school 101 course with a female instructor. We took the class together, one of the days was very rough, and now I can't get her off the tiller. This course made all the difference in the world. I learned a tremendous amound as well. Our boat is definately a safer place to be after taking the course and she knows it and it shows. We plan to take the 103 class in the spring. Scott
not sure
When I was younger my dad towed a 11' boston whaler with his 30' 10,000 pound irwin. Worked out for us, but your boat is smaller. Slowed us down a good Knot. Also keep in mind the whaler will like to surf in a following sea. I have seen it try to pass the sailboat. Could actually make your sailboat less safe towing it. May not have the speed to tack or power threw waves.
When I was younger my dad towed a 11' boston whaler with his 30' 10,000 pound irwin. Worked out for us, but your boat is smaller. Slowed us down a good Knot. Also keep in mind the whaler will like to surf in a following sea. I have seen it try to pass the sailboat. Could actually make your sailboat less safe towing it. May not have the speed to tack or power threw waves.
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