Towing A Dinghy - What Am I Missing?

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robertsapp

robertsapp

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May 28, 2009
764
Hunter 376 Pensacola, FL
We picked up a nice deal on a dinghy this winter, and now we need to make arrangements to tow it around local waters. Can someone please explain to me what the difference is between towing a dinghy and towing an inflatable tube? Because checking Defender, a 12 ft floating 3,800 lb test dinghy towing bridle is $56, but a 12 ft floating 5,000 lb test tube tow harness is $16. 5,000 lb test 7/16 dinghy towing line is a dollar a foot, but a 60 ft, 4,200 lb test 9/16 tube tow rope is $19, or about 31 cents a foot. Am I missing something?
 
DannyS

DannyS

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May 27, 2004
932
Beneteau 393 Bayfield, Wi
You're missing the marketing. I buy cheap polyester line from my local Ace Hardware and make my own bridle and painter. It floats, it's cheap and I replace it every other year. I don't worry about the strength rating but someone here will chime in on that.
 
catsailor

catsailor

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Jan 10, 2009
590
PDQ 32 Deale, MD
DannyS said:
You're missing the marketing. I buy cheap polyester line from my local Ace Hardware and make my own bridle and painter. It floats, it's cheap and I replace it every other year. I don't worry about the strength rating but someone here will chime in on that.
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He meant to say polyethylene (it might be a polyethylene/polyester blend, as some of those float) line; polyester is common yacht braid and sinks.

As he said, poly doesn't last at all and you REALLY need to watch it for chafe. put a pice of hollow webbing over it where it rubs over the transom.
 
Seattle Scott

Seattle Scott

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May 6, 2004
916
Hunter 37C Seattle
I have been towing my 8' inflatable for a few years with the same 3/8th inch cheap yellow stuff. Yeh its getting a little "fuzzy" with wear, but seems fine.
 
IanJ

IanJ

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Nov 7, 2008
152
Hunter 31 Port Royal, CA
$15 will get you more than you need. Shove a bit of hose pipe on it, and there is your anti-chafe.
 
DannyS

DannyS

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May 27, 2004
932
Beneteau 393 Bayfield, Wi
Right, right, right...polyethylene. Best part about it is that it floats and is pretty easy to splice.
 
Tim R.

Tim R.

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May 27, 2004
3,626
Caliber 40 Long Range Cruiser Portland, Maine
It is not marketing. The lines you are comparing are totally different. The Dinghy towing line at Defender is double braid with a polypropylene core. This allows it to float, is easy on your hands and has more UV protection which is not needed for Tube tow line as it is used sparingly compared to towing a dink.

It also holds a knot much better than polypropylene. I do not trust a bowline in polypropylene line.

And it is easier to untie a knot when needed. A half hitch on a polypropylene line is virtually impossible to untie once a load has been applied to it for some time.

The more expensive line is justified. It is what I use and have relied on for the last 5 years.
 
DannyS

DannyS

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May 27, 2004
932
Beneteau 393 Bayfield, Wi
The marketing comment was tongue-in-cheek... I'm just justifying my cheap nature.
 
Bill Roosa

Bill Roosa

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Jun 6, 2006
6,990
currently boatless wishing Harrington Harbor North, MD
You chumps don't know squat

it is polypropylene, not polyethylene or Dacron
The yellow stuff that feels rough in your hand and says "it floats" on the package.
You want floating line so you don't get it wrapped in the prop
 
catsailor

catsailor

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Jan 10, 2009
590
PDQ 32 Deale, MD
DannyS said:
Right, right, right...polyethylene. Best part about it is that it floats and is pretty easy to splice.
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Hey, I screwed up too; I meant to say polyproplyene, though the new high tech lines are PE and also float. Generally, though, using a spectra tow rope is undesirable because if it does get in the the prop it aint' cutting or breaking.

Of course, I don't tow any distance for a whole lot of reasons; my last boat it went on the deck and this one on davits.
 
Roger Long

Roger Long

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Nov 22, 2008
3,562
Endeavour 32 Portland, Maine
Tim R. said:
The more expensive line is justified.
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I agree 100%.

I bought my floating painter right here and it's one of the best purchases I've made. It's kind on the hands when I forget to pull the dinghy up short going into a dock and find myself doing it quickly at the last minute. It's easy to cleat single handed. It's pleasant to handle tying up at floats. I don't find the painter fouled on the rudder in the morning.

You can't depend on the floating line totally to stay out of the prop if you forget and back down with the dinghy on a long lead but it will save you from embarrassment 95% of the time.

A couple seasons later and doesn't show any signs of significant UV damage.
 
Scott B

Scott B

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Sep 20, 2006
2,952
Hunter 33 Georgian Bay, Ontario, Canada
Roger Long said:
I agree 100%.

I bought my floating painter right here and it's one of the best purchases I've made. It's kind on the hands when I forget to pull the dinghy up short going into a dock and find myself doing it quickly at the last minute. It's easy to cleat single handed. It's pleasant to handle tying up at floats. I don't find the painter fouled on the rudder in the morning.

You can't depend on the floating line totally to stay out of the prop if you forget and back down with the dinghy on a long lead but it will save you from embarrassment 95% of the time.

A couple seasons later and doesn't show any signs of significant UV damage.
Click to expand

I have a similar line, did manage to wrap it on the rudder over a weekend once and yes you can wrap it on the prop backing down with a long line out..... luckily it was warm water. Otherwise works very well, I had a clip spliced into the end, is in great shape after 4 seasons, and easy on the hands.
 
D

dooley1

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Jan 22, 2008
14
Pearson 323 Kent Island, MD
Re: Towing

I've been using a water-ski type of line for a few years. Don't get one that is too short. Depending on the seas we are in, I have found it rides better at different distances, sometimes maybe 20 ft off the transom. Also, most dinks have a ring (nautical term escapes me) in the center for the painter, but also an outer set of rings on port and starboard. The dink is designed to be towed from those rings, not the painter. I bought the water-ski line and it came with two spring-loaded clips that I attach to the rings. Then I cut off the wooden handle on the tow line and cut to the desired length.
 
sailaway78

sailaway78

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May 11, 2005
3,431
Seidelman S37 Slidell, La.
Regardless of the type painter

If your going to tow much, install an eye on each side of the transom, and run the painter from these eyes through the front D rings on each side of the dink. A much stronger arrangement.
 
Sumner

Sumner

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Jan 31, 2009
5,254
Macgregor & Endeavour 26S and 37 Utah's Canyon Country
Nice N Easy said:
If your going to tow much, install an eye on each side of the transom, and run the painter from these eyes through the front D rings on each side of the dink. A much stronger arrangement.
Click to expand
We started towing from the transom using a little different setup....



...and so far with about 70 miles of doing so we really like it.



The dinghy tows flatter in the water.

We also use the swim ladder as a tow-bar...



.........no more lines around the rudder or around the prop.

http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/macgregor/outside-17.html

Works great for us.

c ya,

Sum

Our Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida

Our MacGregor S Pages

Mac-Venture Links
 
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