I am in the process of building a small pram to tow behind my Niagara 26. Any thoughts on how to set up the tow line on the front of the pram?
Towing a pram
- Thread starter George Jarvis
- Start date
Set the bow eye low on the bow, this will tend to lift the bow up and reduce the chance of burying it in a wave filling the pram with water. Needless to say, the bow eye should have a solid backing plate as there could be a lot of stress on it.
If you are in the process of building it now, put two points to attach a towing bridle a far apart as possible rather than just one in the middle.
I built and towed a 7' pram through ownership of 3 sailboats. I put two eyes on the foredeck as far forward as possible and as far apart as possible. A tip: build your backing plate into the foredeck prior to attaching it and also put the eyes on before placing the foredeck on the hull. You will have to compromise the forward and apart placement some due to the curvatures of the side panels and stem.
Mine towed like a dream. I towed it -engine off- on the downside (Forward) of the second stern wake wave.
Mine towed like a dream. I towed it -engine off- on the downside (Forward) of the second stern wake wave.
Small world! We used to tow a Ranger 11 dinghy behind our Niagara 26. I later changed back to a Zodiac we could roll up and store on deck. Is the pram something like an El Toro?? If your pram is a sailing version, be sure to have a water tight plug rigged for the dagger board slot!
If it is a sailing dingy, make sure to build a locking daggerboard plug. Even though the top of the case is well above water you will still some water coming in through the slot which accumulates.
I didn't mention that mine was not a sailing version. No daggerboard slot. I opted for simplicity over having to deal with the rig, rudder and daggerboard.
I built a chesapeake light Craft Eastport pram. I found 2 bronze pad eyes which I positioned on the bow . The height from waterline to top of bow was 13 inches, the designer recommend3d the tow eye Be at 1/3 the height from the waterline or roughly 4 inches above water line. Mine is a row/ sail pram so I do have a removable wooden anti splash plate over the center board slot.
Thanks for all of the responses. My kit is on the way from Angus Boats in BC. I live in Canada. The pram is similar to the Eastport pram. One further question, when attaching the tow rope to the bridle, should it be a fixed loop or a sliding ring on the bridle?
Good point.
Strictly in the "fwiw" dept, both of our club's work boats have a strong/braced towing post bolted down to the rear floor of the boat.
We have also used member trawlers for towing really large docks,, and with a heavy bridle from both of their quarter cleats, but they did not have a center point to tie to. This worked well for straight line tows, tho.
A short distance tow in calm waters is different from towing a small light weight dinghy in a sea way especially when the seas on the beam. I tow my very small RIB with a bridle with a fixed ring. The commercial bridles also incorporate a float which helps to keep the painter away from the prop.
I like to use a 20' braided 1/2" dock line with the loop spliced in.
My Nutshell Pram secures the tow line to a laminated frame in the bow (bowline), via a hole in the bow transom, located about mid-height(photo).
It doesn't 'hunt' like a Vee bowed tender so I've never considered a bridle.
The reason I use a dock line with a loop is that I usually just throw the loop over a winch at anchor or moor. Plus, the loop is usually put over a winch or cleat after the proper towing length is set on the aft tow cleat (you'll always be setting that at a different length if you want the least drag), as insurance.
Nothing tows like a properly designed pram (like the Eastport).
I do not know how it would affect a hard-shell dink, but I always tow my inflatable tight to the stern. I elevate the front of the tubes so that they ride about 6" - 9" above the water and just the last foot of each tube is touching. It greatly reduces the amount of drag and wake created and eliminates the possibility of running over the painter. I have a regular bridle and painter rigged but there is a knot in the two-part line strategically located so that when that knot is dropped over a small cleat on the transom the nose of the boat will be just above the water while underway.
2023-02-22_07-22-24
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