.... I wonder if anyone has experience with a towbar on a dinghy? It can be hard finding just the right balance because wake position will vary with speed and heel. Up close, on a bar, there may be better control over the dinghy with a following sea.
-Will (Dragonfly)
Have towed the inflatable every trip with the Mac, lots of miles, with no problems except once when trying something new.
Use the ladder as a tow bar and ...
90% of the time she is pulled up to the ladder. I also tow with a the strap that goes to the dinghy's transom. That keeps the pressure off the rings at the front. I'm sure by now I might of pulled them off.
A few times with larger following seas I did let the dinghy trail further behind. Those times have put the most strain on things as the dinghy surfs down the waves and then comes to a stop. Those are the times I feel the bow rings could be pulled off. I also tow with a backup tow rope as I forget to look back there at times and would hate to look back and see it isn't there.
The time I got into trouble I pulled the dinghy up along side the lee side of the boat and tied her off to tight to the side of the boat. A squall came up, wind suddenly shifted and jibed the main around to the preventers caught it but that heeled the boat over and pulled the bow of the dinghy under and filled it. Exciting few minutes until I got all that under control. I'll try it again but tie the bow further forward. Before the jibe the dinghy pulled really nice there.
As far as speed the Mac often sails for 6 knots for long periods towing and with the boat heavily loaded so don't think it slows it a lot. The inflatable rides on the davits on the Endeavour,
Sumner
=============================================================================
1300 miles to The Bahamas and Back in the Mac...
Endeavour 37 Mods...
MacGregor 26-S Mods...
Mac Trips to Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, Canada, Florida, Bahamas