Towing on water hook-up.

[Regular Guy]

For the case the boat has to be towed on water, what is the recommendation for hooking up a tow boat line?
There is the bow eye u-bolt and the two bow cleats right and left. Some tow boats use a y-spliced line to hook up on both bow cleats because they are easier to reach when on water then the u-bolt. Also I read a recommendation to attach the tow line to the mast. Where would you hook-up the tow line?

 

[Erieau]

I've towed from bow cleats and from mast. If the towed boat is unmanned, use the bow cleats. If someone's aboard the towed boat (recommended), towing at the mast eases steering.
I've been told the bow eye is only good for pulling "straight ahead," as onto a trailer.

 

[Sailm8]

My experience, limited to 2 tows, showed that the tow boat operator makes the decision. He has responsibility and the equipment to tow. I had rigged a bridle but when the tow boat showed up the captain would not use it. He rigged his own. They both towed using the two bow cleats.

 

[Regular Guy]

Thanks Sailm8,
I have been towed twice too as I brought my boat home from the PO. I was on the Intracoastal the motor failed and the wind died.
The first tow boat captain hooked on to only one cleat and towed me to an anchor place.
The next morning I got towed into a marina and that tow boat captain used both bow cleats.

I was worried about the stability of the cleats also. There were some harder hits when the line got slack. Can one cleat take that and that the boat is pulled by 8 miles / hour? Even when both cleats are hooked-up it seemed a hit had mostly to be taken by one. Is the bow u-bolt more stable? Should a tow boat hook-up there?

 

[capejt]

I find to hard to believe this discussion is even taking place. First of all, that bow eye is barely strong enough to be used for hauling onto the trailer. Secondly, nobody ever seems to question whether or not the bow cleats are strong enough when anchoring. Consider the amount of force generated on them when anchored in a storm. And when you hook up to a mooring, where do you connect?
Bottom line is, as mentioned earlier, trust the tow boat operator. You boat becomes his responsibility as soon as there is connection made between his boat and yours. Not only are most tow boat operators very experienced, but the truly legitimate operators have a towing endorsement on the USCG license. How do I know this? I worked for several years with SeaTow. And, yes, I had the endorsement. I have since been forced to surrender my license due to health reasons.

 

[Regular Guy]

Well, capejt, thank you for your specific and professional input. I actually did not know that the bow u-bolt is weaker than a bow cleat.

 

[Kermit]

I find to hard to believe this discussion is even taking place

It's taking place because few of us have ever worked as tow boat operators. Your information will help those of us without your experience. Thanks for sharing!

 

[Regular Guy]

A tow boat captain may have all the experience and may take over the responsibility for the tow but not for my boat, it's still my boat which is towed and that is I care for. I have seen too much of the experts way going wrong. I want to know where my boat is safely should be towed on and how. It feels better to know and see a tow boat captain doing just that. I apologize if my question appeared stupid for some.

 

[mmsailor]

towing

Well, capejt, thank you for your specific and professional input. I actually did not know that the bow u-bolt is weaker than a bow cleat.

Nor did I know that , it is good to know . I hope tow captains are are more knowing than car towing operators .
.

 

[mmsailor]

A tow boat captain may have all the experience and may take over the responsibility for the tow but not for my boat, it's still my boat which is towed and that is I care for. I have seen too much of the experts way going wrong. I want to know where my boat is safely should be towed on and how. It feels better to know and see a tow boat captain doing just that. I apologize if my question appeared stupid for some.

There are no stupid questions . I have been involved in boating for 40 years and did not know this . Have towed a few boats and usually use a cleat but have use the bow .The last boat I saw being towed was being towed backward . They were having a time ,

 

[MaxinCalgary]

If you download the manual , it states that the bow cleats are the strongest attachment points for anchoring . So I would use them . Our mast is light weight and you may damage the foot by towing from it.

 

[Brian M H23]

We used to tow a fleet of J/24's off lake ontario if the wind died, sometimes a few miles. Our dockmaster, a man who'd been working with boats professionally for many years, set as up so that the tow line went to the bow cleat, and then the tail to a bowline around the mast as backup.

Also important, at the very least tie your rudder straight, but it may tow better and be easier on both boats with the rudder off and in the cockpit. However, with the tow boat pulling on the bow, that's a long lever to "spin" your boat around it's center of mass (far more than you'll get from sails) and the tied off rudder isn't meant for that. The keel is far enough aft of the bow cleats to provide good tracking.
(When the boats were in a long line, this is what we did)


If you're sitting in the boat steering it, we would run the tow line, loop once around the mast, and then back to an aft cleat. This makes the pull "centered" and the only force on the rudder is the boat's speed through the water

Lastly, if you need to get off the tow line quickly, don't put a locking wrap on the cleat. Just the figure eight and watch it. We NEVER locked onto the cleat if there was crew aboard the towed boat

 

[justsomeguy]

Echoing Brian M H23, but slightly different, I'd lead the towline through a bow chock, to the mast, then back to an aft cleat with a slippery hitch.

I want to be able to cast off that towline quickly, if needed.

 

[Regular Guy]

Interesting variations of hook-ups. Thanks for sharing your experiences.