A-frame for towing tender

[Iliade]

Some may recall that one of my tender collection is a Jeanneau Newmatic 360 and that it was a total nightmare to tow behind my Centaur. In a large sea it kept surfing down the waves and into the transom of the mothership. Pretty much regardless of the length of painter. It also sank now and then.

So, I now have a much larger mothership which could easily cope with the extra drag if we were heading to the Channel Islands or Isles of Scilly where the big tough tender comes into its own, but don't want to repeat the unpleasantness. I have been thinking about making up an A-frame to rig if the sea were expected to get up. (The parts of which could also be used as whisker poles.)

Has anyone any experience of something like this, or got any better ideas? (Not including putting the kids in the tender and getting them to drive it there, though I'm sure they'd enjoy it)

 

[doug748]

This is worth a look:

Davron Marine Products (Dinghy-Tow)

I have transported a 10ft, heavy Avon secured fore and aft, alongside at the downwind quarter, it works ok in reasonable conditions. *
I once read (but have been unable to remember any further details) of family who circumnavigated with a rigid dinghy secured like this. You would probably want a skirt and very good fendering.

PS *

To clarify, I don't mean a few miles but 20 mile legs, offshore, SW coastal.

.

 

[Old Harry]

Tow a dinghy X Channel ????

 

[Iliade]

This is worth a look:

Davron Marine Products (Dinghy-Tow)

Cunning - Looks more complicated but a better solution on many levels - boarding waves would more easily lift the bows than the stern I think.

 

[Iliade]

Tow a dinghy X Channel ????

'Fraid so. Or worse, >200 NM down Channel then back again!

And if we ever get the mothership down to Karstic Croatia (or anywhere similar) I'd definitely want the safety of the Newmatic over the puncture risk of a flubber. Plus the kids can wakeboard behind the tub ;0)

 

[vyv_cox]

Tow a dinghy X Channel ????

We have towed inflatables for hundreds of miles. My first boat was 29 ft, actually only 27 with an added scoop stern. Our first dinghy was 3.2 metres as there were four of us and getting to the boat meant motoring for 20 minutes in exposed water. There was absolutely no way of carrying this dinghy aboard, so we towed it everywhere. Ireland, Scotland, Scilly Isles and across to Brittany, all from Menai Strait..

 

[Spirit (of Glenans)]

Keep the towline longer than one wave length, then the tender can't surf.

 

[srm]

Sometime in the dim and distant past I saw a diagram with a plastic funnel, or small drogue fitted towards the dighy end with the tow line through it. In normal circumstances the funnel is pointing forward so little drag (a fabric drogue would collapse and even less drag). When the dinghy over runs the tow line the drogue is turned around and checks the dinghy.

Do not have experience of this as I only tow my 8 ft. hard dinghy for short distances in calm conditions and use a very short painter so it takes some of the weight of the bow. We have a simple lifting system so one person can hoist the dinghy inboard, invert and stow it over the forward part of the coachroof and foredeck. Have sailed quite a few thousand miles with it on deck.