Inflatable dinghy towing bridle

[Iain C]

Quick one...what's the best way of rigging up a bridle to spread the towing load between the three D rings on the bow of an inflatable? I was thinking about having some kind of soft eye in front of the central D ring, with the ability to clip on either a long painter (for towing, or congested pontoons) or a short one (so it cannot get caught in the outboard prop). Any ideas or experiences, particularly with regards to the best rope and splices, gratefully recieved!

 

[dunedin]

We have dual painters on our dinghy- the primary one attached to the central towing eye, and a second lighter one attached to a short bridle between the two side eyes.
Always feel more secure when attached with two ropes, and less susceptible to a hastily tied bowline slipping free

 

[MoodySabre]

I use floating rope for obvious reasons. A long length tied at each end to the outside D rings with bowlines and then cleated off on the boat at a suitable length. The main painter is also tied to the boat as a safety line and is also floating rope.
If going any distance I would hike the bow up out of the water or partly deflate and stow on deck.

 

[BelleSerene]

We have dual painters on our dinghy- the primary one attached to the central towing eye, and a second lighter one attached to a short bridle between the two side eyes.
Always feel more secure when attached with two ropes, and less susceptible to a hastily tied bowline slipping free

FWIW, I do the same, but the other way round: the weight of the dinghy is taken by the bridle not by the central line, because the dinghy tracks more stably that way (and because the force on any one D-ring is halved.)

There’s a bridle from port to stbd D-ring, passing through a shackle. The painter goes from the central D-ring to a knot around the shackle (with that bight slack so the bridle is taking the weight), to the yacht. If the bridle or its port or stud D rings should snap, the central D ring is the backup.

The point of the shackle is to enable the tow line to slip along the bridle easily.

That shackle can be clipped up to the bow when we’re using the dinghy, so the bridle doesn’t create drag in the water.

The tow line/ painter is a (shortened) waterski line, because it floats so won’t get caught around a prop.

 

[Billjratt]

If the dinghy has a wooden transom. a bridle to two well separated eyes with a slack halter to the central bow ring (to stop slewing in heavy seas) puts the 'propulsion' in the correct place, won't tear off eyepatches, and allows the dink to plane comfortably. It will not flip and be less of a drag. I think it could also be quieter at night unless of course it's a RIB in which case haul it out overnight!