Towing a 28.5ft cobra 850

[Rhylsailer99]

I have a sail boat cobra 850 and plan to tow a 2.6m waveco dinghy and have a 5hp engine on the dinghy .I'm wondering if I ever had a problem with the engine and needed to get back into the harbour would the dinghy be capable of towing the boat a few hundred metres back to the harbour.

 

[coveman]

Can' t see why not provided you make up a good bridle for the dinghy and don't rely on the painter attachment. I would think it best to tie the dinghy alongside rather than "tow".

 

[billcole]

I have successfully towed a Beneteau First 305 (9.35 metres LOA) using a 2.4 metre Zodiac and a Mercury 3.5 2 stroke. I tied the dinghy alngside the cockpit rather than towing from the bow. This was to gain sea room from a lee shore following failure of the yacht engine, after which we raised the sails to sail back to harbour.
You do need 1 person in the dinghy and one helming the yacht

 

[Stemar]

Put an OB bracket on the transom and you've got a secondary motor that will push you along quite happy in anything short of a gale on the nose. Otherwise, tow alongside.

 

[Praxinoscope]

I make a habit of at least once during the sailing season of getting to my mooring under sail just in case of engine problems.

 

[ghostlymoron]

I make a habit of at least once during the sailing season of getting to my mooring under sail just in case of engine problems.

It's very rewarding to sail on and off a mooring and something that all skippers should be able to do.

 

[chewi]

I have towed a number of cruisers with a 2.5 outboard (with 360 swivel) and find it easiest to tie the boats bow to bow and then reverse the dinghy, towing from the bow.
Visibility from alongside is poor, as is steering. From ahead in reverse the o/b is driving in it usual direction. The dinghy can steer the bow ( which it can't do well if you tow from its stern, the tail wags the dog)

 

[jwilson]

Having towed a heavy 50 ft-ish boat in a flat calm with 4 hp on a dinghy 5 hp towing a Cobra 850 should be easy. It took several minutes to get the bigger boat up to speed - maybe 3 knots or so, the problem was stopping it on arrival at it's mooring. Had to take power off about 300 yards earlier and let it carry it's way.

 

[Rhylsailer99]

I make a habit of at least once during the sailing season of getting to my mooring under sail just in case of engine problems.

Since I managed to sail from Menai to Rhyl without the engine I now no longer worry about engine failure so much

 

[VicS]

I have a sail boat cobra 850 and plan to tow a 2.6m waveco dinghy and have a 5hp engine on the dinghy .I'm wondering if I ever had a problem with the engine and needed to get back into the harbour would the dinghy be capable of towing the boat a few hundred metres back to the harbour.

No problem
As already said an "alongside tow" will be best. We towed a 31 ft Westerly a good distance, before additional help arrived, with a Seagull Featherweight ( about 1.5 hp) on a Avon Redstart

OTOH I found it difficult to tow a small motor boat with a small dinghy as an "in line" tow when I rescued one that someone had let go adrift while launching from a trailer . Steering was the problem

You'll find that always towing an 8½ ft inflatable behind a Cobra 850 will be more of a problem