towing busted boat with tender

Re: General comments

We were towed up the New River in Fort Lauderdale by a 22 foot boat, (we are 111ft) but there was also another 22 footer on the stern.
Side too is difficult, but I have done a 70 foot boat with a jet rib, very easy tow from the bow and then pushed which ever way I needed it to go. Not sure I'd be able to take it far that way as the fuel would run. You use alot of throttle to not really go very fast.
 
Re: General comments

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Towing using a line forward to a much smaller vessel is hopeless.

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Only true if you are trying to tow just using a direct tow rope. Do try it with a decent length of chain attached, and even better with an anchor chum on the end . It is not a question of whether the rope can take the thrust, but a question of direction of thrust.

Yes I am a raggie - but in my career I have towed much bigger vessels (from 200 tons up to >20,000 tons) so there is a danger I might know what I am talking about - in any case even if you dont believe it, its worth a try! And if you do try and the rope and chain come out of the water, you either dont have enough chain/weight, or you are trying to accelerate too quickly
 
Re: General comments

When I've tried to tow using the dinghy, the length of the tow seemed immaterial.

Because the directional stability of a dinghy is so minimal you get anything BUT forward effort unless the thrust is directed exactly along the line of the load. Because this is so difficult to achieve in small craft due to tiny wavelets and breaths of wind, all you end up doing is shearing from side to side, and constantly correcting this.

I've tried towing a 6 tonne fin keeler and a 1/2 tonne (say) Salcombe Yawl. Exactly the same effect. In the latter instance at least once you get going it comes under some control. In the former you can never say the same, especially if there is any wind or tide to face.

Because 'towing' alongside is so incredibly easy in comparison, 'specially when the dinghy outboard is aft of the 'tow', I wouldn't even start to try a conventional tow unless for instance the subject was on fire.

I can fully appreciate that a tow vessel with a bit of stability of it's own, like a shaft driven vessel with a rudder aft of the prop would not suffer in this way, and you could apply plenty of thrust to get the tow moving.

I trust you used something suited to the job to tow vessels from 200 to 20,000 tons.
 
Re: General comments

we were talking about a jet powered boat. If you are talking small boat tender, then it is still possible to tow from bow. You have two choices:

tow using a bridle attached to each side of the transom, and thus able to drive ahead.

in extremis, when quick action needed, attach tow to fwd end of tender, and drive tender stern first - this gives enormous control over direction, and also gears down the engine to allow higher revs/better cooling for boat speed.

Of course this is not so necessary if you are trying to propell a raggie as their rudder is so much more effective at slow speeds, and the boats are so much more directionally stable, thus it is possible to pull from secured alongside, or even push from directly astern (not recommended in a seaway)
 
Re: General comments

Talbot: the chain is an interesting idea.

When I did it with the jet tender there were two of us in the dinghy and I'd made the lines long enough for me to turn and push the big boat if I need more direction. I did use a bridal which as you say worked very well and I only had to push to get the big boat side onto the dock while the lines were tied.
These guys know what to do and again use two line.
http://www.boatus.com/towing/
http://uk.wrs.yahoo.com/;_ylt=ArH6ukALHd...on_11_small.jpg
 
Re: General comments

you need the chain (or some weight) so that the tension comes on the line with the towing warp at a good angle to avoid pulling engine out of the water. It also absorbs any shock from slowing on waves etc, and the weight in itself helps to move the boat forward - look at what hapens when at anchor - give it a try and see for yourself. It would however make it a bit slower to change to shoving the bow round
 
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