Towing

[zoidberg]

....and being towed.

Lifeboat tow

Two of the current crop of 'Jesterers' have been in a towing relationship for some days, down south near the Azores. I find myself wondering which of my fellow yotties have the knowhow to effect a successful tow in even moderate seas. Equally, whether deck fittings - front and rear - are robust enough for such a task.

This was an ordinary, if not everyday, skillset in the olden days before GMDSS and Surestart. Hands up those who know they could manage.....

 

[doris]

Definitely need a bridle , both ends , to spread the load. If the mast is keel stepped should be included in the front bridle, if not include winches.
All winches available should be included in the aft bridle.
Think how long a rope is needed , then add some, with some chain in the middle if possible.
slow is good.

 

[Biggles Wader]

A tugman once said "All problems are solvable given a long enough rope"
Id add it needs to be thick enough as well.(The rope not the tugman)

 

[Daydream believer]

My insurance policy bans towing unless an emergency. i have towed a friend out of the Dover Strait shipping lane when he broke down & there was zero wind to sail. I felt that was an emergency & he was insured with the same company.However, when we arrived at Boulogne I was able to hand the tow to another boat as I declined the request to take him right in. I did take his lines on arrival though
I took a strop to both aft cleats with supports to the winches. The tow was quite long. Unfortunately I did NOT have a day shapes to indicate my limited manouverability.
I do a lot of towing in our mooring area when I place moorings with my launch. The day shape is always hoisted. That being said I am sure some yachts seem oblivious to its purpose. the launch is fitted with a purpose made towing stand in the centre 5 ft in from the stern.

 

[WGWarburton]

I'd see this as routine, unless the weather indicated otherwise, as with most things sailing...

We came across a motor-cruiser that had run out of fuel off Cove last season- rigged a bridle to the primary winches and put a block on the towline to allow the pull to move. Turned out they were heading to the same place as we were, so dropped him off at a pontoon on arrival.

Cheers,
W.

 

[Gary Fox]

Make sure the line is long enough, longer is better.
We snapped off this hook, a clean break, due to a too-short wire!
(If you look closely, you can see the welded repair just in front of vertical pin)
(If anyone is interested, the Tug is Sheen, built Lowestoft 1927. She is in retirement but still floats and runs.)

 

[DFL1010]

The tow was quite long. Unfortunately I did NOT have a cylinder to indicate my limited manouverability.
I do a lot of towing in our mooring area when I place moorings with my launch. The cylinder is always hoisted. That being said I am sure some yachts seem oblivious to its purpose.

Err, hate to say it, but...

Cylinder is for constrained by draught. Ball diamond ball for RAM (which one may be whilst towing, but not necessarily). Diamonds for towing (if over 200m).

 

[Daydream believer]

Err, hate to say it, but...

Cylinder is for constrained by draught. Ball diamond ball for RAM (which one may be whilst towing, but not necessarily). Diamonds for towing (if over 200m).

Sorry. I meant day shapes but we have a problem getting the complete bit in the heightof the mast so it is a bit dubious . Actually due to our length we do not actually need it but we do have the odd issue if we leave the tow a bit long & are out in the river with boats tacking astern of us. Arm waving sometimes needed. but I am not sure which part of the colregs that is, other than "help" which is not the intention.

 

[AntarcticPilot]

Watching that video made me realize just how bad being towed could be. The video stopped before the strain came back on the line, but the towed boat had sheared off nearly broadside to the tow after surfing down a wave. I was waiting for an almighty jerk when the strain came back on. You can see why towing lines break so easily.

 

[penfold]

Perhaps a drogue would help, although balancing the need to slow or inhibit surfing with not placing an intolerable strain on the tow would be tricky.

 

[Caraway]

Make sure the line is long enough, longer is better.
We snapped off this hook, a clean break, due to a too-short wire!
(If you look closely, you can see the welded repair just in front of vertical pin)
(If anyone is interested, the Tug is Sheen, built Lowestoft 1927. She is in retirement but still floats and runs.)

View attachment 118626


Was Greta on board?

 

[Gary Fox]

Watching that video made me realize just how bad being towed could be. The video stopped before the strain came back on the line, but the towed boat had sheared off nearly broadside to the tow after surfing down a wave. I was waiting for an almighty jerk when the strain came back on. You can see why towing lines break so easily.

A long heavy tow line means that when the tow surfs down the wave, it doesn't overtake. In theory anyway..

 

[Gary Fox]

View attachment 118626


Was Greta on board?

Yes she was securely tied down, but you could still hear the angry screams from on deck.

 

[Slowboat35]

It looks to me as though the yacht in that video was being towed at a ludicrously excessive speed, something the RNLI seems to be renowned for. I've seen several videos of them towing sailing yachts at uttely insane speeds.
I don't think a long open water tow is likely to be a feasable option between most leisure yachts as none of us carry lines anywhere near long enough for the job. A short tow will soon develop a failure somewhere due to snatch-loads. As for towing into harbour, a line astern tow is not the right way as it leaves the towed vessel out of control with any manoeuvering - it cannot ever place the vessel safely in a berth or even alongside. (It might save life - but its a messy way to get a stricken vessel the last bit home). Transferring to an alongside tow is the seamanlike and not difficult way to put the victim on a quay or mooring.

 

[Gary Fox]

^^ I can vouch for the RNLI, or a certain cox'n to be fair, towing at dangerously high speed. I was on the yacht.
There was no hurry, yet the back of the yacht was almost submerged, the boat was shaking and shuddering.
Despite repeated acknowleged requests, he wouldn't knock it back, even a knot. No they didn't have another shout to attend.
He had a big ego problem, even RNLI volunteers can be total and utter d1ckheads occasionally.

 

[penfold]

^^ I can vouch for the RNLI, or a certain cox'n to be fair, towing at dangerously high speed. I was on the yacht.
There was no hurry, yet the back of the yacht was almost submerged, the boat was shaking and shuddering.
Despite repeated acknowleged requests, he wouldn't knock it back, even a knot. No they didn't have another shout to attend.
He had a big ego problem, even RNLI volunteers can be total and utter d1ckheads occasionally.

I'd put a knife through their warp and take my chances before putting up with dangerous nonsense like that.

 

[Gary Fox]

I'd put a knife through their warp and take my chances before putting up with nonsense like that.

It was only for a mile before we arrived and tied up, or I would have done, and I actually had my knife ready and mentally planned my subsequent actions.

 

[penfold]

It must be some form of machismo; towing puts strains on boats that they are not designed for and they want to impose more strain than is needed and exacerbate the instability by towing beyond hull speed?

 

[zoidberg]

I don't think a long open water tow is likely to be a feasable option between most leisure yachts as none of us carry lines anywhere near long enough for the job.

The two 'Jester' boats MINKE and GOOD REPORT are at the moment in a Tow/Towing configuration, and have been for several hundred miles. At present they have around 150nm to go.

Details are sparse, for obvious reasons, but it seems MINKE lost her rudder some days ago, GOOD REPORT came to 'stand by', and this towing exercise was the option they've settled on.

 

[Gary Fox]

I usually have 100m -ish of 12mm on board my yacht, for eventualities, but it would not be rapidly accessible. Stowage for stuff like that is such a compromise and coin-toss; if you put the things you think you will need need at the top...
You can use a weight in the middle, someone above mentioned chain.
I wouldn't mind knowing what a suitable middle weight would be, for two cruising yachts and 100m towline. 10Kg? 20Kg? Total guess.