Why do the tow ropes snap so often?

To try to give a serious answer,usually because the tow rope is too short and gets jerked tight. Doesn't help when the two vessels sea behaviour is as different as an RNLI lifeboat's and a sailing yacht's.
 
Ludd said:
To try to give a serious answer,usually because the tow rope is too short and gets jerked tight. Doesn't help when the two vessels sea behaviour is as different as an RNLI lifeboat's and a sailing yacht's.
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One would have thought that the RNLI would know about that.
 
Croak said:
One would have thought that the RNLI would know about that.
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Yes,but they will not always have the luxury of a predictable wave forms,or be able to lengthen the tow when approaching the coast. They may not be able to use heavier cables due to limitations imposed by yacht cleats,etc,or eliminate chafe from bow rollers and anchors. Even ocean going tugs have been known to snap cables a couple of times till they get into their stride.

Towing nets,as we did as fishermen ,is a different science altogether,but still we'd snap a cable now and again.
 
Better to break the tow rope than the vessels

These modern ropes are immensely strong but I think the RNLI and other towers are doing the right thing. Sure it's best to take all available precautions to avoid jerking the rope or accidently overloading it. But it is really very much better that if something is going to break then it's the rope and not a structural piece of either vessel.
 
Its the dynamic loads which cause the failure and this is where nylon has the advantage with 50% elasticity.

Size of cleats etc is not really a limitation as Dyneema ropes (as used by commercial tugs these days) are immensely strong but inelastic.
.
Its the attachment of the cleats to the boat which is usually the weak point..
 
A tow rope needs to be far longer and with more stretch than most people realise.

It's the sudden snatch that causes a short, poor rope to give. A good reason why the frenchmans yacht could not be towed last week when he lost his mast off the Scillies in a 5m swell.
see video at......
http://www.pbo.co.uk/news/531398/french-sailor-rescued-off-scillies
 
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Last weekend I went on a 'master class' with Britannia sailing school on a 40' Jeanneau. Part of it involved us rigging up a bridle to be towed by the RNLI RIB for around 15 minutes. This was followed by being towed by the Harwich lifeboat (which they allowed all of us to jump onboard for a look around) using their bridle. Prior to this we had a couple of goes at a real live man overboard rescue when one of the lifeboat crew kindly offered to jump in :) It all went off very well although we were probably helped by the light wind and friendly seas on that day :)
Another very useful and educational part of the weekend was spending a couple of hours with the rescue helicopter which lowered a man on to our boat (during a F5) and (among other things) lifted off the three lifeboat men that were onboard. :cool:
 
lufc71 said:
Last weekend I went on a 'master class' with Britannia sailing school on a 40' Jeanneau. Part of it involved us rigging up a bridle to be towed by the RNLI RIB for around 15 minutes. This was followed by being towed by the Harwich lifeboat (which they allowed all of us to jump onboard for a look around) using their bridle. Prior to this we had a couple of goes at a real live man overboard rescue when one of the lifeboat crew kindly offered to jump in :) It all went off very well although we were probably helped by the light wind and friendly seas on that day :)
Another very useful and educational part of the weekend was spending a couple of hours with the rescue helicopter which lowered a man on to our boat (during a F5) and (among other things) lifted off the three lifeboat men that were onboard. :cool:
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What did they think were the best safety items for mob to have aboard?
I have a sling, a throw rope, a 30m rope with large bowlines evey 1m to put one end round a winch and grab loops the rest, I have a net to throw over the side approx 2m sq., I have a danbuoy flotation ring and lift aboard harness + experience coomon sense and an ageing body.. :)
 
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Nylon is definately the best type of line to use beacause of its elasticity, but i am sure in a tow situation most people will grab whatever is to hand.
 
Are we talking boats or cars here?
If boats the tow line should be long enough that mid section is touching the water.
For cars use climbing rope trebled up to absorb shock.(i thought car tow ropes were illegal now anyway?)
 
Tow ropes

I have an emergency tow line which I made up myself.
Nylon, 18mm diamater, 65m long, with a bridle at one end. The bridle parts are fitted with floats every half metre, and eyes at the ends. The eyes can be placed over the genoa winches, and a turn taken around the aft mooring cleats, to spread the load. There are anti chafe tubes where the bridle would rub the topsides.
The tow line can be used for towing, or to be towed.
I have a heaving line (10mm polyprop) to assist in deployment.

Cheers,

Michael.
 
Scotty_Tradewind said:
What did they think were the best safety items for mob to have aboard?
I have a sling, a throw rope, a 30m rope with large bowlines evey 1m to put one end round a winch and grab loops the rest, I have a net to throw over the side approx 2m sq., I have a danbuoy flotation ring and lift aboard harness + experience coomon sense and an ageing body.. :)
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Sounds like you've got the equipment covered. :)

After we'd got him out, he jumped in again for the lifeboat to show us how they do it. They used the lift aboard harness winched from a small A-frame on the side of their boat. It was interesting to see how difficult it was for several fit young men in relatively warm conditions (I don't think the man in the water would agree with that!! :)), in a relatively calm sea and using a boat designed for the job to get a man out of the water. A very impressive job by all of them.
 
emandvee44 said:
I have an emergency tow line which I made up myself.
Nylon, 18mm diamater, 65m long, with a bridle at one end. The bridle parts are fitted with floats every half metre, and eyes at the ends. The eyes can be placed over the genoa winches, and a turn taken around the aft mooring cleats, to spread the load. There are anti chafe tubes where the bridle would rub the topsides.
The tow line can be used for towing, or to be towed.
I have a heaving line (10mm polyprop) to assist in deployment.

Cheers,

Michael.
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Hi Michael
I really like the idea of a specific tow line onboard. Mine is a 50m line but I havn't made up a bridle.
My thoughts are that if I towed my boat, all of 9+ ton, I'd take a bridle around her transom, rather like putting her arse into a sling lift. I reckon a sharp tug could rip out a winch in many boats.
I'd then feed the line up to take a couple of turns around the mast base and off through my very strong bow roller.
I'd also consider sticking a weight half way down the tow line to add 'spring'. to the line. The only chunky small weight is a lead anchor chum but I guess anything may help, but yet another thing that could go wrong too.
S.
 
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