towing a small dinghy

[Paul Silverman]

I recently rebuilt a 7-foot lapstrake pram as a mini-yacht tender (added transom knees, thwarts and knees, and oarlock stations). I've discovered that it requires quite a balancing act for one or two people to use her. She tows quite well and it is a joy to watch the water splash up under the bow but be deflected by the hull shape. The question I have is, when under tow, is there an ideal length of the painter? I estimate that she follows behind the boat by about 15 to 20 feet (I shorten the line substantially when I have to maneuver in the harbor).

[Dan McCosh]

It doesn't matter all that much until there is a sea running. Then you want a wave between you and the dinghy. Eventually, it will try to join you in the cockpit anyway.

[Ian McColgin]

Presumably you're towing behind a displacement vessel of some sort, sail or power. Especially in a power displacement boat, the wake waves are very visible. The least strain on the towing eye is to set the dink back such that the bow is just out of the secnd wake wave but not so far out that the dink is constantly surfing and broaching.

Same spot but harder to see on a sail boat.

You'll feel the sweet spot if you ease the tow line out by hand.

What to do in a vigorous following sea?

Several strategies, all depending.

My fav is to tow the dink off the weather quarter with the tow line pulled away from the dink's centerline a bit back and to leeward on the dink. Once you find the balance point, this will keep the dink happily off that quarter and any tendency to surf and broach will be away from your transom.

If the dink has a rudder, the effect can be done by lashing the dink's tiller just a bit off center.

A second way is to tow straight behind but have a fender or something towing astern. If the dink surfs ahead, it will have less real pull as the tow line slakens and the fender's drag will take over, holding her back a bit.

A third way is to fender the dink's bow and pull it snugly against your boat's transom.

This approach has the added advantage of hauling the bow up, leaving the stern low. Unless you've elvstrom type self-bailers in the dink, when (not if, but when) the dink fills with water from spray or whatever, it will slop out over the dink's transom and, being only a few gallons, will do little harm except to carry away the bailor bucket, oars and lifejackets you forgot to take out of the dink before comensing the tow.

There are more but these three are most basic.

[Chris Coose]

Just long enough to lash the pram to the roof rack properly +1 Ft.

[Bob Cleek]

I always double the towing lines as well. Call me obsessive, but you don't want to take a glance aft and find the dink gone!

[Ian McColgin]

Ah yes. On my first yacht job I was the one who secured the dink and I was at the helm the first hour of a beat back from Mystic so I was the one to whom the owner wondered aloud when he came up on deck, "So, where's that funny little boat was following us?"

We caught up to the dink just before it would have gone up on Fishers.

Also, it can't hurt to have the dink's tow lines - I also favor a pair for security - quite distinct from anything else.

I was short tacking Goblin into Hyannis with a good crew, all five sails, really showing off. The fellow on the fisherman sheets cast off one . . . but it was the dory Leeward's painter.

So we got to show off a bit more as we hove-to right in the channel while he swam over to the breakwater to retrieve Leeward.

[Dave Hadfield]

Towing close and high, with the towline elevated such as over the stern railing, has the added benefit of making the dinghy "water-ski" along on its aft sections, generating very little drag.

I'm towing a 10ft pram at the moment. I keep her bow about 3 ft aft of Drake unless we're running downwind, when I lengthen the line to about 20ft. At 3ft, with the towline high, at 5 kts, I can pull her towline slack between finger and thumb.

I watch closely for chafe, of course.

[John B]

My boats have always had 2 painters so that I can run one to each quarter. Sometimes I'll use just the long one to get the ideal ride but if its a bit rough, having the two spread apart tends to snub the yawing .It actually seems to help stop the dinghy from surfing up on the transom in a following sea.plus the security of the 2 .If its not tied alongside I prefer the 2 painters at anchor overnight too. seen plenty of lost dinghies over the years.Or at least... seen plenty of places where dinghies used to be.