Dinghy as a Tow Boat?

I was contemplating a scenario where the trawler was disabled and I needed to get a relatively short distance back to help. For example, in a port or on the river system. Would I be able to launch the dinghy and tow it back?

How would I attach the tow line? Would the trawler just overwhelm the dinghy's ability to keep it going? Would the dinghy's transom get dragged under water?

I realize there are many variables (weight of towed boat, type of dinghy, weather conditions) so there isn't any simple answer.

Has anyone ever towed a trawler with a dinghy? What were the circumstances and results? What did you learn that you can share?

Great Laker said:

Has anyone ever towed a trawler with a dinghy? What were the circumstances and results? What did you learn that you can share?

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Haven't done it but had a good friend who tried. Disabled 42' deFever, current carrying it toward the rocks, launched the Boston Whaler w/ 40 hp outboard, could barely hold the boat in one place against the current. Eventually as the tidal current grew stronger he had no choice but to give up.

One big issue is where to attach the towline to the towing boat. If you attach it to the stern of the dinghy you will be severely limited in your ability to turn the dinghy and thus maneuver the boat you're towing. The towline should be fastened to the dinghy somewhere near its center of yaw, like on a tug. This will allow you to turn the dinghy even with the pressure and weight of the towed boat on the end of the line. Being able to easily maneuver the dinghy will make it that much easier to control the boat you are towing.

Whether it will work for you depends mostly on the power to weight ratio.

I have towed my disabled sailboat (10000 lb) with my inflatable, with 15 hp. tied on the stern quarter, made about 4 knots, complete control.
Tried the 20000 lb sailboat, same dinghy and engine. made about 3 knots, not so much control, but in calm conditions, no problems.
Tried the 44000 lb trawler, same dinghy, engine. Hopeless.
next dinghy, with 20 hp, a little better, but still hopeless.
Current dinghy, with 40 hp, lots better, but I wouldn't want to do it for long, as the turning is awkward, and you really need two people, one at the trawler helm and one at the dinghy.
Using the dinghy as a docking pushboat works well. I have done so many times, when inserting an anchor boat into the middle of a big raft, it works especially well. I have helped many peole hold their boats in a current while setting a bow anchor and a stern line. Also pulled a sailboat mast over to lift his keel and help get him off a shoal, power dinghies are awesome!

Push with the dingy

You will have better luck pushing from behind. Towing is not doable as it will be very hard to control the dingy. Pushing will surprise you, I can maneuver a forty ft house boat pushing with a 15hp on a 12' rib. Just did it with a disabled boat. I could do nothing towing it. My dingy just acted like a low powered out drive.

Wind and current will determine the answer to your question. And obviously how much dinghy you have - my 3.5 HP Chinese knock-off won't go as far as a 50 HP Mariner. Even my little knock off works well as a pusher tug though. I'd be inclined to side tie the dinghy or use it as a pusher.

Dingy can be used in a pinch for alot of things. i used mine on a grouded sail boat , took the extra line off the top of the mast, tied another 50 ft of line to it, and tied it around the top of the motor mounts on the dingy. i was able to heel the sail boat enough that they were able to power off in reverse. that was a 9.8 hp not alot but enough with the line tied so high up on the mast. So i reality i didn't pull the boat off the grounding just heeled it over enough that the keel was not dug i the mud.

Towing with the dink

On two different occasions I used the dinks to push Volunteer, a direct pull doesnt really work.. the best is a side tie to the boat you need to move, favoring the stern and tied tight with spring lines. Use of the main boats rudder will help with direction once the boats are moving. I actually had better results with the 11' with 15hp vs. the 13' with 40hp of my two inflatables. It does work in calm water ... but a swell or waves would make it very interesting!
HOLLYWOOD

Scary said:

You will have better luck pushing from behind. Towing is not doable as it will be very hard to control the dingy. Pushing will surprise you, I can maneuver a forty ft house boat pushing with a 15hp on a 12' rib. Just did it with a disabled boat. I could do nothing towing it. My dingy just acted like a low powered out drive.

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I'll be keeping that in mind, should we ever become disabled. great idea!

Great information.

I'm using a 10ft Livingston and don't see any way to tie a tow line near the center. Even if I did, it would inter fear with the engine.

I like the pushing approach but don't see any way to push on the swim platform with the Livingston's sloped cat style bow. I'll have to give that some thought.

The side tie with spring lines seems to be the most workable perhaps with a second person at the helm to help steer. This would require a good fender setup to keep from damaging the hull.

Other experiences?

Greetings,
Not to hi-jack the thread, but there was some talk in previous posts about affixing a low HP motor to the swim platform. I have considered building a mounting bracket but I think with the height of the platform above the water I would need a long shaft outboard unless I cantilevered the bracket downward. Maybe temporary bolt on unit which can be removed for non emergency cruising....Hmmmm...sounds too complicated.

hollywood8118 said:

On two different occasions I used the dinks to push Volunteer, a direct pull doesnt really work.. the best is a side tie to the boat you need to move, favoring the stern and tied tight with spring lines. Use of the main boats rudder will help with direction once the boats are moving. I actually had better results with the 11' with 15hp vs. the 13' with 40hp of my two inflatables. It does work in calm water ... but a swell or waves would make it very interesting!
HOLLYWOOD

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I have done quite a bit of towing and this is the ONLY way you can safely and effectively use a dinghy to move one of our boats. And the success of that will depend a lot on the sea and wind conditions and the size of the outboard on the dinghy. It's a fun afternoon experiment, so give it a try in calm conditions, then imagine if the sea state is higher or the wind is howling. If you are being pushed down on a hazard, getting the anchor down and set should be your first priority and then deal with moving the boat safely. Chuck

RT, I've seen sailboats with the cantilevered motor which they can swing down to achieve proper depth. Perhaps you could check with a marine supplier for such a bracket.

Hanging a bracket on the stern won't be as simple as it sounds. If you have a swim platform, the bracket will have to extend out past the platform when in the down position. The stern will need major reinforcement to carry an outboard large enough to move the boat under less than ideal conditions for longer periods of time. Attaching a bracket to the swim platform presents its own set of problems. It's a boat so things are always complicated. Chuck

I tow boats up to the 50 foot range all the time with the 12 foot livingston. There is no one way is best. I cant safley do that in all conditions.

I use all the meathods metioned including the double tender system with one tender off the bow and one teathered to the stern for control in the river current. There is just a ton of variables.

Motors mounted and the stern of a flat backed trawler will have issues with bighting into clear water. Even in a small chop the outboard can have problems recieving constant cooling water with the pitching of the Trawler. Be carefull.

I use a ski rope type bridal off the stern of the tender that allows the tow rope to get a better angle to the tow. Low to the water as there is no way I can mount a tow post. But any thing mounted high to tow from will pose risk of rolling over the tender.

Just some random thoughts

I have towed many people with my dinghy after Hurricane Katrina.
When I tried pulling with a line the dinghy wandered all over and the trawlers and sailboats had no control either. I then tried what the tow boats do sometimes in the channels. It's referred to as 'towing on the hip". Tie your dinghy tightly broadside to the trawler using several spring lines. I pulled 30,000 lb boats with a 10' inflatible and a 4HP O/B. I didn't win and speed contests but it does work. I needed 0ne person in the towed vessel to steer and to see where I was going. In the dink, I could only see to port and about 40% vision forward. We crawled but during an emergency 'whatever works'.

There's a quote from "Boatman's Guide to Light Salvage" that is apropos:
Also, as with many topics, this is covered in Chapman:


Towing with a hawser can be really freaking dangerous - if you don't get run over, you can get tripped (this is the same location where the two Canadian Coast Guard women died this past weekend):
tug boat flip accident skookumchuck narrows - YouTube

OFB said:

I use all the meathods metioned including the double tender system with one tender off the bow and one teathered to the stern for control in the river current.

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That is a very effective method for precise control in close quarters.

Up the New River - YouTube

Look at :36 and at :55

My plan is to anchor and call TowBoatUS.

Actually, my plan is to keep my boat maintained to the best of my ability. Plan "B" is to call TowBoatUS.

Friends with an identical to mine dinghy and motor have towed disabled 18' bowriders a few hundred yards to the local boat ramp with great difficulty. I don't see my dinghy moving my trawler very fast or very far.

Rick: Pretty amazing. I like the 2 passing. Are the big guys using their engines at all?

Larry M said:

Rick: Pretty amazing. I like the 2 passing. Are the big guys using their engines at all?

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The passing was impressive! We wondered ourselves if there was going to be enough room to swing the stern but the towboat guys do it so often they make it look sooooo easy.

The yacht engines are idling in neutral and the rudders are midship. The tugs ahead pulls ahead and the guy astern is being towed backwards and acts as a rudder and pulls the stern around the corners where it is really tight.

That boat that passed on our port side and then ran ahead is a 112 footer that didn't need tugs to make the sharp corners. Bigger boats commonly use the tugs because the cost of a tow compared to even a minor screwup is pocket change.

This is an article I have saved just in case. Sorry the pictures did not come across but maybe the description will be enough. Send a Private Message and I can forward the WORD doc.

Ron

Tow Yourself In
By Capt. Alan Hugenot
Let's imagine a scenario: You are a mile from the dock, the engine has died and you called the U.S. Coast Guard for a tow. Because no lives are in immediate danger, the agency refers you to a commercial towing company, and the price is a few hundred dollars.
Then you remember your dinghy and its small outboard engine – should you tow yourself in?
The answer depends on weather conditions and how much experience you have. If there is any wind or current, your dinghy's small outboard will not be able to maneuver the larger vessel. You could overload and damage the engine. Even worse, you could lose control of your boat.
In any kind of weather, you are better off calling in professionals. Experience is key and that is what professional towboat skippers offer. The price is often a few hundred bucks – and it is worth it.
However, if there are two of you onboard; if there is little or no wind or current; if the tow is a short one; and if you have actually practiced and gained some experience, then towing your boat with a dinghy can be a handy skill to have at your disposal.
PRACTICE, PRACTICE
You can, of course, gain this experience. Early on a windless morning, preferably in a secluded anchorage or lake where there is no current, you and a friend can practice towing.
Begin by launching the dinghy and installing the outboard. Because the engine will be operating at nearly full power, and under a great deal of load, check the oil and top it off if necessary. Also, remember to bring extra gasoline. At nearly continuous high throttle, you may use a lot more fuel than usual. Get out three spare dock lines and have life vests, a boat hook and fenders available.
First, you need to know how to place your dinghy so that you can steer the vessel being towed. Most people automatically think that they should place the dinghy out in front of the cruiser with a long towing line, or hawser. But the truth is that there is nothing harder to steer than a large boat at the far end of a towing line.
Instead, tie your tender alongside so that the stern of the dinghy is aft of the bigger boat's rudderpost. Your outboard motor should be astern of the larger boat's transom, and the dinghy's bow should be canted in toward the big boat's bow. This will allow you to apply leverage with your outboard where it is needed to turn and steer the bigger boat.
If you ever watch older stern-drive tugboats in a harbor, they will push and pull a ship by applying leverage at the stern. Similarly, if you tie your dinghy on the aft quarter of the larger boat, you can maintain control of the vessel.
A PROPER SIDE TIE
Securing the dinghy in this position requires a three-point tie, which is where the spare dock lines will be used.
Remember that you will need your regular dock lines to tie the boat in after you tow it, so you will have to use spares to secure the tow. It is a good idea to use nylon when towing, because it stretches and absorbs the shifting loads.
Choose the side that will be most advantageous when you approach the dock. If you tie up on the starboard, put your dinghy on the port side. If you will be making a turn into the berth, pick the side that will be on the inside of the turn. If you turn left into your berth the dinghy goes on the left side. This will allow you to see where you are turning.

Above: Attach the dinghy on the aft quarter using a three-point side tie. Below: Slowing bring the dinghy's outboard up to three-quarter's throttle to move the larger boat at a speed of 2 or 3 knots.

Besides the bow line and stern line, running a spring line from the tender's bow to the larger boat's stern is crucial (see drawing). This is the line that gives you control, allowing the dinghy's engine to drive the larger boat's hull.
Run your lines from mooring cleats on the larger boat to the “D” rings on the tender. You may find that you don't have cleats or rings where you need them aboard either boat, or that they are not anchored firmly enough to make you comfortable.
This is a lesson: in order to do this properly, you may need to make modifications, such as adding extra D rings. Until then, be extremely careful with the loads you place on hardware. It is better to pull sideways on the D rings than up, for example, because the chances of tearing the rings out are less.
CREW WITH A VIEW
Tighten all the lines so that the dinghy's inflatable hull is slightly smashed-up against the larger boat. This way, the inflatable makes a perfect fender (though it never hurts to hang a towel between the two boats to prevent chafing).
The big boat will block the view ahead and the person operating the outboard will lose visibility. That's why the second crewmember is key – to serve as a lookout on the bridge of the larger boat.
Before setting out, put on a life jacket and require your crewmember to do the same. He may be out of sight from the dinghy, and you will have no way of knowing if he falls overboard. Likewise, he won't be able to see you most of the time and know if you've taken a tumble.
Whenever I hear some self-satisfied boater gloating that they have never fallen in, I think that he hasn't been boating long enough to get his feet wet. Every professional boater knows that falling in the water is inevitable. Every so often, it just happens. I have fallen in the water many times between the dock and the boat, while working over the side or while using a dinghy.
Side-towing with the tender is a prime opportunity to fall in, so wear the life jacket.
HOW TO TOW
Before you start the tow, prepare the rig the fenders and dock lines on the larger boat so that your crewmember will have them ready when you come alongside.
When everything is properly rigged, get in the dinghy, start the outboard and begin towing. Your deck hand should stay on the larger boat to help by steering according to your orders. You should also instruct him to be the lookout and report what he sees.
You are the skipper, but he is your eyes.
Slowly bring the outboard up to speed, but don't exceed about three-quarters throttle. This is where it will be most efficient, and will move your boat along at 2 to 3 knots. At this speed, a short one-mile tow will take more than 20 minutes to complete, but the slower pace will prevent overheating and overworking your engine.
If you have to turn into a berth, your dinghy will be far enough aft to get about half the boat into the slip before the tender blocks further progress.
Your crewmember will have to get on the dock with a bow line, and possibly a forward-facing spring line, to tie the cruiser off so he can then come over and help you untie the dinghy.
You can then use the dinghy to push on the transom and move the boat the rest of the way into the slip, or you can pull the boat into the slip using the dock lines.
You can then secure things and call it a day – or better yet, get out there and try it again!

OFB said:

I tow boats up to the 50 foot range all the time with the 12 foot livingston. There is no one way is best. I cant safley do that in all conditions.

I use all the meathods metioned including the double tender system with one tender off the bow and one teathered to the stern for control in the river current. There is just a ton of variables.

Motors mounted and the stern of a flat backed trawler will have issues with bighting into clear water. Even in a small chop the outboard can have problems recieving constant cooling water with the pitching of the Trawler. Be carefull.

I use a ski rope type bridal off the stern of the tender that allows the tow rope to get a better angle to the tow. Low to the water as there is no way I can mount a tow post. But any thing mounted high to tow from will pose risk of rolling over the tender.

Just some random thoughts

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Have to agree here...there is no ONE answer for towing. Every situation is different...especially depending on the towing dingy.

Anyone who says there's ONLY one way is out to lunch on this one. I've been an assistance tower for 10 years and have towed just about everything up to and incuding 750,000 pound rock barges with less than 26 foot pushboats.

In an emergency...go for it...what do you have to lose? The prudent thing if it is available is to have insurance for the pros to tow you..but getting back to some sort of safety isn't out of the question with many dingies...just don't try to go into tight quarters with unsuitable equipment.

windmist said:

This is an article I have saved just in case.

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Thanks much for posting this. When I get home from the trip I'm on now I'm going to print this and kep it on the boat. While our 9' Livingston and 4hp Yamaha would probably be of limited to no value in a towing situation, the side-tie method would work the best with it or with someone else's larger or more powerful dinghy, like Carey's Bullfrog.

One of the best ways to tow in very limited space (like in and around docks ) is towing from the disabled boats bow with a very short tow line and using the dingy in reverse. Granted that most dingies don't have much guts to begin with but in a light airs/light current situation the setup is extremely manueverable. This was the only way the Marine Max dealer I worked at would do it..and they moved 50+ footers in one of the tightest marinas I've encountered.

For big boats with smaller rudders, the dingy may have to be/ should be tied to the larger boat on an angle (the diagram in the firest page posted by Refugio show it slightly). The purpose of the angle is to offset the thrust the dingy is applying to the one side of the larger boat. As you move the feel comes quickly and you find you can control the heading of the rig also by occasionally putting the dingy in reverse to pull the bows around to the correct heading if the power of the dingy gets it too far the other way. Plus reversing every once and awile reminds you of how much control you do and don't have.

For guys with a big rudder and a second person onboard this isn't as critical as the tug just provides power and the big boat steers...works great on sailboats but trawlers with big rudders can steer above a couple knots OK too.

While our Tolly rested on the hook, jaunting around in our 14' 8”, 50 hp Crestliner tow-behind runabout... Two weekends ago wife and I side towed a 23' wake board ski boat in with three passengers aboard. Their inboard motor had overheated - badly! Fairly short tow, calm water... all went as I planned for the tow and docking purposes! As we untied, the passengers kept throwing $$$ into our little "tow-boat" - we kept throwing them back! LOL

Unless it's a business it's always good for boaters to simply help boaters.