Towing Dinghy and Marinas

[psneeld]

My 10 year old yammie 6hp was underwater 2X. Bought my 8hp and the six sat for 3 or more years in a shed.

Son asked if it worked, could he borrow it. Said sure, you can have it.

Started after just a few pulls.

Buy a goodie and it rewards you.

 

[Group9]

I have wrapped the dinghy line 3 times now in my not so stellar career. You'd think I would learn a little faster. Once I was just off the cliffs of Catalina and we got in the middle of a pod of dolphin. As they pasted to my stern, well, you know, I put it in reverse to stay in contact and needed to immediately don by mask, snorkel and fins to cut the line free of the prop and shaft while drifting ominously towards the rocks.

My buddy has a Boston Whaler for a tender. Decided to put a brand new 50hp Yamaha on her. I think the total cost was about $11,000. He took it to Catalina and picked up a mooring. Tied the dink bow and stern across the swim step. That night some big waves came in and his swim step flipped the Whaler over. The Yamaha took a long swim underwater.

Yep, anyone who says towing a dinghy is always trouble free has probably never done it! But, for us, at least, the payoff is worth the trouble.

 

[BandB]

Everyone has a story of why they no longer tow their dinghy.

Wifey B: I don't. Never have towed one and never will. No thanks.

 

[Mark Laurnen]

One more thing to remember … the tides. I worked at Roche as a youngster for 9 years. The docks float, the pilings not so much. On more than one occasion dinghies were found hanging vertically by their bow tie at a very low tide. Just like reversing over the line … something you only need to learn once.

 

[ORIF]

I have wrapped the dinghy line 3 times now in my not so stellar career. You'd think I would learn a little faster. Once I was just off the cliffs of Catalina and we got in the middle of a pod of dolphin. As they pasted to my stern, well, you know, I put it in reverse to stay in contact and needed to immediately don by mask, snorkel and fins to cut the line free of the prop and shaft while drifting ominously towards the rocks.

My buddy has a Boston Whaler for a tender. Decided to put a brand new 50hp Yamaha on her. I think the total cost was about $11,000. He took it to Catalina and picked up a mooring. Tied the dink bow and stern across the swim step. That night some big waves came in and his swim step flipped the Whaler over. The Yamaha took a long swim underwater.

I sometimes tow a 15 Whaler.
Used it to retrieve my Tollycraft from a hurricane hole after Matthew. Anchor was dug in after the storm. Some kind of pop up storm came up while I was wrestling with the anchor. Wind and waves picked up fast and the bow pulpit broke off. Somehow managed to get the anchor free and weighed in without the chain sawing through the boat. Looked back to check on the Whaler and it was upside down. Swim platform had somehow flipped the boat over. Needed a nice new 50 Yamaha anyway but would have been less stressful to have just traded in the old one.
Still haven't quite figured out how the swim platform did it. It was short tied from the Whaler bow to the port cleat. I'm guessing the bow lip of the Whaler got under the swim platform and got pushed under and rolled...

 

[rslifkin]

I'm having the towing debate myself. We picked up a new dinghy yesterday (aluminum 12 footer). Davits to carry it are in the plans, but we don't have them yet. So I haven't brought the dinghy to the boat yet, as we're going on a 2 week trip soon and I don't expect much need for it on this trip. So unless I can figure out a way to either rest one side of it on the swim platform and suspend it or something, I'm not sure it's worth dragging it around for 2 weeks, especially through locks and such.

 

[smitty477]

Yep, anyone who says towing a dinghy is always trouble free has probably never done it! But, for us, at least, the payoff is worth the trouble.

We did not really have any troubles towing various large RIBS over 600-700 miles a season for more than a dozen years. They each provided a huge opportunity to increase and utilize our boating time in so many ways... was a great value to us.
YMMV

 

[Shrew]

The procedure is to stop before you get into the marina and tie the tender up next to you.(Same if you are going to anchor). When you call in for a slip assignment tell them you are towing a tender that will be tied along side of you. You do not want to be paying extra moorage to have you tender tied behind you. I have not had a marina charge extra to have my tender tied next to me. Also tell the marina which side you would prefer to tie to.

Other things to keep in mind:
Don't forget you are towing it behind you. You do not want to back over your tow line.

Interesting.....my answer presumed backing into a slip. Yours presumed they were side tying. neither of us mentioned that presumption in our responses.

Obviously you can't side tie in a slip

 

[Ken E.]

Everyone has a story of why they no longer tow their dinghy.

I have a couple of them and I no longer tow a dinghy. But to be fair, a towable dinghy or tender is a lot of fun to fish out of, chase crab pots, explore from. I just got tired dealing with it at every marina, gas dock and anchorage. And when the weather comes up unexpectedly, you're now dealing with 2 boats rather than one, with a painter line in the water and big shock loads. I have friends who tow to upper BC and Alaska every year and love it. Its just not for me.

 

[Group9]

Wifey B: I don't. Never have towed one and never will. No thanks.

Hell, I would be towing our 22 ft center console to the Bahamas next trip if my wife would let me!