Towing a big tender

BandB said:

Now, as to towing. Guess I'm one of the last holdouts. I don't like the thought or any aspect of it. I know many captains who have done it for years and keep telling us we should do it. We do have RIBS with us so that covers most of our needs. If we feel a need for something larger then we just rent wherever we are. I just have a mental block when it comes to towing long distances under variable conditions.

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Yeah, something that makes me pause is towing and getting caught in really rough seas due to weather changes or a bad forecast. I guess if it got too bad you would just have to cut the tow away and take the loss.

dhays said:

That works if there is a side tie available. I have been to lots of places where that is not the case. I also have been to plenty of fuel docks where there isn't really enough room to have a tender tied to the side. (Thinking of Narrows Marina in Day Island or Breakwater at Pt. Defiance when it was still in operation.)

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Never been in those fuel docks, when we fuel we tend to take 7 to 800 gallons so I'm looking for good pricing, I've fueled at Oak Harbor and Poulsbo with no issues. The tender adds 8ft to the beam even in tight fairways there hasn't been any issues.... One time we had to tie it off to the swim step so the tender was perpendicular to the boat in order to get into a slip it was weird looking looking but it worked....I guess you just do what you have to....

We tow our 17' center console all the time, Iv'e only been in one situation where I thought we may have to cut the tow line, we were between Chub and Eleuthera in 8-10' footers with a undersized tow line (We've since got a Dyneema one made) and it just kept getting yanked, I was expecting the line to snap but it never did. When we come into a marina we'll put the boat on the hip if the lisp allows, otherwise I'll send someone in with it and I'll be on the boat, either by myself or with a hand depending on who came. But it's pretty easy to manage.

We towed this 19' Rib for many years - it was pretty light, had lots of room and could get us around very well when anchored or at marina's. Self bailing and easy to get on and off ...

cardude01 said:

Yeah, something that makes me pause is towing and getting caught in really rough seas due to weather changes or a bad forecast. I guess if it got too bad you would just have to cut the tow away and take the loss.

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There are several ways to deal with that.

Including AIS, tracking devices/services, etc. And, depending where you might have to cut it loose, clipping on an anchor to the tow line before you cut it loose so it can hopefully self anchor in shallow water before hitting the beach.

N4712 said:

We tow our 17' center console all the time, Iv'e only been in one situation where I thought we may have to cut the tow line, we were between Chub and Eleuthera in 8-10' footers with a undersized tow line (We've since got a Dyneema one made) and it just kept getting yanked, I was expecting the line to snap but it never did. When we come into a marina we'll put the boat on the hip if the lisp allows, otherwise I'll send someone in with it and I'll be on the boat, either by myself or with a hand depending on who came. But it's pretty easy to manage.

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Wifey B: YAY! Oliver's here.

Is that your beloved Dusky, you tow? Could never let that have to be cut away.

N4712 said:

We tow our 17' center console all the time, Iv'e only been in one situation where I thought we may have to cut the tow line, we were between Chub and Eleuthera in 8-10' footers with a undersized tow line (We've since got a Dyneema one made) and it just kept getting yanked, I was expecting the line to snap but it never did. When we come into a marina we'll put the boat on the hip if the lisp allows, otherwise I'll send someone in with it and I'll be on the boat, either by myself or with a hand depending on who came. But it's pretty easy to manage.

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Hey Oliver! Long time no see.

I had forgotten you often tow a big boat in the Bahamas. Thanks.

Capt.Bill11 said:

There are several ways to deal with that.



Including AIS, tracking devices/services, etc. And, depending where you might have to cut it loose, clipping on an anchor to the tow line before you cut it loose so it can hopefully self anchor in shallow water before hitting the beach.

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Ahh. Good ideas. Thanks.

We towed our 13' Whaler in some pretty sporty offshore stuff without an issue, at about 9 knots. I could see going as small as a 11' Whaler, but nothing lighter than that. I would guess that a Triumph that size would be no problema.

BTW have someone who knows them look at that Yamaha. Or wait til you get to the Bahamas. Those engines are revered in those parts and the Carribean.

caltexflanc said:

We towed our 13' Whaler in some pretty sporty offshore stuff without an issue, at about 9 knots. I could see going as small as a 11' Whaler, but nothing lighter than that. I would guess that a Triumph that size would be no problema.



BTW have someone who knows them look at that Yamaha. Or wait til you get to the Bahamas. Those engines are revered in those parts and the Carribean.

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Yeah you're probably right on the Yamaha. It's just pissing me off.

Oh crap. Now I need to hide my shoes.

Cardude1, we tow a 14' Twin Vee center console and have done so from Pensacola to PR thus far. We love having the more capable tender to run around in. It tows easily and, being somewhat stern heavy, just bobs over the big swells. I would encourage you to try towing in your local waters first and if the center console does OK then go for it!

I tow the little RIB with a poly line attached to the two stern cleats. I assume I would need some different setup to tow a bigger boat?

Have towed my 20' proline with our Jefferson 45. Cruising at 8-9 knots with no problems. Have a proper tow line made,proper tow bracket to boat ,and your tow should go well.

I'll second the comments on the 115 Yamaha 2 stroke. Widely considered to be one of the best outboards ever made, if you choose to, it should sell easily and for a good price in Florida. It's a great motor for a flats boat, light, tourquey and reliable. My brother has been running one (he puts a LOT of hours on a motor) on his 17' action craft since 1999.

I think you will be giving up a lot of performance if you drop down to a 70 or 90 hp 4 stroke and the weight won't be much different. Probably the 4 stroke will be heavier.

Doing some research and came across this thread. I'm looking to tow a 27ft center console behind a larger vessel, but I really want to tow a 27 Glacier Bay cat. Has anyone tried towing a cat? I'm mostly worried about tracking and head seas.

Most cats I towed as an assistance tower did not track well att all.

Many needed a drogue to keep them sttaight.

Only the ones that were stern heavy tracked well enough to skip the drogue.... even some deep forefooted monos could be a pain at slow speeds.

We had no problems towing a 24' RIBCAT for about 800 nmiles each season typically between 8 and 17 knots. It was positioned on the back side of the second wave behind the boat and tracked better than the half dozen or so monohulls we towed previously.

We’ve towed an 11 foot Whaler to the Bahamas twice and back with no repercussions. You have to be doubly attentive to weather and wave conditions. And, a schedule that puts you in bad conditions while moving can make you lose your tender.

We are planning on taking a bigger tender on our upcoming trip to the Bahamas, either a 21 foot Mako center console or a 13 Whaler.

Yeah, it can be more trouble when pulling into slips, or taking fuel, but if you are going to be there for months, it’s worth it. But if I was needing to go over on a short trip with a firm return date, I wouldn’t do it.

You HAVE to be able to wait out bad weather. If you can’t do that, don’t do it.

Here is the 24' CAT being towed at about 17 knots....

and here it is on land....

There is absolutely no similarity between towing a 24' RIB and towing a 27' Glacier Bay or larger CAT. The Glacier Bay has many times the weight, weighing in at 7800 lbs., and has a cabin forward so could have but may not have the issues pdneeld references with too much weight forward. RIB's tow well. The Glacier Bay, I don't know but I wouldn't bet on it.

BandB said:

There is absolutely no similarity between towing a 24' RIB and towing a 27' Glacier Bay or larger CAT. The Glacier Bay has many times the weight, weighing in at 7800 lbs., and has a cabin forward so could have but may not have the issues pdneeld references with too much weight forward. RIB's tow well. The Glacier Bay, I don't know but I wouldn't bet on it.

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I did not know that his GB was a cabin boat - the ones we have here are open in the front and have twin 150's like the RIB.
All of the GB's we have been on have planed quickly and will ride on top at less than 15 mph - making them easier to tow at speed.
If it is the newer GB with the cabin it is about twice the weight of the RIB we have often towed. When loaded with fuel and a jet ski on board its over 4000# easy.

I may be wrong about his specific CAT but with those 150's out back and the tapered hulls these boats are mostly stern heavy requiring tabs etc to operate well.

I will admit, many boats, especially with engines down tow well at hmoderate speeds.

Thats because the bow rises and stern drags....even if at higher speeds and you pull the engine up.


But any vessel, if the pivot point is nearer the bow than the stern, will tow like crap at slower speeds...often where your location requires greater control (unless the engine is down or there is a drogue).

smitty477 said:

I did not know that his GB was a cabin boat - the ones we have here are open in the front and have twin 150's like the RIB.
All of the GB's we have been on have planed quickly and will ride on top at less than 15 mph - making them easier to tow at speed.
If it is the newer GB with the cabin it is about twice the weight of the RIB we have often towed. When loaded with fuel and a jet ski on board its over 4000# easy.

I may be wrong about his specific CAT but with those 150's out back and the tapered hulls these boats are mostly stern heavy requiring tabs etc to operate well.

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I don't know what model Glacier Bay he's referencing. Regardless, towing a rib vs a glass boat is very different. Perhaps he's talking the bow rider but it's still over 7000 lbs.

Ultimately the only way to find out is to try to tow a boat.

BandB said:

I don't know what model Glacier Bay he's referencing. Regardless, towing a rib vs a glass boat is very different. Perhaps he's talking the bow rider but it's still over 7000 lbs.

Ultimately the only way to find out is to try to tow a boat.

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The RIB in the pictures only has glass hull in the water when being towed - and its a CAT.
We owned this one for many seasons and often towed with 90+ gallons of fuel and 20 gals of water including a jet ski on board - easily over 4,000#'s.
Also had a 2460 renegade GB in the group but never towed that one.
All the CATS I have been on have been stern heavy - not sure what anyone else has experienced with CATS in this size range.
They rise well and tow pretty good with a good bridle and tow points made low on the hull.

BandB - I was under the impression you never towed boats?

psneeld said:

I will admit, many boats, especially with engines down tow well at hmoderate speeds.

Thats because the bow rises and stern drags....even if at higher speeds and you pull the engine up.


But any vessel, if the pivot point is nearer the bow than the stern, will tow like crap at slower speeds...often where your location requires greater control (unless the engine is down or there is a drogue).

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I cannot speak for all boats but the CATS we have been on all have a stern bias - and they lift well when towed at slower speeds which is preferable to the monohulls we have towed when over hull speeds. The pictures really reflect how they tow in both good and bad weather - we have been in both.

smitty477 said:

The RIB in the pictures only has glass hull in the water when being towed - and its a CAT.
We owned this one for many seasons and often towed with 90+ gallons of fuel and 20 gals of water including a jet ski on board - easily over 4,000#'s.
Also had a 2460 renegade GB in the group but never towed that one.
All the CATS I have been on have been stern heavy - not sure what anyone else has experienced with CATS in this size range.
They rise well and tow pretty good with a good bridle and tow points made low on the hull.

BandB - I was under the impression you never towed boats?

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You are correct. I only have towed boats that broke down and that was before tow companies hit. Psneeld is the one who has towed CATS as a tow captain. As I said, I have no idea how the Glacier Bay would tow, just saying the fact your RIB towed well doesn't automatically mean a 27' Glacier Bay would.

I also agree that bridle and tow points and distance are very important to how a boat tows on top of the boat itself. I have ridden on a 27' Glacier Bay, but it was a Cabin Model. It rode very flat although I'm sure the weight was more to the stern.

BandB said:

You are correct. I only have towed boats that broke down and that was before tow companies hit. Psneeld is the one who has towed CATS as a tow captain. As I said, I have no idea how the Glacier Bay would tow, just saying the fact your RIB towed well doesn't automatically mean a 27' Glacier Bay would.

I also agree that bridle and tow points and distance are very important to how a boat tows on top of the boat itself. I have ridden on a 27' Glacier Bay, but it was a Cabin Model. It rode very flat although I'm sure the weight was more to the stern.

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When you view the CATS from the stern it really shows why the stern is not 'lifted' during towing like the monohulls. There is a huge 'hole' in the hull where that lift typically would be which makes the CATS run and tow stern heavy without stuff like down engine trim, trim tabs and really higher speeds.

This is the hull that is 'holding up' those two big outboards when under tow.....

smitty477 said:

I cannot speak for all boats but the CATS we have been on all have a stern bias - and they lift well when towed at slower speeds which is preferable to the monohulls we have towed when over hull speeds. The pictures really reflect how they tow in both good and bad weather - we have been in both.

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I can guarantee I have towed more and more different kinds than you have owned, unless you buy one annually and have for decades.. But maybe not the same brands...

Not doubting your experience, but it certainly isn't absolute like anything with boats.

A couple of Glacier Bays I towed were some of the most now heavy and worst slow speed. towed vessels I have towed.

But if any had bigger engines or more batteries, gear, etc...they might have been more docile.