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How should I tow a dinghy?

79K views 94 replies 53 participants last post by  HUGOSALT 
#1 ·
Most catalogue advise a bridle be setup on the 2 side D-ring of the inflatable dinghy for towing. How about the motherboat side? Should I run a rope between the port & stbd stern cleats and hook the dinghy bridle to it? Should I make an eye loop at mid point for clipping the dinghy bridle ?
 
#3 ·
We just run the dinghy painter (attached to the bridle on the dinghy side) to a stern cleat. We have a stainless rub strake in the area that the line rubs over. When possible, we try to synchronize the painter length with the wave period, or keep it real close to the stern. For longer runs, the dinghy goes on deck.
 
#4 · (Edited)
No need for a bridle at the boat end. Two points to make.

Add a third line from the dingy bow handle/tow attachment ring to the bridle. Adjust this line so it is just long enough to take up the force of a pull directly ahead. It will then also take up any non-horizontal pull. A problem with the bridle lines to the side D rings is that if you tow the dingy through rough wave action for a day or so, the bridle lines will rip the fabric tabs holding the D rings right off the inflatable tubes - these ring attachments are not designed to take loads off the horizontal. A short center line ensures the only pull on the side D rings is generally horizontal, whether to left or right, but not up/down.

The second is to run the dingy tow line to a secondary winch, if you have one. You can then easily adjust the length of the tow line if necessary even when underway. You should shorten the line whenever you anticipate manovering or stopping, such as when entering a harbor.
 
#84 ·
No need for a bridle at the boat end. Two points to make.

Add a third line from the dingy bow handle/tow attachment ring to the bridle. Adjust this line so it is just long enough to take up the force of a pull directly ahead. It will then also take up any non-horizontal pull. A problem with the bridle lines to the side D rings is that if you tow the dingy through rough wave action for a day or so, the bridle lines will rip the fabric tabs holding the D rings right off the inflatable tubes - these ring attachments are not designed to take loads off the horizontal. A short center line ensures the only pull on the side D rings is generally horizontal, whether to left or right, but not up/down.

The second is to run the dingy tow line to a secondary winch, if you have one. You can then easily adjust the length of the tow line if necessary even when underway. You should shorten the line whenever you anticipate manovering or stopping, such as when entering a harbor.
Sailingfool, I respectively have to disagree with your analysis. The D-rings are held on with adhesive patches. I'm assuming no additional sticthing. The patches will hold the most force when they are loaded in shear as opposed to tension. Shear loads are the loads parallel to the adhesive surface. It doesn't matter if the shear load is horizontal w.r.t. to the water or vertical. The strength will be the same.

The reason for a bridle, with the tow line fixed at the center of the bridle, is to cause the dingy to straighten when it turns to one side or the other. Let's say the dingy turns to starboard. The starboard half of the bridle takes more load and it is reduced on the port side. When this happens the larger load, on the starboard side, becomes even more closer to pure shear.

When the dingy goes up and down in waves, the load remains a shear load.

By adding another line, in your case from the bow handle to the center of the bridle, you are simply distributing the load between more points. This reduces the stress on the D-ring attachments. That will reduce the chance of failure in rough weather, but it is does not have anything to do with non-horizontal forces.

Aside from wanting to use the bridle to help keep the dingy tracking straight, there is another reason to use it. Attaching a tow line to the handle or bow D-ring puts that patch in pure tension. That's the worse thing you can do. I suspect that most handles and bow rings are attached with stitching as well as adhesive to take into account the high tensile loads here. But maybe not; I haven't looked closely.

In short, failures of the D-rings in rough seas is purely due to the fact that they are "rough seas".

It's interesting to note that if the D-rings on the bow sides are meant for towing, then they are not installed in the optimum direction. The standard is for the straight part of the "D" to be horizontal. It should be vertical for the purpose of towing. This will allow the D-rings to lie near flat when towing. This helps ensure shear as opposed to tension.

I've towed a dingy with a bridle and hauled it with the dingy bow on the stern of the boat. I prefer davits!

Happy sailing.
 
#5 ·
denby, I've the WM RU230 (7.5ft).
sailingfool, so you're saying attach bridle to the 2 D-rings and a rope from bow ring to bridle hook (that makes 3 attachement pt on dinghy).
labatt, ok single line from stern cleat to dinghy bridle is easy enough.
 
#6 ·
I use SF's method with a slight refinement: I have a dacron painter on the SS eyelet through-bolted to the RIB, and run to the aft rail, and I run looser polypropylene lines from each D-ring to the stern quarter extrusions.

This is strictly for motoring or light air sailing. Sailing in decent winds, I haul the RIB onto the foredeck. As I am switching to a nesting dinghy and a Portabote, I will likely only tow tenders short distance in the future.

I don't have davits and question their use in anything but tame, coastal sailing, for which they are a nice convenience.
 
#8 ·
If it's an inflatable why not just pop it, roll it and stow it?
I used to tow my cheapo inflatable by hoisting the stern up onto the reverse transom of my Hunter31, lifting it so the only the bow was in the water and the stern tubes rested on the transom.
Reduced drag a bit. Got the engine up out of the water.
Only doing that in the Ches. Bay, no chance of getting pooped and having a dinghy bounce off my head.
 
#9 ·
I've a sugar scoop stern so I can put the dinghy bow on it and drag the stern in water. Although RU230 is small and consider light, I'm small built hence is quite a handfull to haul on deck. On short trip, I would tow it. Longer trip I'll stow on foredeck (when I've crew to help me). Thanks for all the ideas guys.
 
#11 ·
I cheat.. I just stow the inflated dinghy on the ama deck, where it tucks in quite nicely. :) :) One advantage of having a trimaran. :)
 
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#12 ·
I echo Labatt on adjusting painter length. Your boat makes a series of stern wave pattern, especially when under power and hence upright.

If you adjust the painter so the dinghy's sliding "down" the face of one of those small waves, there'll be a lot less drag than if you pulling it "up" the back of one of those waves.
 
#13 ·
I find towing my dinghy requires constant attention. I have both a hard shell and an inflatable. I take the hard dinghy when I'm staying in fairly protected waters. It tows very well but has to be a long way back or it keeps running into me. The inflatable doesn't tow as well but does no damage when it runs into me. It is also a lot more drag. For both dinks I adjust the tow line based on speed to minimize the drag, which is easy to check by just pulling the towline in by hand. You can feel when it gets easier. Regardless of how I attach the towline to the boat there is always significant chafe. The nip needs to be freshened regularly. (change where it is chafing) I always have a safety line from the towline to a second point in the dinghy just in case the attachment to the boat chafes through. I don't leave anything in the boast because even the slightest weight changes the dynamics.
 
#14 ·
Hmmm, I am not sure my opinion is completely inline with others, but I will give it:

For Coastal:

I use a single line attached to the pull (bow) of the boat. I do not like dual lines as it is just one more thing to mess with when trying to get her up to the boat (for any reason). I use an inflateable too. I personally do not use a floating painter becaues I have never liked the line and seems apt to chafe. But many dissagree with me and if you wrap it around your prop it is all for naught anyways. On the painter I put a snubber:



This keeps the shock off the line and makes the tender ride a LOT smoother. I highly reccomend this. I also put a loop in the painter at the point where I can pull the dink up to the back of the sailboat. THis make for easy connection when trying to pull her in for any purpose (especially when moving and you have to connect her quickly).

I have not found a sweet spot when towing the dink. SHe always seems to slide down the wave faces and 'Pop" anyways. The snubber helps, but there (to me) does not seem to be a perfect place. I don't bother trying to adjust that. If I get caught in a storm, I will often try and pull the tender in close (ie, the loop). THis works pretty well unless the seas start breaking behind you. Make sure you have the plug out on the inflateable. Many dissagree with this, but your inflateable should not fill with water if nothing is in it. But the plug will help you get the water out as the rain or seas break into her. Otherwise, you will find you ahve a major situation on your hands when she starts to fill up!! (Don't ask me how I know).

Offshore:

DOn't. If you can deflate her, do it and toss on the foredeck (securely lashed down). Do not leave her on davits either unless you are certain of your weather. I personally feel a towed dink is dangerous offshore - assuming it stays with you the whole trip anyways. Towing her in seas is tough on the hardware and peace of mind.

- CD
 
#15 ·
I do have experience towing an inflatable who thinks he's a submarine. Its an old style dingly without tow ring so we tow via the life-rope. Big mistake. When the wind picks up and the boat goes 6-7 kts, the ding takes in water from its bow and started diving. Had to jump into the dinghy and bail out the water before he reach periscope depth. You know what they say about a man on a sinking boat with a bucket is worth more than 10 Rule pumps? What a ride!
 
#16 ·
The one TRUE answer

Here's the final answer...

Don't tow your dinghy.

If it's anything more than across a calm lake, towing a dinghy will only result in dissapointment.

It will, however, give you an excuse to go buy a NEW dinghy, so if that's what you're looking for...:rolleyes:

S/V Baloo, lying San Carlos, Sonora, Mexico
 
#35 ·
Disagree

Here's the final answer...

Don't tow your dinghy.

If it's anything more than across a calm lake, towing a dinghy will only result in dissapointment.

It will, however, give you an excuse to go buy a NEW dinghy, so if that's what you're looking for...:rolleyes:

S/V Baloo, lying San Carlos, Sonora, Mexico
I have to disagree -- sometimes dinghies must be towed. Some of us sail boats without enough deck space for a dink, and I hate inflatables! I've towed dinghies for many miles in many kinds of weather. In bad weather I would rather tie the dink up close to the stern with chafing gear.

I have thought about making a tight-fitting cover for the dinghy, ... with a ridgepole (probably mast) stem to stern underneath, It should keep water out. Anyone try that?

Skip
 
#17 ·
I disagree with the do not tow your dink post. Sure, the best bet is the stern garage on the mega yachts. But, since we do not live that life... in the VI, you rarely see a sailboat without a dink behind. And, if you do, it is most likely on davits. Neither is the best scenario. For us, we tow a 12' caribe RIB with a 15 HP 2 stroke. It is a heavy beast. Even though we use a polypro line, we have joined the ranks of those who have wrapped the dink painter on their prop. We have seen 30 knots and 10' seas and she survived... but my nerves did not and no, it was not planned.

The key seems to be a long tow line. 100' is used by others I know. Also, make sure the motor is tied on. My neighbor looked back and saw his motor was gone. When he stopped, he saw it was dangling 3 feet below the surface on a line. He had not secured the clamp screws with zip ties or a lock. Or, if it may be rough, remove the motor.

Our 12 footer will even sit upright on our foredeck, straddling the mast push pit using fenders for chocks.

many ways to get the sports car to town...
 
#18 ·
Towing a dinghy with an outboard motor on it is a pretty foolish thing to do IMHO. If the dinghy capsizes or gets pooped... the engine isn't going to be happy, and either are you.
 
#20 ·
I towed my Rib for THOUSANDS of miles with the outboard on. You just have to:
1. Have a dinghy that will do that without swamping.
2. Pay attention to the weather and the seas.
Statements like "never tow a dinghy" or "never tow a dinghy with an engine on it" just don't hold water. You just need to be smart about stuff and know your own boat and dinghy.
 
#24 ·
Has anyone here had experience with the Dinghy Tow system? It's method is to drag a dinghy backwards with only the bow in the water, sort of like a semi-davit. If the dinghy ships any water it is only a bow's-worth and, I guess, would not amount to much. It keeps the dinghy under control in tight quarters, too.

Oh, this is beginning to sound like an advertisement. I have no financial interest. But I thought I should ask before attempting to make one for myself.
 
#26 ·
Dinghy Tow- never had one but saw one and talked to the owners. They said it was the best thing they ever bought for the boat. I would get one except the Monitor windvane is in the way. Looks like a great way to tow a dingy to me, it would reduce drag to a fraction of normal towing and no danger of wrapping the painter in the wheel.

John
 
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