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28-02-2009, 17:01
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#1
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Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Austin, TX, USA
Boat: Irwin Citation 38
Posts: 40
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Towing Inflatable in Blue Water?
On the cover of the March 09 issue of Cruising World there is a picture of an inflatable Dink being towed on a short line behind a monohull.
Question1: How many of you tow your inflatable when passagemaking?
Question2: How long of a line do you tow it on?
Question3: What problems have you run into towing the dink?
Question4: What are the advantages--Why do you do it?
TIA,
Don W.
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28-02-2009, 17:24
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#2
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Lived aboard & cruised for 45 years,- now on a chair in my walk-in closet.
Boat: Morgan OI 413 1973 - Aythya
Posts: 8,464
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I have towed an inflatable in the past. During one line squal that lasted for about twenty minutes my dinghy was spinning airborne on the painter. 'tossed out the oars and the floor boards. I have a strong pair of davits now, but without the davits I'd have it secured on deck. No more towing for me except inland protected short hops. 'take care and joy, Aythya crew
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28-02-2009, 17:26
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#3
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Senior Cruiser
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: 29° 49.16’ N 82° 25.82’ W
Boat: Pearson 422
Posts: 16,306
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Tried it once, moderate conditions but a wave a little bigger than the others broke into the dink, swamped it, snapped the painter, dink gone. Won't try it again. Don't recommend it.
Might work with a glass or wood dink but still wouldn't do it again.
__________________
The water is always bluer on the other side of the ocean.
Sometimes it's necessary to state the obvious for the benefit of the oblivious.
Rust is the poor man's Loctite.
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28-02-2009, 18:54
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#4
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Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Seabrook, Tx
Boat: 2007 Hunter 41
Posts: 125
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Never tow a dink on passages - protected waters maybe - passages never!
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28-02-2009, 19:05
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#5
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Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Calgary, AB, Canada
Posts: 6,252
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__________________
CRYA Yachtmaster Ocean Instructor Evaluator, Sail
IYT Yachtmaster Coastal Instructor
As I sail, I praise God, and care not. (Luke Foxe)
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28-02-2009, 19:07
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#6
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Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 240
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Never.Never.Never!
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28-02-2009, 20:06
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#7
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Registered User
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Back in Northern California working on the Ranch
Boat: Pearson 365 Sloop and 9' Fatty Knees.
Posts: 10,469
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I tried it a few times until I had to turn back and loose mileage while trying to scan the horizon for it. Luckily I found it. I was single handing and it was a chore steering the boat and trying to boat pole the painter line.
__________________
"Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming: Wow - what a ride!"
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28-02-2009, 20:48
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#8
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Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2003
Boat: Dragonfly 1000 trimaran
Posts: 7,159
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Nope. Strap it on deck (deflated) to through bolted eyes backed up with metal plates inside the coach roof. Use good webbing tie downs, strong enough to hold it through green water!
Steve B.
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28-02-2009, 22:45
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#9
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Moderator and Certifiable Refitter
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: South of 43 S, Australia
Boat: C.L.O.D.
Posts: 20,397
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No, never ever ever after losing one! Stowing on deck etc (anyway) is safer than towing.
__________________
All men dream: but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangereous men, for they may act their dreams with open eyes, to make it possible. T.E. Lawrence
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01-03-2009, 04:39
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#10
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Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Key West
Boat: Westsail 32 and Herreshoff 28
Posts: 1,161
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Quote:
Originally Posted by senormechanico
Nope. Strap it on deck (deflated) to through bolted eyes backed up with metal plates inside the coach roof. Use good webbing tie downs, strong enough to hold it through green water!
Steve B.
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why do you recommend "deflated"?
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01-03-2009, 09:16
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#11
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Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2003
Boat: Dragonfly 1000 trimaran
Posts: 7,159
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Quote:
Originally Posted by endoftheroad
why do you recommend "deflated"?
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Less windage, less likely to be in the way if you have to go fwd / around it.
At least those were our reasons with a 10' RIB on a cutter rigged 35' boat.
We also had a liferaft in a canister strapped on deck just forward of the dodger with a dedicated knife in a sheath stowed next to it.
Your mileage may vary...
Steve B.
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01-03-2009, 09:25
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#12
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Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Key West
Boat: Westsail 32 and Herreshoff 28
Posts: 1,161
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thanks
but if you didn't have a canister liferaft then you would have managed around the dink with it inflated?
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01-03-2009, 09:34
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#13
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Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Skagit City, WA
Posts: 25,514
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Towing to move from point a to point b inland is usually ok. Passage... no way. I towed one in Mexico once on a 30 mile trip to the next anchorage, ended up with 16 foot seas in the channel I had to cross and the dink kept trying to pass the mother ship when we were surfing down the waves. Other times it would ram the windvane on the back of the boat. Once it broached and filled with water, as the painter tensioned up we all ducked!, remarkably the boat popped vertical out of the water and threw all the water out of it! had to turn into the 16 footers and drag it on deck. Lesson learned, even on a 30 mile trip....
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01-03-2009, 15:47
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#14
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Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Calgary, AB, Canada
Posts: 6,252
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Wotname
No, never ever ever after losing one! Stowing on deck etc (anyway) is safer than towing.
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Faster too. We gain 1 - 1.5 knots.
Jack
__________________
CRYA Yachtmaster Ocean Instructor Evaluator, Sail
IYT Yachtmaster Coastal Instructor
As I sail, I praise God, and care not. (Luke Foxe)
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01-03-2009, 15:54
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#15
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Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2008
Boat: Catalina 42: Quetzalcoatl
Posts: 114
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Worst choice: towing a dink with an outboard motor. Inevitably a wave will eventually flip it, and then the motor is a write-off!
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