WARNING - DINGY TOW LINE

[UNCIVILIZED]

Some folks add small floats at set intervals to their dinghy tow rope. Ones similar to those that you see on the lines in swimming pool which seperate the deep end from the shallow one.

In terms of line, Samson makes another type which may work. It's polypro over a spectra core called Ultra-Lite. So it floats, & is also UV resistant owing to the makeup of it's core. Plus, since it's strength comes from the single braid core it should be pretty easy to splice.

[moseriw]

At the very first:
it is your problem when you get a line in the prop. This is the very first thing the helmsman should care of.

Second: towline what for? a dinghi has to be on deck or on the davits and certainly not somwhere behind on an line.

[zeehag]

for rebuilding winches, place a shallow bin under winch before dismantling it. you will stop losing parts overboard. novel idea, eh.

[Dave22q]

I'm with the cheap poly line. It is very susceptible to UV but is cheep enough to replace regularly (at least every 6 months if in the sun). I also join with those who urge never backing without shortening the tow line and possibly moving it to a midships cleat I also prefer the easy to splice 3 strand.

[JD-Odyssey]

I used this line for years without mishap and replaced it with a longer length last year. The painter got sucked under when setting the anchor during the last sail of the season and wrapped around the prop shaft... it was early-November and the water was a wee bit cold. It wasn't fun diving under with a shorty wet suit to cut it loose. But, I learned a valuable lesson... pull the dink in closer and shorten line before backing down.
JD

[Tetepare]

Originally Posted by moseriw

At the very first:
a dinghi has to be on deck or on the davits and certainly not somwhere behind on an line.

Darn! I wish somebody had told me that 20 years ago! I've even towed two dinghys!

[deblen]

I bought a length of lifering line 8 yrs ago.
Still floating & towing.

[Suijin]

Originally Posted by moseriw

Second: towline what for? a dinghi has to be on deck or on the davits and certainly not somwhere behind on an line.

Whut?

[JPA Cate]

Speaking as the backer-down on this boat, there is nothing to keep you from taking a quick glance astern, to be sure the dinghy is okay.

We currently are using polyethylene 3-strand for our dinghy painter. It is made from re-cycled plastic grocery bags, and floats well. it is not nearly as strong as nylon, so it must be sized appropriately, but it floats very well. Just don't make it so long it could get into the dinghy prop! (Don't Ask )

[Sailorbob8599]

At a $105 a pop to splice an eye on a line, you must be quite well off. I thought every real sailor would take the time to learn knots and splicing. In this day and age, I don't know of anything one cannot learn from instructions on the internet. I taught myself some of the necessary know-how years ago from instructions provided by Samson. These instructions can be Googled and are excellent learning programs. $105 ... $105 ... $105 omg I can't believe it was $105 just to splice one eye in a line. Methinks I'll go into business.

[Boatguy30]

Whew $105. Lately I've done a bunch of splicing when aboard customer boats st $75/hr. Probably do 3-4 per hour and that counts the time to cut and measure the line.

[wsmurdoch]

We have similar "floating" dinghy line. After a bad experience, I added a few small gill net floats between overhand knots along both the line dinghy painter and the second (safety) tow line as a sort of belt and suspender arrangement. We still try to remember to bring the dinghy up short before reversing. The little floats are cheap.


Bill Murdoch
AK4PO
Irish Eyes

[patprice]

Originally Posted by StuM

Hmmm,,,,, Stainless steel eye (thimble) - looks like it was in the end that got chewed up in the water!

It's nylon over propylene so S.G. probably around .95(?)

It weights 0.05 lbs ( 8 oz) per foot. So buoyancy is about 0.04 oz per foot.

Stainless steel thimble about 1 oz in weight.

Guess how far that eye will drag the end of the tow line below the surface!

He wantok, wok belong yu emi sitorong tru

[Blue Stocking]

Originally Posted by Tetepare

Darn! I wish somebody had told me that 20 years ago! I've even towed two dinghys!

Me too !, been doing it wrong for 50 + years,-- I guess. A couple of 3 " net floats on mine.

[IslandHopper]

Originally Posted by patprice

He wantok, wok belong yu emi sitorong tru

Huh?