Will this work?

[Heath68]

Hi All,

A number of you may have seen my odd post and as you can probably tell I'm fairly new... but I have an idea and I'm not sure why it won't work or even why it may not be a good idea even if it did but here goes and all suggestions and comments please..

My inspiration into boating was a Sunreef 58 with a Quadski on it or in tow.. Now its not about the boat, I've bugged enough of you about that already.. its about the Quadski (Gibbs Sports Amphibians )

I wanted to circumnavigate and have it on Davits at the back.. now its apparently too heavy for that but... and here's my 2nd inspiration.. Why can't I leave it in the water and have it between the hulls, spaced with long poles like the AA or other breakdown services use to tow cars (its a pole with a built in spring)

I was thinking Hull Poles Quadski Poles Hull type of arrangement.. it shouldn't hit either hull and would mean:

1. I could anchor and jetski up a beach for lunch
2. I could jetski!
3. I could go ashore and use it as a quadbike to visit places miles and miles inland with ease.
4. I could virtually get ashore from anywhere saving £s in Marina fees.
5. When I did get ashore no one would knick it (like they seem to do with dinghys)

it seems perfect!!... so what's wrong?
Am I super clever or just plain stupid?

[Training Wheels]

The latter.


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[Stu Jackson]

You are most likely the first sailor who jetskis.

[2Hulls]

Heath, Heath, Heath...

Please don't. OK?

Dave

[SailingwithSoul]

Can your davits hold 1,333 pound? Would you be comfortable towing a 1,333 pound estimated $40,000 dinghy around?

http://www.gibbssports.com/media/upl...eet_052014.pdf

[rwidman]

Just be aware that in some parts of the world there are special laws relating to jet skis. In SC, they may not be used at night. There are some places where they are prohibited altogether.


I do know a boater who does use a jet ski as a dinghy so you won't be the first. Just check the details before you make a final decision.

[yeloya]

Originally Posted by Training Wheels

The latter.


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[Heath68]

Originally Posted by 2Hulls

Heath, Heath, Heath...

Please don't. OK?

Dave

lmao..... Come on Dave.. you're full of lots of threads here... why is it such a bad idea? Is It just that cruisers only like traditional methods? or are there dangers with towing like this?... (I feel like VIKI from iRobot when I say this but).. isn't the idea so logical?

[Heath68]

Originally Posted by rwidman

Just be aware that in some parts of the world there are special laws relating to jet skis. In SC, they may not be used at night. There are some places where they are prohibited altogether.


I do know a boater who does use a jet ski as a dinghy so you won't be the first. Just check the details before you make a final decision.

Thanks for that.. I'm not sure about local laws but maybe I could have a backup dinghy.. just the Quadski seems to fulfil many needs.

I actually thought that they would sell well to Baywatch type lifeguards.. could quadbike along the beach and turn it quickly into a jetski to tow people in trouble ashore... but thanks

[Heath68]

Originally Posted by yeloya

My wife insisted I add that she's "sceptical" and kind of agrees with you.. but for now I remain a little smitten and without a logical argument I may be tempted to give it a try

[2Hulls]

OK, Heath. I'll try.

First, towing or putting this beast on davits is completely impractical. Especially towing, even if you had a boat with davits hefty enough. That would be like towing a barge around. Better to get a big motor yacht and crane it aboard next to where you set your fishing boat with the 900 horse power outboards.

Next, as already mentioned, these things may not even be allowed in some countries, much less legal to drive on their roads. Jet Skis cannot be imported into the BVIs and in the Bahamas (I think) you can't Jet Ski or water ski within 200 yards of any shore (at least that used to be the case). So you can't even get it to the beach to drive over the turtle nests....

I'm sure others can add to this.

So Heath, go back to researching a nice sailboat and kick back and go slow. OK? Just nod your head. Good.

Dave

[barnakiel]

I think when the mother ship is big enough, a jetski beats a rib in most applications. Still, you may want a rib as an extra tender for those days when you want to ship water, supplies, or diesel.

If you are going to cruise in flat water, you can keep the ski where you want it BUT as soon as you hit any chop, you will probably have to hoist it.

If your davits are man enough, you can hoist the ski too.

b.

[Heath68]

Originally Posted by 2Hulls

OK, Heath. I'll try.

First, towing or putting this beast on davits is completely impractical. Especially towing, even if you had a boat with davits hefty enough. That would be like towing a barge around. Better to get a big motor yacht and crane it aboard next to where you set your fishing boat with the 900 horse power outboards.

Next, as already mentioned, these things may not even be allowed in some countries, much less legal to drive on their roads. Jet Skis cannot be imported into the BVIs and in the Bahamas (I think) you can't Jet Ski or water ski within 200 yards of any shore (at least that used to be the case). So you can't even get it to the beach to drive over the turtle nests....

I'm sure others can add to this.

So Heath, go back to researching a nice sailboat and kick back and go slow. OK? Just nod your head. Good.

Dave

"Dave thinks you're bonkers!" was my wife's input just now. (I'm sure there's a saying that the line is thin between genius and madness).

I didn't think that towing would have such a negative impact (the weight being "on" the water and not on the boat).
Also I never knew about the legalities or restrictions on landing it. I assumed it would be ok (or why would they invent one?).
ah well... looks like its back to the drawing board

Shame really as I've waited over 2 years for their launch with that exact plan in mind... now they're available its a no go.

Cheers tho

Heath

[GILow]

Heath68, I love your thinking. I'm not being snarky when I say it reminds me of the sorts of ideas I used to have when I was first playing with boats. Thankfully I was very young at the time and the boats I was playing with were light and cheap so my ideas didn't do too much damage or cost too much to repair.

Keep challenging the norms. But, I fear the problem with the towing idea is that you have not yet got that gut feel for the stupendous forces involved. Just to further your feel, try rigging up a system like the one you suggest with just a 5 litre (one gallon) bottle on the end go for a sail and see what kind of forces it exerts on the struts. You'll be astounded. Now imagine the forces exerted by something as big and buoyant as a jet ski. The mounting system would be subjected to, quite literally, tons of force, in all kinds of random directions.

I still get it wrong now and then, even after 40 years of trying my new ideas. My most recent complete fail was trying to retrieve the dinghy onto the davits while under way. I've done it once or twice while travelling at around three knots, but this time I tried it at five knots. Needless to say I could not control the hull roll on the dinghy as it was pulled perpendicular to the direction of travel. The control rope pulled out my hand with a decent rope burn to boot, the dinghy flipped sideways, filled with water and suddenly I was dragging an 8 foot x 4 foot fibreglass sea anchor. It's a testimony to the builder that the davits were not ripped off the boat.

Good luck, but start small,

Matt


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[Grateful]

Originally Posted by Heath68

Hi All,

Why can't I leave it in the water and have it between the hulls, spaced with long poles like the AA or other breakdown services use to tow cars (its a pole with a built in spring)

I was thinking Hull Poles Quadski Poles Hull type of arrangement.. it shouldn't hit either hull..

Heath, Have you ever been on the ocean? Waves are BIG. Boats move about A LOT. Towing anything at sea is difficult. Towing that beast, or worse still, pinning it between your hulls would be an expensive mistake.