Enough cooling water?

[JPA Cate]

GILow:

I feel nautical terminology is a sort of practical Esperanto allowing you to travel from boat to boat (think country to country) knowing you will be understood wherever you go.



I have found this to be so, and as a lingua franca really handy when one crews on a lot of boats. "thingie" does not communicate anything useful, to my way of thinking.

Concerning the issue of perceived inadequate water flow, I do think you should speak up in private. I would not delegate it to your wife. It is your perception, after all. However, if egos are sensitive following the demise of her husband, a simple statement of your observations, and your concern is probably as far as you should go.

Actually, I agree with your good lady, that the two of you were seen as interlopers where the other crew had appointed themselves the guardian angels of the skipper. FWIW, I thought of it before I got to that post of yours.

If you are clear with the skipper that you felt concerned but not certain, I think she'd appreciate the input, and might be grateful for it.

Ann

[GILow]

Got a response this morning from the owner. Engine rebuild scheduled for winter. Apparently pump has been replaced recently so depending on construction and cooling I suppose it could well be blocked cooling passages. At least she seems aware of the problem and despite the slap down from the crew member with issues it is NOT to be regarded as normal. Hope she gets through the summer ok. Might go and brush up on my boat towing theory. I've rescued two boats to date and both were motor boats with outboard problems. Never tried to tow a 5 ton sailing boat.

Any tips? Aside from not doing it. Tow from a point about one third along their waterline from the bow from memory and about the same on your own boat but from the stern?

Matt

[StuM]

> Any tips?

Good article and diagram about side towing
What's my line? Towing a boat on water

[GILow]

Originally Posted by StuM

> Any tips?

Good article and diagram about side towing
What's my line? Towing a boat on water

Good link, ta, but nothing about how far down the boat to make the tow point.

I could be wrong but I seem to remember that towing from the very bow actually had less directional stability than towing from a point a bit aft, provided, of course, the layout of the boat and it's rigging makes such a thing possible. (not possible on a sailing boat for instance, as the forestay would get in the way.)

Ditto, the towing boat had more manoeuvrability and control if the towing point was a little forward of the stern. Allows the rudder to do its thing to rotate the towing boat, which is difficult when the load of the towed vessel from the very stern keeps pulling things straight.

Matt

[StuM]

Looks like you are talking about fore/aft towing there.

You are better off using a bridle on the towing boat - whether it is fixed to stern cleats or side winches furthwr forward doesn't really make much difference - whichever is strongest. Make the length of the towline about the same as the wavelength and hanging a kellet of some sort (kedge anchor, length of chain or whatever) in the middle of the line can help to reduce peak loads.

For the boat being towed, I'd go with whatever they use for anchoring.

To change direction, you frequently need to slacken off the tow, position the towing boat well abeam and take up the strain again

[GILow]

Thanks that sounds like it would work. Will see if someone at the club is keen to try it out. Another idea i would like to try is towing from one side of the towing boat from say a cleat set forward of the stern by a few feet and keeping the towed boat offset to that side. Works in theory but in practice it may be too hard to keep the towed boat off to one side. Interesting experiment for a CALM day