88 BASIC POWERBOATING. SAFETY & RESCUE FOR SAILING INSTRUCTORS Fitting on end of towline Pole Towing a Powerboat


If a boat has an eye on its stem for attaching a trailer’s winch cable or a mooring, this is usually the strongest place to attach a towline. A kicker skiff hook on a pole can make it easier to attach a line to this eye. When towing, it is desirable to tow the boat with its outboard motor raised out of the water to reduce drag. However, if a boat yaws or swings from side to side, it may be necessary to lower the motor to reduce yawing, and in some cases to steer it.


Towing a Sailboat Towline Kicker skiff hook


If a towline cannot be fastened to the sailboat’s bow or led through a bow chock or fairlead, a person should steer the sailboat. If a sailboat has a centerboard or daggerboard, it should be raised ½ or 2⁄3 to improve tracking; if there is no one on the boat, it should be fully raised. Shifting crew and equipment weight aft to raise the bow also may increase tracking performance. Sails are usually lowered on centerboard-type boats to reduce the possibility of capsizing or adversely affecting their control on a tow. If towing short distances into the wind, the sails can stay up and flap in the wind. Another alternative for small boats is to detach the mainsail from the boom, allowing the sail to flap without the danger of a swinging boom hitting someone. On some boats with no standing rigging to support the mast, the mainsail may be detached from the boom and wrapped around the mast and secured.


A towline has been attached to a stem eye on a powerboat using a kicker skiff hook.


The towboat has a lookout to watch the tow with sails up and experienced sailors in the boats to trim the sails to minimize wear and tear on them.


Towing a String of Boats


If towing more than one boat, measured changes in towing speed become very important, as well as the ability of the people in the boats to steer them. If a towboat suddenly decreases its speed, the boats under tow may collide and become entangled, which could be difficult to sort out and, in a worst case scenario, the tow may need to be broken up and started over again. If the speed is increased too rapidly, people on the boats may be caught off balance and sudden loading on the boats and towlines could result in damage. When picking up boats onto a tow, the speed of the tow is critical. Too slow could lead to boats on a tow losing steering control or colliding with each other. Too fast could make it difficult to tie a new boat onto the tow.


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