Towing an dinghy can be a convenient and effective way to transport your tender for short trips on calm waters. However, towing a dinghy comes with its own set of safety concerns and techniques that must be mastered to ensure a smooth and accident-free journey. No one wants to turn around on passage to see that their dinghy has flipped, or worse, disappeared.
Towing involves dealing with various dynamic factors such as changing sea conditions, vessel speeds, and the inherent instability of a small boat in tow. These elements can present challenges that, if not properly managed, can lead to accidents, equipment damage, or even loss of the dinghy.
This article will delve into the main safety concerns, instructions on how to tow a dinghy, and tips to make the process easier and more efficient. Additionally, we will share tips to make the process easier and more efficient, utilizing the best practices and equipment to streamline your towing experience.
Main Safety Concerns of Towing a Dinghy
1. Weather Conditions: Always Lift Your Dinghy in Bad Weather
One of the major safety concerns when towing a dinghy is weather conditions. Bad weather can significantly increase the risks associated with towing. High winds, rough seas, and storms can make towing dangerous and potentially damaging to both your main boat and the dinghy.
Key Point: If you anticipate bad weather, it is always advisable to lift your dinghy out of the water and secure it on deck. This prevents it from being battered by waves or swamped by water, which could lead to sinking or severe damage.
2. Limit Towing to Short Trips
Towing a dinghy is best suited for short distances. Long trips can increase the wear and tear on both your dinghy and the tow line, making them more susceptible to failure. Additionally, the longer the tow, the higher the chance of encountering unexpected weather changes or sea conditions.
Recommendation: Plan your trips carefully and avoid towing your dinghy over long distances. If you need to travel far, consider lifting the dinghy onto your main vessel instead.
3. Remove the Outboard Motor
An outboard motor adds significant weight and drag to your dinghy, making towing more challenging and risky. The extra weight can affect the dinghy's stability and increase the likelihood of it flipping over in rough seas.
Safety Tip: Before towing, remove the outboard motor and secure it on your main vessel. This reduces weight and drag, making towing safer and easier.
How to Tow a Dinghy
1. Use a Long Enough Towing Line
The length of your towing line is critical for safe towing. A line that is too short can cause the dinghy to crash into the stern of your main boat, especially when the boat slows down or speeds up while going over waves. This distance should allow the dinghy to ride the waves independently without colliding with your vessel. Generally, a tow line that is 1-2x the length of your main boat will be adequate. For example, a 40ft boat should use a 40-80 ft tow line.
It’s also important to adjust your towline to suit the wave position. The front of the trough is often a good spot for your dinghy, providing smoother towing conditions. However, the front face of the wave is typically not ideal as it can cause instability. A towline long enough to give you the flexibility to experiment with different lengths will allow you to find the best towing position depending on wave conditions.
2. Pull the Dinghy In Before and After Leaving
When maneuvering your main boat, especially when anchoring or leaving a marina, it’s essential to pull the dinghy in close. This practice helps prevent the towing line from getting caught in the propeller, which could cause damage and require a tricky and potentially dangerous retrieval process.
3. Keep an Eye on the Dinghy
Constant vigilance is necessary when towing a dinghy. Keeping an eye on the dinghy ensures that you can react quickly if it flips over, comes loose, or encounters any other problems.
Safety Advice: Designate someone to periodically check on the dinghy, especially in rough seas or busy waterways. This watchful eye can make a significant difference in preventing accidents and ensuring a smooth towing experience.
True Kit Top Towing Tips
1. Attach the Tow Line to Both Sides of the Dinghy
By using a bridle to attach the tow line to both sides of the dinghy will help to distribute the towing force more evenly. This setup can prevent the dinghy from swaying excessively and reduce the risk of it flipping over, while also spliting the load over multiple D-Rings..
Closed-bow designs, like True Kit’s Navigator, are best towed using the 3 D-ring system. Attach the towline to the outer D-rings, but feed it through the center D-ring. This technique helps control bow rise and ensures a stable tow.
Open-bow designs, like True Kit’s Discovery, are best towed using all 4 bow D-rings. This setup provides excellent straight tracking, shares the load between the D-rings, and helps control bow rise.
2. Use Floating Lines (Polypropylene)
Floating lines are an excellent choice for towing because they stay on the water's surface, reducing the risk of them getting caught in your propeller or other underwater obstacles.
3. Weighing Down Your Dinghy
Lighter dinghies, like True Kit’s inflatable models, offer amazing performance but can be more vulnerable to strong winds compared to heavier options. For very lightweight dinghies, it may be beneficial to weigh them down to reduce wind impact during towing. An easy way to do this is by using bags of water as temporary ballast.
Tip: Catamaran dinghies tow particularly well because they ride on two straight outside pontoons rather than a central V-hull, offering greater stability and control in windy conditions.
The Discovery Package includes a bridle handle, which can be used as a tow point.
Tow With Confidence
Towing isn’t always recommended, but having the option to do so on a short journey can make day-to-day life much easier as you move from place to place. However, you must make sure you do so in the safest way possible. We hope this simple guide has given some helpful tips that can allow you to tow more confidently in the future.
