TOWING OTHER VESSELS
RIBS AND SMALL POWERBOATS
Small powerboats that carry only one engine can be vulnerable if they have engine failure. Mostly they tend not to venture too far out to sea so efforts to help them shouldn’t take too long, but if they are close to shore, time can be of the essence if they are drifting towards a lee shore.
RIBS usually have a V-shaped hull and a
SAILING DINGHIES
A group of dinghies at sea is usually part of a club or sailing school and will normally have a safety boat afloat nearby. However there are plenty of hardy souls who cruise in dinghies, some covering substantial distances. Frank Dye sailed a 4.8m Wayfarer dinghy from Scotland to Norway and Iceland.
When becalmed, almost all dinghy sailors have accepted a tow at some time, certainly all those securing point below the sponson on the bow. This strong point is for recovery on to the trailer but makes a handy attachment for towing. RIBS tow reasonably well even with the engine raised, thanks to the increased drag of the sponsons towards the stern of the boat, but they can still start sheering when the V-bow digs in and pushes the bow who have been to a sailing school or club. They will therefore know what to do if passed a towline. Many yacht skippers have sailed dinghies too and know the score. Traditional dinghies such as the Wayfarer may need bailing after a capsize but most have a self-bailing system which once underway clears the water quite quickly. Modern skiff dinghies with no transom hold one way. If this happens, lowering the outboard will increase drag aft.
Other small, light GRP powerboats with planing hulls are notoriously difficult to tow due to their sharp bows and flat aft hull sections, giving them a pivot point very close to the bow at displacement speeds. Keeping the outboard down helps and very little water so they drain almost instantly under tow, but because they are designed to use the crew weight for stability they capsize very easily if there is no one on board, so at least the helmsman must stay on board at the stern to steer. Even then it can be slow and difficult. Safety boats overcome this problem by towing alongside with the racks or overhanging gunwale resting on the sponson.
On board the dinghy the tow line is fixed to a strong point, usually the mast, and led through a bow fairlead if there is one. The main is lowered and the jib too, if possible. Daggerboard or centreboard must be lifted up and secured so it can’t slip down. While a tiny amount of centreboard may help with steerage, under tow the dinghy can easily ‘trip’ over the centreboard or the bow digging in. If the dinghy sheers off to one side, it is highly liable to capsize.
The helm should sit astern to keep the weight aft and the bow up. They will need to balance the dinghy to keep it level and steer to follow the towing boat.
The dinghy crew can drink tea on the yacht, leaving the helm to steer to follow the yacht’s transom. If the dinghy is being towed with no crew on board, the centreboard should be secured fully up and the helm tied amidships with the rudder down.