Had a hard time providing a short tow to a distressed boat...

[ken4motion]

As my young son and I were headed back in today we entered our creek off the bay and there was a stuck boater. He gestured over for help and I naturally assisted him and caught the line he tossed. He had an old center console with an outboard motor that was probably 19 feet long. I was able to tow him up the canal/creek for about 500 yards but then for some reason I had no real steering power and felt like the surrounding forces took over. The wind was at my back and the tide was going out. I felt bad and helped him drift to the closest private dock. Luckily an owner from the next property was out there and was able to lend him a hand in getting him to his home dock.
I had two lines from my boat to his (at the rear cleats). Is the single jet simply not capable of slowly pulling a distressed rig or are my skills just not up to par for suck a task?

 

[Britboater]

I'd say your boat is more than capable, may be you were trying to rush?

 

[Julian]

Towing a boat that is a similar size to yours will require twice the throttles to achieve the same speed. The tide going out will also have been forcing a higher RPM. So perhaps you weren't giving it enough throttle?

Also, you want to tie off to the stern tie downs, not the cleats (in my opinion). They are lower on the hull and will cause less torque on the upper hull, and are made to hold more weight. You also want to tie off with a line as described in the attached:

http://www.boatsafe.com/nauticalknowhow/towtip.htm

 

[Geiger41]

depending on how far the other boat was behind yours, you basically are pushing the boat away with the water coming from the jet ALONG with pulling at the same time with the ropes...thus cancelling eachother out and making it VERY hard to tow.....I know this bc I did this with a jet ski dock and was a complete MF'r... had to go about 3mph and I could not go any quicker due to the afformentioned push/pull happening

 

[Murf'n'surf]

The problem was that you were towing his boat backwards. The added pressure from towing it backwards was too much to overcome with jets

 

[bucks448]

When I had my LX2000 I pulled someone off a sandbar...I felt like a dragonfly on the end of a string. It's doable but as mentioned, much more thrust is required just to maintain steerage, let alone forward progress.

@Murf'n'surf , I think he tied off to his own rear cleats...and I assume to the bow of the other boat.

 

[Murf'n'surf]

@bucks448 I think you are correct. Reading through fast I read something else!

 

[Julian]

I've towed 3 other boats no problem at all. If his boat was being towed backwards....that would have been a challenge!

Towed a center console in on the Cape Fear river when we were out there, down a narrow channel. Does get a little hairy for sure, especially with any wind.

 

[txav8r]

Only having 180hp vs 320, 360, or even 280, is a good amount less, even in the 19' boat. It is enough to tow him, but your going to be doing less than wake speed for sure, and remember, we don't have a rudder. So it literally takes jet thrust to turn the boat and that won't pull him that direction, as you are using your thrust in the opposite direction from which you wish to go. And like the other guys said, if your tow rope is short, your fighting him with your thrust. If you could put out 100', you could probably get him up on the water easier, but you may still bog a good bit.

 

[Speedling]

I heard once you were supposed to tie off so the boat was next to you like you were at a raft up?
I would think you would have to turn pretty hard for that to work, but then at least the jet wouldn't be pushing against the boat!
Anyone ever try it this way?

 

[Murf'n'surf]

@Speedling That is called a hip tow and I would NOT try this in a jet boat. You need an outboard or I/O -- something with a prop and drive in the water. You could hip tow in a perfectly calm area with no wind and current but our jets could not counter resistance very well.

 

[JJ-B-Boatin]

Quick question, shouldn't the disabled boater be able to use their outdrive to help with the steering pending that they could turn their drive? I would think this would help all the steering issues.

 

[Glassman]

Here is a link to a good article:

Towing a vessel - its more involved than you think!

http://www.thefishingline.com/towinga.htm

I've towed other boats in an emergency before and the boat wasn't too happy about it. This article explains why I'll no longer offer to tow anyone any distance, other than to shore or to another waiting tow vessel nearby in an emergency. The stress on the engines and jet pump is too great in my opinion.
You need a tow-boat, ski and wakeboard boats are designed to pull things. Our Yamahas, try as they might, are not suitable tow-boats.

 

[Venkman]

I have towed boats a couple of times with the AR210, it was not as easy as I thought it should have been and we use a fairly long rope. I do think it is the responsibility to help fellow boaters within reason and within capabilities, but reading articles with words like liability and negligence defiantly gives me pause.

I usually have a fairly capable "crew" with me at the lake, the concern I usually have is the crew of the other boat or the boat itself, it never fails that the distressed boat is either overloaded, ill-equipped, over intoxicated or a just plain pile of floating crap held together by tape and dumb luck. I am not sure my insurance agent would approve of some of the situations I have put myself in at the lake trying to do the right thing.

 

[Venkman]

And I don't really think the outdrive on the towed boat would be too much help. I know its in effect a rudder, but I can recall from my I/O days that it wasn't much good without the prop turning. I think where a I/O helps with a rudder effect is how it "plants" the rear of the boat in the water.

 

[davel501]

Here is a link to a good article:

Towing a vessel - its more involved than you think!

http://www.thefishingline.com/towinga.htm

I've towed other boats in an emergency before and the boat wasn't too happy about it. This article explains why I'll no longer offer to tow anyone any distance, other than to shore or to another waiting tow vessel nearby in an emergency. The stress on the engines and jet pump is too great in my opinion.
You need a tow-boat, ski and wakeboard boats are designed to pull things. Our Yamahas, try as they might, are not suitable tow-boats.

Uh-oh here comes the to tow or not to tow debate again . I am in the I will wait with the disabled boat but not tow it camp.

I wonder if the disabled boat was still in gear.

 

[Gym]

I have towed boats a couple of times with the AR210, it was not as easy as I thought it should have been and we use a fairly long rope. I do think it is the responsibility to help fellow boaters within reason and within capabilities, but reading articles with words like liability and negligence defiantly gives me pause.

I usually have a fairly capable "crew" with me at the lake, the concern I usually have is the crew of the other boat or the boat itself, it never fails that the distressed boat is either overloaded, ill-equipped, over intoxicated or a just plain pile of floating crap held together by tape and dumb luck. I am not sure my insurance agent would approve of some of the situations I have put myself in at the lake trying to do the right thing.

I'm in your camp @Venkman. I'll help someone out, then think of the possible consequences. I think I'll take a few more minutes to evaluate a situation unless personal safety is at stake.

 

[txav8r]

At least try to help...if you can't, you can't, but you tried. Nothing in the law says you have to disable both boats trying!

 

[sysinu]

Just a thought, but when you're towing someone you don't really want them in the prop/jet wash. I have found that making slight turns to push the towed vehicle out of the wash to make a huge difference. I do this with my houseboat (even though it is a 1/10th difference in fuel) and I do this when towing a tube as well. It will apply just the same to towing a boat behind you.

With my Cobalt it was exactly the same, I had pulled a Lund back to port and felt like I was towing an anchor until I got it out of my wash.

 

[ken4motion]

Wow some great information posted here. The 'dragonfly on a string' analogy is the perfect description of the experience!