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Towing techniques

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T O P I C R E V I E W
Steve Milby	Posted - 04/01/2020 : 05:36:32 In another thread on the subject of dinghy motors, the subject of the "hip tow" technique came up. It was off topic to that thread, but it's a good subject that should be discussed, and we haven't discussed it much here. When towing another boat, most people use the traditional method of taking a line from the bow of the disabled boat, attaching it to the stern of the tow boat, and pulling it. Nothing wrong with that. That's the way Tow Boat US usually tows a boat. It's especially useful in rough waters, but it doesn't allow you very much control over the towed vessel, and in a confined area, like a marina, control is crucial. When you use the traditional method, the towed vessel can drift to leeward while you're towing it through a fairway. Also, you can't tow it into a slip. In smooth waters, and in a confined area where you don't have much room to maneuver, the side tow or hip tow gives you very precise control over the towed vessel. Using a hip tow or side tow, the towed vessel isn't free to drift to leeward at the end of a long tether, and, when you get to a slip, the towing vessel can stick the disabled vessel's bow into the slip, and then untie the tow lines and back gently away. Here's a short video of the hip or side tow technique. https://youtu.be/TGVWWCE_q0M I had to tow a friend's boat with a broken rudder in very choppy water. I towed him the traditional way until we got into the river leading to the marina. Then I moved alongside him and towed him from his hip. When we reached his slip, I maneuvered his bow into the slip and he pulled himself in the rest of the way with a boat hook. On another occasion I towed a friend to a boat ramp using a hip tow. I maneuvered his bow into the center of his trailer and he hooked up his winch cable to his bow eye and winched it onto the trailer. As you can see from the video, it's easy to rig the boats for a hip tow or side tow, and it's a very useful technique. Generally, you rig the boats about the same way you rig them when you tie up to raft alongside another boat.
7 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First)
sethp001	Posted - 05/28/2020 : 15:57:43 Thanks, Steve!
RockB	Posted - 05/16/2020 : 12:22:10 quote: Originally posted by Steve Milby quote: Originally posted by dmpilc Thanks for posting. You're welcome. One more thought - when you're lashed onto another boat doing a hip tow, you're pushing around much more weight, and dealing with much more windage, and you need to use much more engine power to steer the boat and bring it into the wind, so be prepared to use enough throttle. I'd recommend testing full throttle before you need it so that you know how the entire rig will react.
Steve Milby	Posted - 04/02/2020 : 09:53:12 quote: Originally posted by dmpilc Thanks for posting. You're welcome. One more thought - when you're lashed onto another boat doing a hip tow, you're pushing around much more weight, and dealing with much more windage, and you need to use much more engine power to steer the boat and bring it into the wind, so be prepared to use enough throttle.
dmpilc	Posted - 04/02/2020 : 09:36:52 Thanks for posting.
Steve Milby	Posted - 04/01/2020 : 10:50:43 I'll bet you used all ten of those horses to move that 54' boat!
islander	Posted - 04/01/2020 : 10:37:40 quote: very impressed with the ability of a 10 horse dinghy to bring in our 54 foot sailboat and maneuver it right up to our mooring ball. I use to watch dock hands maneuver stone and sand barges along the dock by simply standing on a dock line to move them into position to be unloaded.
HappyNow	Posted - 04/01/2020 : 10:09:38 Thanks for posting . As I said previously on the other post, I didn�t know this until I really needed it, and was very impressed with the ability of a 10 horse dinghy to bring in our 54 foot sailboat and maneuver it right up to our mooring ball.

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Notice: The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.