Rendering (or receiving) assistance while afloat.

[starcrafttom]

So Saturday Susan and I helped out my duck club, Washington Waterfowl Association , with a clean up on a public hunting area on Farmed Island in Conway. We boat in clean up all the blinds or shells and trash. It was not to bad. On the way out I had to tow the club Pres. because his 9 hp mercury would not start. Now there 20 guys in 5 boats, all open sled, waiting for him to get the motor going. No amount of cord pulling or spark plug changes was getting it started again. so I ended up towing him from my stern cleat.

The commits above made me remember a important tip that I always do if possible. If I am towing or being towed I always wrap the line around a cleat but do not tie it off. I hold the tag end in my hand encase I have to let go of the tow. You can not always do this because of being alone or some times size of boat. I also always make sure that I or who ever is watching the line has a good knife out and ready. well that was one more tow for the year.

 

[chromer]

I towed a boat about 10 miles once. The towed boat owner was grateful and more than paid for my gas bill voluntarily.

 

['o cino]

I've towed others a few times, and always rig with halyard QR shackles. The release pin can be activated by pulling on a 5mm line (whatever length works for you) even under load. Having a Halyard shackle at both ends allows anyone to release the tow in the event of a problem. Being remote from the tow line when released is a plus...no reaching under a rail, etc. to cut a tow loose. Surprised nobody has mentioned putting a small lobster float near the towline ends to keep it from sinking and potentially fouling...even a flotation cushion will work in a pinch.

 

[AstoriaDave]

Michael,

What size halyard shackles are you using? The small ones I have seem like they might not stand up to the surges and strain of a tow in seas.

 

[gulfcoast john]

Best line-cutting knife?
Over the decades I've tried many line-cutter knives, from those like in Dr Bob's gallery to military Ka-Bar type fighting knives (mostly $60-
$130), but recently bought this one for $29 from Landfall. Very solid, tough and well made, folding action is a safety feature, and more purpose-built for cutting lines. Feels like it would last a lifetime, with lifetime warranty.

http://www.landfallnavigation.com/buckfoldingsaw.html

"This lightweight, compact, folding camp saw features a strong locking mechanism and 7 inches of casehardened offset teeth - perfect for cutting the melted polypropylene Lobster Trap off your Propeller Shaft. Its closed length is 8 1/2 inches and there is a hole in the handle through which to string a lanyard.
Practical, super-sharp, and indispensable. This 7 inch folding saw might likely become your favorite tool. Compact enough to keep in a pocket, this saw features the best triple-angle blade on the market today. The unique, variable-tooth blade design planes wood away far faster than ordinary, repetitive triple-angle designs. The blade locks in place when cutting to eliminate accidental closure and folds and locks into the handle for easy storage.
Features: Double-grind saw blade cuts on the pull and push strokes • Comfortable non-slip grip • Blade safely folds and locks into handle for storage • Blade length-7 inches • Lifetime warranty
#SBSAW$29.95"

Any other favorite line-cutters among Brats? Oddly, I can't find this anywhere else online.
Cheers!
John

 

[BrentB]

I use

 

[Lost Petrel]

I have one of these on my PFD

 

[hardee]

I have carried a Leatherman Wave for about 10 years now. Seems like I couldn't live without it. If I don't use it a couple of times a day for something, It's not a regular day.

If that works you should see a cool tool. OR (since it didn't) copy and paste it into your address line to get to it. Sorry.

Here is the link to Leatherman:
http://www.leatherman.com/10.html

Harvey
SleepyC :moon

 

[hardee]

Will be posting this into a different thread but something that can come into play and have serious consequences is how a location is reported off the GPS. Turns out there are 3 different systems and all three are in place and under use. There are even different systems in uses on a single vessel at times.

Need to know which you are using and how to report it.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon

 

[thataway]

I've towed others a few times, and always rig with halyard QR shackles. The release pin can be activated by pulling on a 5mm line (whatever length works for you) even under load. Having a Halyard shackle at both ends allows anyone to release the tow in the event of a problem. Being remote from the tow line when released is a plus...no reaching under a rail, etc. to cut a tow loose. Surprised nobody has mentioned putting a small lobster float near the towline ends to keep it from sinking and potentially fouling...even a flotation cushion will work in a pinch.

I see a lot of issues using Quick release shackles. Most halyard shackles are not quick release. I have many tens of thousands of miles of ocean racing, on boats up to 62 feet. The only sail we use a quick release on is a spinaker, and it is not only the halyard, but also the clues. There are specific reasons to dump a spinaker quickly. Many of the "spinaker Halyards" have some weaknesses and I have seen them fail. Many of these are made in China. The only ones I used are made by Wichard, or one of the US manufactures who have proofed the shackle. Even with a high quality shackle, I will never trust my life to one of these shackles--I always tie a bowline (and second safety line) before going up the rig--which I have done many times, at sea as well as at anchor or in a slip.


Lets say that some one who you are towing decides to release the fitting--this then becomes a missle and could easily injure someone on the boat which is being towed. It is imparative that persons on both boats be protected from the line, and any fittings on the line. Any decision to release a tow line should be agreed upon by both the boat doing the towing and the boat being towed.

What fitting would you put a spinaker quick release fitting into on the towing boat, and the boat being towed?

As for a float--that is standard on a bridle from which I use--not on the line being used as a tow line. If you don't use a bridle, then use a specific flat, but tie it to the line. I would not use a floatation cushion, nor would I use a "lobster pot float" There are a number of plastic covered ovoid type floats which work well for this applicaiton.

 

[Hunkydory]

Having now towed our Mokai with our 22CD for over 8000 miles mostly at very low speed in all kinds of conditions, I'm acutely aware of especially, the hazard of getting the tow line caught up in the prop, which over the miles & years I've been able to minimize, but it still happens. This is with floats on both bridles & the ovoid floats Bob mentioned attached to the so called floating rope about every 4 feet. The floats on the bridle tow rope prevent this from happening under normal maneuvers, but during a abrupt stop & reverse if the motors are not fully trimmed down, they can still suck the rope or even bridle into a prop. Either getting the tow rope in the prop from this or maneuvering to recover the Mokai after flipping & filling with water in big steep wave conditions has been my biggest concerns in its continual towing. The one time I did tow another boat it was another CD22 & it was with the same set up I use for the Mokai. With or with out floats I can see one of the many concerns of towing another boat especially if much maneuvering is called for under tow, being wrapping the tow line in a prop.

Jay

 

['o cino]

The Ronstan halyard releases are reliable, and deploy under tension...and might I add, so do several other makes that are made outside the USA . They are pricey (example the 6310 is about 90 bucks!) although it has a working strength of about 3900lbs, and breaking strength of about 7900lbs, of course other models are available with specs that will fit your app and pocketbook. The rigging is via 2 figure-8's on bights, thus a bridle can be self-equalizing rigged, with the release on a leg (not located on a tension point) and not attached to a hard point (cleat, etc). The towing stress is distributed through the triangle of equalization, and although not to be used for climbing purposes (American Triangle = Death) is good for this application. There is little risk of rebound with the buoy in line and appropriate towline length (Hmmmmmm, how much towline do you use? Hint, if it's consistently out of the water, it's too short )...this is not like the 4x4 You-Tubes of cables going through windshields.
This really isn't a "new" technique, although it's gaining favor as the metallurgy and cordage technology advances. We use an HTP line that is less than 1 percent elongation, and has "drop" characteristics that are amazing on tension release, either pull or cut. Long winded, and take it for whatever weight you think it's worth. Cheers!

 

[thataway]

The reality is that few if any of us will have a High Tenacity Polyester Climbing rope of 300 or so feet aboard. Most will use the anchor rode, or a back up rode, will most be nylon. Nylon has elasticity, which will launch a missile for quite a long distance. This becomes dangerous. Even on the sailboats, where we had back up halyards, which are of low stretch material, the length would be only a 100 to 130 feet in length, and that may not be enough to put the tow back where it belongs.

If you are a rescue vessel, you will have proper bits, proper tow lines etc. But most of us in C Dorys, have to us what we have.