Using boarding ladder as towbar

[Catigale]

I had to bring back two dinks from Cuttyhunk (our 10 foot Watertender and our Optimist sailing dinghy)

I wasnt thrilled about having two things in tow, especially since we often have to dust off the landing at Westport if the wind is up..thats a real mess with two dinks in tow.

In a rare moment of innovation, I lowered the ladder, used a double SS carabiner with a short 1/4 inch braid leash, and used it as a tow bar. I trailed the Optimist behind it (the Pessimist had already sunk..)

It worked like a charm. The towbar moved up and down with the dink and kept it nicely behind us.



Cuttyhunk Island in the background

[second wind too]

Hmmmm, I wonder if would be too much strain to tow a skier using the ladder to attach the ski tow line? Kids home from University. Sailing put them to sleep. Rigged a line between the two Aft cleats and attached tow line for sking to that as it just so happened the kids had brought a wake board along Would be a lot easier to just attach the tow line to the ladder. Attaching to the cleats has some interference with the rudders in up position. Then again, would hate to rip the swim ladder off the transom.

[pokerrick1]

Let them sleep - - - they need the rest

Rick

[Sumner]

I started doing that last year and it works great. Keeps the dingy line from getting into the outboard prop and wrapped around the rudder.

I made an easily removable bracket...



that holds the ladder out horizontal....



....It is strong enough that we can step down onto the horizontal ladder and use it like a boarding platform to get in and out of the dingy easily.

There is more here....

http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner ... de-17.html

c ya,

Sum

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[Catigale]

Thanks Sum..no doubt Ruth will fab a complete sunbrella cover for it too...


I dont have that nice arch to drop that tow hook, so will have to think if I can board on it.The dogs would need a solid plank to walk of course...maybe a snap on piece of starboard so that you could remove for use as a ladder?

BTW - for completeness, the Optimist towed great with the CB down and the towline around the mast. I had never tried this but was hopeful it would work...

[Sumner]

......I don't have that nice arch to drop that tow hook, so will have to think if I can board on it.The dogs would need a solid plank to walk of course...maybe a snap on piece of starboard so that you could remove for use as a ladder?

I recently added an additional rung at the bottom to make it easier to board while swimming and also added the flat steps to make it easier on "old bare feet" .



I also added a wider flat facing piece to the one step (arrow) so that it would be easier to stand on while getting into and out of the dinghy. Like you said maybe you could add something that had a ramp off of it for the dog.



I had to move the tow attachment to the new bottom rung,

Sum

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[Catigale]

A flat piece of starboard with some clips would just clip to the rungs and make an easy boarding plank for humans and canines. Ill have to find another function for that board though, since nothing on my boat can serve a single purpose to make it on board....

[Russ]

I had to bring back two dinks from Cuttyhunk (our 10 foot Watertender and our Optimist sailing dinghy)

So how did you end up with 2 dinghys on the return trip?

I used to see those Optimist dinghys towed in a chain like that all the time. They would have 6-8 of them towed back to the yacht club by a Boston Whaler (not a Mac).

Looking at that and Sumner's setup, I'm going to have to try towing our dink from the ladder. Especially in close quarters like docking.

BTW, 2 weeks ago I was in NJ and saw a line of 5 Lasers anchored in a row outside the yacht club (with sails up and luffing). Later a storm blew up and I saw all of them capsized on their sides.




--Russ

[Sumner]

...... I'm going to have to try towing our dink from the ladder. Especially in close quarters like docking.......--Russ

We have docked with it on the ladder, but still prefer to decide which side of the boat will be on the dock and tie the dinghy to the opposite side, especially if we have to back out.

In Idaho.......



.... in only the 4th time we had ever docked, going out we got away from the dock, but then had to go past the end of all of the docks in a tight quarter deal and the dinghy got trapped between the mac and the dock and was compressed and compressed to the point I thought it would explode, but it didn't . Hopefully that doesn't happen again.

Towing off the ladder removed about 99% of all of the hassles we had before. It is like a tow bar on a car and keeps the dinghy and its line away from the Mac. The only problem is backing you don't know which side it will pivot to.

c ya,

Sum

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[Catigale]

We drop the skiff on our first trip to C'hunk in June and leave it there all summer.

We brought an Optimist to try some small boat sailing (I can borrow the clubs, but the CYC has been full this year and I wanted to let the kids play too...

We took the Optimist out topside last trip in July since we had 7 on board and decided not to get a slip but stay on anchor. Having two ways to shore turned out to be useful. With the girls now able to drive the dink solo (qualifying includes raising/lowering motor, cold start, hot flooded start, and docking test) I can send the crew ashore and clean/cook/reorganise the boat at will - I still get to shore dry..

I found centreboard down, no tiller on the Optimists works well for towing - the tow rope went around the mast with minimal chafe after 2 hours - I might make a thicker tow loop for that though.

I was able to sail the Optimist onto the dinghy dock at Cuttyhunk pretty easily in tight quarters - never had to take the oars out of their covers...

[Russ]

...... I'm going to have to try towing our dink from the ladder. Especially in close quarters like docking.......--Russ

We have docked with it on the ladder, but still prefer to decide which side of the boat will be on the dock and tie the dinghy to the opposite side, especially if we have to back out.

That's how we do it now. However, there is a narrow cut that we have to get through to our slip. With dinghy on the side, we are that much wider getting through it. I'm always afraid of snagging the dingy on the wall. With dinghy on the ladder off the transom I bet it would be an easier job.

In Idaho.......

We were in Coeur D'Alene this week and took a drive down to the lake. We must come back with the boat.


--Russ

[Sumner]

.With dinghy on the side, we are that much wider getting through it. I'm always afraid of snagging the dingy on the wall. With dinghy on the ladder off the transom I bet it would be an easier job...............

.........We were in Coeur D'Alene this week and took a drive down to the lake. We must come back with the boat. --Russ

If that is the case I'll bet the ladder will work great going in. Do you have to back out? That is the only downside I see to the ladder if you are in tight quarters.

Coeur D'Alene does look nice, but if we go back we would probably go to.....



.... Lake Pend Oreille that is not far to the north of there at all and we would love to go back to....



...Priest and..............



.................. Upper Priest...................

http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner ... index.html

When you do Coeur D'Alene write the trip up for us,

Sum

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[SkiDeep2001]

Sum, sounds like you and Ruth had a great trip How about a few more pics of the Studebaker next time. Rob

[fishheadbarandgrill]

Can I tow a dingy from my 26M with the standard swim ladder?

Thanks,
Bob

[second wind too]

Some great towing ideas there gentlemen. For sking I like the idea of tieing to Aft cleat and then routing line thru the end of the horizontal ladder. Looks like I have a little fabricating to do, although sking is not why I bought the boat. I'm determined to get the kid to enjoy sailing, probably as much chance as getting him to like classic rock, but I'll keep trying. Again, some great ideas there.