Article by Capt. Mark Sampson
So a friend of yours tells you that his boat has motor troubles and asks if you would use your boat to tow him to the local boat ramp a couple miles away. It seems like a simple enough task, so you hook up a line between your stern cleat and his bow and off you go. Getting out of your canal and into open water is more challenging than you thought because his boat keeps wandering from one side to the other and your boat doesn't want to steer straight from the force of the towline on your stern. More than once you have to stop and fend off from hitting other boats that are moored in the same canal.
Finally, you're out in the open bay and happy that both wind and current are going the same way that you are so that your engine is not struggling too much as it propels twice it's normal load. But upon reaching a part of the bay that's choked with fishing boats, some anchored and some drifting, it starts to get a little hairy as you try to twist and turn your way through the maze without bumping into anyone along the way.
Traveling down the channel you notice that even though you're just idling along, thanks to the following current, you're making really good time, so all you have to do now is pass under the bridge and the boat ramp will be just around the corner. But as you approach the bridge the draw span suddenly opens to allow a big boat that's coming from the other direction to pass under the span. The bridge isn't wide enough for the two of you to pass under at the same time so you pull you're boat back into neutral to slow down and let the other guy go first. The problem is, the current that was helping so much is now pushing you and your tow at a good clip straight for the bridge and the guy coming through. You can't back up because you'll run into the guy you're towing and you can't do a U-turn because you're too close to the bridge already. You're in quite a pickle that you know is going to end ugly with boats bouncing off each other and possibly even the bridge. Aren't you glad you agreed to tow your buddies boat?!
Sooner or later almost every boater will find themselves in a "towing" situation where either they need to be towed or someone else needs to be pulled somewhere. As described in my little story, a boat might need to be pulled all the way down the bay, or maybe it just needs a short tug across a harbor, off a sandbar or perhaps a buddy of yours who broke down many miles from shore needs a long tow home through a dark stormy night.
Whatever the reason for hooking onto and pulling another vessel, you'd better think long and hard before agreeing to be the Good Samaritan for a friendly tow, because one slipup and you could be in big trouble! Simply because there are so many variables involved, towing a boat can be downright dangerous even when done correctly. Natural forces such as wind, current and tide can be very problematic, as can the structural elements and limitations of both vessels.
Boats aren't designed to be towed, they're designed to be pushed through the water by their own power. Once you start pulling a boat on a string it's naturally going to perform differently than if it were under its own power. A boat being towed will often want to "yaw" or wag back and forth on the towline, particularly if there is too much weight at the bow, causing it to dig in and make the boat track back and forth. If this motion is too severe the vessel can actually capsize, especially in times of choppy conditions.
A huge concern when towing another vessel is what happens if or when you need to stop. With your boat it's no problem. Just pull it into neutral and then maybe reverse, and you're dead in the water. But the boat you're towing doesn't have that option, even without any wind or current to help it along the way. The momentum alone is going to keep it moving ahead, even when the towboat stops. That can have the towed vessel plowing into a dock, a bulkhead or even the towboat.
Serious problems can arise if a towline breaks, a cleat pulls out, a strong cross current pushes the towed vessel into a buoy or other object, or if the towboat is unable steer properly because of the strain of the towline. While towing another boat is always risky business, there are a few things boaters can do to help minimize the threat of calamity
Tow slow and plan ahead
Sharp turns and sudden stops are impossible when towing, so you have to watch and plan way ahead to keep out of getting into a box that you can't navigate out of. Be extra careful when you first start to pull a boat. If something is going to break that's probably when it's going to happen. If there are passengers in the towed vessel it's important to have both boats pointed in the same direction when you "slowly" start to pull them. If the towed vessel is pointed in a different direction at startup, passengers could be thrown down or out of the boat if the bow is suddenly yanked to one side or the other.
Trim the lower unit down
When towing an outboard or I/O, trimming the motor down will make it act like a rudder as well as add drag at the stern, helping the boat to track straight. If someone is in the towed vessel they should be ready to help steer the boat straight as necessary.
Keep an anchor ready
Since the disabled vessel has no power of it's own, the towed vessel should have an anchor rigged and ready to quickly deploy if the towline were to part at the worst possible time. Anchoring could be the only way to keep a boat from drifting into a bad place such as a bridge, jetty, pier or surf-line.
Employ the services of a professional tow company
Towboat U.S. and Seatow are two reputable tow companies that operate in this area. Both are available 24/7, are just a phone or radio call away and have towboats capable of running many miles offshore and up into the shallow waters of our back bays. For an annual fee, boaters can enroll in insurance programs with these companies that cover the cost of their services if needed. Skippers of these towboats are licensed and trained professionals who have the equipment and experience to safely bring home stricken vessels of all sizes through all kinds of conditions. Considering all potential problems that can arise during what should be a simple tow from one place to another, hiring a professional to help move any boat from point "A" to point "B" is almost always going to be the best option.
Capt. Mark Sampson is an outdoor writer and captain of the charter boat, “Fish Finder”, docked at the Ocean City Fishing Center.
