Basic Line Towing

Salient points of the following tow method:

  • Powerboat Signals Tow
  • Passive Pickup (Powerboat stays in place) (Non-imminent emergency)
  • Multiple Rhodes, each with instructor onboard and each with a towline
  • Boats pulled behind each other, towline to bridle
  • All sailboats will have the same process, except the first in line will approach the powerboat

Definitions:

TOW STAGING AREA:  The proximate area downwind of the passive-pickup powerboat, in which all the sailboats should be before boats start to tie on to the tow. Approximately 5 boat-lengths times the number of boats getting on the tow (3*5=15).  This distance can contract or dilate depending on lower or higher wind, but the intention is to have the sailboats correctly placed before any boat attaches.

PASSIVE PICKUP: no emergency; Powerboat is stationary; Sailboat(s) come to it

ACTIVE PICKUP: emergency / fleet spread out. Powerboat actively decides who to pick up first and who should keep on making headway/drifting.

Pre-conditions:  Passive pickup; 10kts from N; @ UMass; Sunny, 87 degrees F;  3 Rhodes 19s in Step 2, Hurricane Harry; Going in for the day;  each sailboat has a towline on board.

Process:

  1. Announcing a tow:  (Boats are likely still outside of the tow staging area)
    1. Powerboat Operator
      1. Signals for the towing process to begin (sound signal?) (hand signals?)
      2. Readies tow post/stern bridle
    2. All Sailboat Instructors - Proceed to staging area, generally getting in the correct order and beginning to prep your boat for towing
      1. Understanding in what order to line the sailboat up:
        1. Passive Pickup: boat number order?
    3. All Sailboat Skippers -
      1. Be aware of where the tow staging area is
    4. All Sailboat Crews -
      1. Still actively sailing boat: going to the tow staging area
      2. Check Halyards:
        1. Are they free and clear and ready to be lowered in a few minutes?
      3. Getting the tow bridle ready:
        1. Stern and spring lines are unknotted, ungasketed (Why was it gasketed to begin with!?), ready to be fed through next sailboat’s bow tow line.
      4. Gets the bow tow line ready:
        1. Where was/is the tow line stowed?
        2. Tie bowline in the tow line before going to the bow.
        3. Instructor checks knot
  2. Readying for a tow:  (BOAT IS WITHIN TOW STAGING AREA)
    1. Powerboat Operator -  Getting into position to receive first boat, coaching and organizing all boats  (avoiding leaving stragglers that will cause a problem once you are attached to the first sailboat??)  (Powerboat shouldn’t take first sailboat, until powerboat is sure that all sailboats are within good distance for getting on tow)
    2. All Sailboats: When in correct area:
      1. Give command to lower jib / keep it out of water / (secure with one jib sheet? Or pull taut with sheets and remove halyard?)
      2. Understanding in what order to line the sailboat up:
        1. Passive Pickup: boat number order?
    3. All Sailboat Skippers -
      1. Be aware of where the tow staging area is, in order to get to it/stay in it
      2. Slows down / Let out mainsail in order to not just be blasting all around, if already close to the staging area
      3. Maintains control of the sailboat
    4. All Sailboat Crews -
      1. Still sailing boats
      2. Sets up the bow tow line:
        1. Once jib is lowered, proceed
        2. Tow line attached to bow cleat with bowline.  (Instructor/skipper should be thinking: Who does this? Why that person? At times, it might be most appropriate for the instructor themself to do it, but if someone else is competent and knows a bowline well enough, it might not be the instructor.)
        3. Lead through bow chock
        4. Ready to be heaved to boat in front (On-boat question: how long until heaving?  There is no need for the crew to stay on bow, if it will be a while…, bring the unfixed end of the towline back into the cockpit with you)
    5. Sailboat 1:
      1. Goes for the approach to the powerboat
  3. Sailboat 1 ties to powerboat:
    1. Powerboat Operator - Maintains position bow into wind, in towing zone
    2. Sailboat 1-
      1. Approaching powerboat, on a close reach (i.e. able to go into safety position)
      2. Aiming ABAFT/behind the stern corner: A too-fast approaching boat should be able to pass the approached boat to its stern
      3. Controlled slow down to heave line  
      4. Objective is to slow to a position where line can be easily heaved to boat in front, but boats will not be in danger of touching
    3. Sailboat 1 Skipper -
      1. Maintaining close reach angle until boat is tied on
    4. Sailboat 1 Crew -
      1. LINE HEAVER:
        1. Once approach to towboat is imminent, the Line-heaver can be (back) on the on bow, (On-boat question: Can this crew member help additionally by calling distance for the skipper?), ready to heave tow line to boat in front
        2. The Line Heaver needs to ensure that the towline is not wrapped around shrouds, cleats, crew, etc.
        3. The towline should run from: BOW CLEAT to BOW CHOCK to BOAT  AHEAD.
      2. GENERAL CREW: is still sailing boat and is in position to lower main when confirmation comes from Powerboat that Sailboat 1 is tied on
    5. Sailboats 2 & 3:
      1. Getting into position in the staging area
      2. Taking care around other boats (are they already on tow, and have no maneuverability?  Are they trying to get in front of you to be in the right order?)
  4. Sailboat 1 is tied on:
    1. Powerboat Operator/Towline-Receiving sailboat-
      1. Signals Sailboat 1 that the towline is secured
      2. Powerboat: maintains taut towline between all boats on tow, but not significant advancement/movement
      3. Sailboat: keeps an eye on the towline, in order that if it isn’t taut, it also isn’t getting caught/wound up on anything.
    2. Sailboat 1-
      1. Lowers mainsail
      2. Steers behind powerboat, pointing at stern, unless contact is imminent
      3. ALL CREW IN COCKPIT
  5. Sailboat 2 ties to Sailboat 1:
    1. Powerboat Operator - Passive Pickup:
        1. Maintaining powerboat in position, in order for sailboats to approach
        2. This means maintaining tautness of towlines and powering into wind, at approximately windspeed, allowing the tied-on sailboats to drift behind, taut on the secured towlines.
        3. The point here is to give an as-stationary-as-possible target for the next boat in line to approach
    2. Sailboat 2-
      1. Approaching Sailboat 1, on a close reach (i.e. able to go into safety position)
      2. Aiming ABAFT/behind the stern corner: Too fast should be able to pass the next boat in line to its stern
      3. Controlled slow down to heave line
      4. Objective is to slow to a position where line can be easily heaved to boat in front, but boats will not be in danger of touching
    3. Sailboat 2 Skipper -
      1. Maintaining close reach angle until boat is tied on
    4. Sailboat 2 Crew -
      1. Line-heaver on bow, (Calling distance?), ready to heave tow line to boat in front
      2. General crew is in position to lower main when boat is tied on
    5. Sailboat 1:
      1. Steering for stern of boat in front, unless contact is imminent
      2. Crew is ready to catch tow line of Sailboat 2, put stern bridle lines through bowline, secure bridle
    6. Sailboat 3:
      1. Getting into position in the staging area
      2. Taking care around other boats (are they already on tow and have no maneuverability?  Are they trying to get in front of you to be in the right order?)
  6. Sailboat 2 is tied on:
    1. Powerboat Operator/Towline-Receiving sailboat-
      1. Signals Sailboat 2 that the towline is secured
      2. if Powerboat: maintains taut towline between all boats on tow, but not significant advancement/movement
      3. if Sailboat: keeps an eye on the towline, in order that if it isn’t taut, it also isn’t getting caught/wound up on anything.
    2. Sailboat 2:
      1. Lowers mainsail
      2. Steers behind Sailboat 1, pointing at stern, unless contact is imminent
      3. ALL CREW IN COCKPIT
  7. Sailboat 3 ties to Sailboat 2:
    1. Powerboat Operator - Passive Pickup:
        1. Maintaining powerboat in position, in order for sailboats to approach
        2. This means maintaining tautness of towlines and powering into wind, at approximately windspeed, allowing the tied-on sailboats to drift behind, taut on the secured towlines.
        3. The point here is to give an as-stationary-as-possible target for the next boat in line to approach
    2. Sailboat 3:
      1. Approaching Sailboat 1, on a close reach (i.e. able to go into safety position)
      2. Aiming ABAFT/behind the stern corner: Too fast should be able to pass the next boat in line to its stern
      3. Controlled slow down to heave line
      4. Objective is to slow to a position where line can be easily heaved to boat in front, but boats will not be in danger of touching
    3. Sailboat 3 Skipper:
      1. Maintaining close reach angle until boat is tied on
    4. Sailboat 3 Crew:
      1. Line-heaver on bow, (Calling distance?), ready to heave tow line to boat in front
      2. General crew is in position to lower main when boat is tied on
    5. Sailboat 2:
      1. Steering for stern of boat in front, unless contact is imminent
      2. Crew is ready to catch tow line of Sailboat 2, put stern bridle lines through bowline, secure bridle
    6. Sailboat 1:
      1. Tidying their boat, maintaining a heading towards stern of powerboat
  8. Sailboat 3 is tied on:
    1. Powerboat Operator/Towline-Receiving sailboat:
      1. Signals Sailboat 3 that the towline is secured
      2. if Powerboat: maintains taut towline between all boats on tow, but not significant advancement/movement
      3. if Sailboat: keeps an eye on the towline, in order that if it isn’t taut, it also isn’t getting caught/wound up on anything.
    2. Sailboat 3:
      1. Lowers mainsail
      2. Steers behind Sailboat 1, pointing at stern, unless contact is imminent
      3. ALL CREW IN COCKPIT
  9. Boats being used again today?
    1. IF NO:
      1. Sailboat crews can derig boat, depending on conditions/maintaining safety in boat
    2. IF YES:
      1. Sailboat crews can secure mainsail for temporary lunch derig or whatnot
  10. All sailboats are now attached, and the powerboat can begin to make headway
    1. Powerboat Operator
    2. Sailboats
      1. All skippers should be aiming their boat’s bow for the stern of the boat ahead, unless collision is imminent
        1. Collision could happen from not being pulled properly by the powerboat;
        2. During the slowdown/before throwing off;
        3. Maybe in rough conditions, but this would mean the powerboat is not keeping all the towlines taut between boats
      2. WHILE ON A TOW, IT MIGHT SEEM TO BE A TIME TO NOT PAY ATTENTION, BUT WE ARE STILL UNDERWAY, AND THE SKIPPER MUST BE VIGILANT
      3. Sailboat Crew
        1. Depending highly on the conditions, the crew should be acting safely at all times, and should continue to be kept safe by the instructor.  ALL CREW IN COCKPIT.
        2. IF and ONLY IF it has been predetermined that the boats are being towed directly to the dock/anchorage, the conditions allow, and the sails will NOT need to be raised again:
          1. Sailboat crews can fully derig boat, depending on conditions/maintaining safety in boat
          2. This should be done in a way that does not endanger the crew (COBs are very hard when everyone is attached to a towline, including the powerboat!!)
  11. Throwing off from a tow
    1. Do we have signals or method for leaving the tow, one by one, from the rear?
  12. Problems that happen:
    • Run over tow line
      • Preventions:
        • Keep all towlines taut, ask sailboats to pull them in if there is a reason that the powerboat is just going to drift for a while and the lines can’t be kept taut.
        • Floating tow lines should prevent this
    • Tow line on rudder or keel
      • Preventions:
        • Taut tow lines
      • Cures:
        • Tow needs to pause for a moment:
        • line can be pushed off rudder with paddle
        • if not dangerous the rudder could be lifted off its gudgeons, but it will be very difficult to put back in if water is moving around the boat
        • Towline could be untied from one side or the other and thrown back, after the fouling has been undone
    • Bowline unties
      • Preventions:
        • Instructor should check over the knots before tension is put on them from towing.
        • Different type of bowline or knot, if appropriate (Round Turn Bowline (!), Cleat Hitch (?))
    • Sailboat is not under control / starts sailing while on tow
      • Preventions:
        • Sails are down before movement of tow begins
        • Skipper of sailboat properly follows the boat ahead
    • Knots in towlines, in docking lines (bridle)
    • Waves
      • Preventions:
        • Pay attention to the difference between windage and wave action, if they are opposing in some way
      • Cures:
        • Don’t let the towlines go slack in waves, because when they tension back up, it will be more violent.
        • Change the tow’s angle of attack on the waves, even 15 degrees or so might help (though it all depends on where the tow is headed…)
    • Sailboats don’t get close enough/positioned correctly (especially a problem by the 3rd or 4th sailboat) and the powerboat can’t help as well, since they have boats tied to them
      • Preventions:
        • Ensure that all instructors/skippers know the plan, know the signals, know what a tow should look like going into it
        • Ensure all sailboats are in the tow staging area before tying on to the first sailboat
      • Cures:
        • Bring whatever boats you already have on tow to the badly positioned boat (Requires nimble movement of powerboat and sailboats already on tow)
        • Is there another powerboat that can pick this boat up instead?
    • Tow is very jerky or pulling left and right
      • Preventions:
        • Are there waves coming from behind or the side?
        • Is the tow going too fast?
      • Cures:
        • Ensure vigilance of skippers--they may have to fight the tendency of the sailboat to skitter one way or the other in waves, wind, or they may just not be paying enough attention