Towing a 17' center consul fishing boat

[ron6785]

Towing a 17' center consul fishing boat suggestions???

Planning to take our 53MY to Kentucky Lake for the hurricane season. We want to pull our 17' fishing boat. I've crossed the Gulf with it on a long tether which worked ok in the open sea, and I've snugged it up close with a fender to protect it from the swim platform however on a recent trip in rough water the fender came off and did some damage to the swim platform so I need a better system. In river systems and locks you really need it to perform like an extension of the boat. It's too big for the davit and aft deck cradel. ANY SUGGESTIONS?????

 

[Blaine Thorpe]

Not sure if this is the same in all of the river systems, but the Coast Guard stopped a freind of mine towing a jet ski on a line and told him that it was illeglal to transport it that way. This was on the Illinois River. If he would have been towing it back to the marina because it didn't run it would have been OK .

I have gone throuh several locks with another boat on the hip. Pulled it up tight with several fenders between us with no problem. That is the way the lockmaster recommended rather than towing on a line. I contacted the lock ahead of time to be sure it was OK.

Blaine

 

[ron6785]

Not sure if this is the same in all of the river systems, but the Coast Guard stopped a freind of mine towing a jet ski on a line and told him that it was illeglal to transport it that way. This was on the Illinois River. If he would have been towing it back to the marina because it didn't run it would have been OK .

I have gone throuh several locks with another boat on the hip. Pulled it up tight with several fenders between us with no problem. That is the way the lockmaster recommended rather than towing on a line. I contacted the lock ahead of time to be sure it was OK.

Blaine

Yes, I don't think towing on a line is safe except when in open water, I've mounted two cleats on the port and star side of my transom and run lines to the side cleats on the boat. I also have a center line from the u-bolt on the front of the boat that attaches to the swim platforn that keeps the boat centered and snugged up but even with a big fender on the fishing boat I did damage to my swim platform so I need a better system. I tried using a 6' pole connected to the swim platform and boat with stainless snap shackles but apparently I don't understand the engineering dynamics because it worked but the pole bent the first day and one of the shackeles was bent completely open.