There are aspects to this that can really get you down and dirty in details. For instance, the tug tow ³on the hip² works really well when the tug has a great excess of thrust, and it helps if the tug has a rudder. That¹s not what usually happens when you get a friendly tow. It¹s usually a small power vessel that only steers by prop thrust, and the prop is a small one.
To give a practical example, one time I had to take an outboard skiff and rescue my C-27 because my son and a party of friends had rendered the motor inop, and were way too unskilled to sail in. We did put the skiff ³on the hip.² The skiff had sufficient power to bring us up the river just fine, but the C-27 had about 90 percent of the steering control, as well as about 90 percent of the combined mass. Even at one knot, the C-27 can steer the combo, but at zero knots, the powerboat needs to manage the whole shebang. If the powerboater is confused about this situation, it would be really bad to learn the truth right at the dock. Luckily, it kind of becomes self-evident. I have seen the relationship get even more skewed. I sailed on a 125-foot wooden schooner that had no engine. Most of the time, the skipper would literally sail her right up to the mooring, a display of seamanship that is just awesome. But if there were ever any times when vessel needed aux power, they lowered the ³yawl boat,² the ship¹s tender, with her little 60-horse diesel. The skipper and the yawl boat had to work in perfect coordination to get anything to happen at all, since the vessel displaced 160 tons. --Dave S. (Demitri) On 10/14/08 9:40 AM, "[EMAIL PROTECTED]" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > To clarify, I did NOT sail in. The wind was to close to dead on the nose, it's > a narrow channel, and a hard turn to head toward my slip. That's exactly why I > got myself towed in. The marina guy's complaint was that the tow was a line > stern to bow rather than side to side. My reason for posting was one of > educating myself on potential seamanship issues, so I thank you all for your > comments. > > Tom > > > > > > "Ralph E. Ahseln" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Sent by: [email protected] 10/14/2008 02:57 AM > Please respond to > [email protected] > To > <[email protected]> > cc > Subject > Re: catalina27-talk: towed in > > > > > Harvey, > > You're not the only "Odd man" here. > > What you describe is, IMHO, the correct way. It's what I think is called > ...Proper Seamanship. > > Sailing into a slip or pier should only be done as an emergency effort. > > While we all consider ourselves to be Advanced or even Expert sailors, > Choosing not to use a "Tug" .. IF available, begs for trouble. > Even the expert can loose the gamble once in a while.. > > The case here stated could have been a situation where there was no option. In > that case, sailing in was necessary. > IF a tow had been available, I would have welcomed the aid. And I would have > insisted that the vessel be positioned .. Aft of the mast, on my Quarter. > > The Bow line tow or the Quarter "tug" is the common way Rescue vessels work .. > around here.. > > Thanks for the Straight Talk. > > > Uniform Whisky, > > Ralph Ahseln > "Oblio" 1984 Std. > Gresham OR > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Harvey Rosenberg <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > Sent: Monday, October 13, 2008 10:32 PM > Subject: Re: catalina27-talk: towed in > > Tom, > I guess I'll be the odd man out. > The manager's description of "side by side" is somewhat incorrect. He meant > "on the hip". > In general, this is a way of towing that makes both boats as act as one, and > in most circumstances would be preferred method. > > The tower positions his boat so that his stern is in back of the stern of the > towed boat (on the towed boat's quarter) and secured by spring lines fore and > and aft and bow and stern lines. The tow boat controls both boats as one boat > and they both can be controlled in close quarters. > > There are a few problems with this. If seas are running, the boats would bump > together with some injury to the topsides. Also, if tower is large > (proportionately), the stanchion's of the sail boat might hit the sides of the > bow flair of the tower. You also need good fenders. Commercial towers may use > large ball fenders. The ideal tow configuration would probably be a towline > when at sea and then when you get into calm waters or near the marina and > convert to the tow to "on the hip". This would be somewhat difficult for an > amateur. > Sailing in and then having a wind shift could have you on a lee shore that is > a line of slips of boats. > > So the marina operator is justified in requesting that you be under total > control of the boat with a "on the hip" tow and avoid sailing in the marina. > > Of course life is not that simple. And it's so satisfying sailing it in. > > Harvey Rosenberg, C27TR 1985, M-18 > > > > > > > > > > ------ Original Message ------ > Received: Mon, 13 Oct 2008 01:25:55 PM EDT > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > To: [email protected] > Subject: catalina27-talk: towed in > > > > My outboard, which has been increasingly recalcitrant all summer, failed me > outside the channel into the marina yesterday afternoon. With a 50 ft wide > channel and the wind on the nose, I had to get a guy to tow me in. At the > point where I would normally make a 90 degree turn into my slip, I just > uncleated and dropped the tow line, and turned into the slip with the last of > my momentum and dropped on the dock lines. No sweat. > > Marina owner then came down .... said I should have been tied up side to side > and let the powered boat bring me completely into the slip, I endangered other > boats, bla bla bla. > > Anyone have any thoughts? > > Tom > > > > >
