Towing a dinghy behind an Albin Express Trawler

[Lenovo]

Hello fellow Express Trawler owners,

I have recently purchased a 13 foot Boston Whaler to replace our inflatable dinghy which had sat on Weaver Davits while underway. Has anyone had experience towing a similar size Boston Whaler behind their trawler? Are modifications to the Trawler required to ensure a safe tow? A key question is whether the pop up cleats have backing plates and are they robust enough for towing at ten knots. Any and all information and suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Thanks and safe boating,

Tony and Mary
Salty Dog
2001 Albin Express Trawler
Twin Yanmar

[whwells]

Tony & Mary: The Boston Whaler 13' is a really nice boat. One you can use for an upscale dingy as well as some fishing in reasonably protected areas. Previously had one in Tahoe and regret now having sold it for more garage space.
Well, this past week we saw one being towed in the Puget Sound area. Just guessing that the tow boat was 35-40'. Seemed to be doing well. I have seen others towed and then pulled up along side of the main boat and tied along side for opposite side dock landing.
So can't answer your question re the 36 Albin Trawler but seems to me it should work find.
We had a member at the recent PNW Rendezvous towing a dingy comparable to a 17' Montack or larger. In fact we all used it as a taxi into Lopez Island.
Bet you will be fine.
whwells "Howard"
2006 35te Sport-fisher/Flybridge Conv.

[joreyn]

Tony and Mary, we just got back from a four week cruise following the PNW rendezvous. We towed the dinghy the entire time. I quickly found out that the two pop-up cleats are not useful for towing - not because they are not strong enough, but because they are too low. The tow line and bridle were dragged through the water at any speed.

We then tied the line to the cleats on the cockpit gunwales, which worked fine for now. The only problem is the line makes contact with the transom -but it doesn't drag in the water. I'm going to have some towing cleats mounted to the top of the transom. That should do the trick.

Mariner has towed a whaler in the past. Check out his posts.

[Mariner]

Yes, I have towed a 1971 13' Boston Whaler extensively behind the 36' Express Trawler, including several trips to the San Juans and Canada and some rough crossings in the Straights, as well as numerous short trips in Puget Sound.

You are correct that the transom cleats don't work well. I don't think it's a problem for the line to run through the wake, but it pulls the bow of the tender down. Not good. I tow from the larger stern cleats on the gunnel, and use an adjustable whisker pole to keep the yoke spread so it doesn't make contact with the hull and hardtop supports. I used two short 5/8" lines on each side, so that the pole rode just behind the railing on the swimstep when underway, but dropped down onto the edge of the swimstep when stopped (requires precise adjustment). I then ran a longer 5/8" line in a V, with a loop tied precisely in the center, and then another, long, 3/4" line between that loop and the towing eye on the bow of the Whaler, with a heavy duty stainless steel clip to attach it.

I tried to get it so that the Whaler rode near the bottom of the face of the second stern wave, so that it minimized drag but didn't surf the wave and go from side to side. I towed with the engine up. And ALWAYS tow from the towing eye, NOT the lifting eye inside the hull, and NOT the norman pin.

When it was time to dock, I would stop the boat inside the harbor, but outside the marina, where I had some space to drift, and pull the Whaler into the swimstep, setting the pole forward of the railings, and then tie the towing line to one of the swimstep cleats, with about 4' of line. I hung two large fenders directly in front of the Whaler, to protect both boats when they inevitably go "bump" when you come to a stop or have to back down.

This all proved to be a lot of hassle, but worth it in certain situations, given my relative young age and health. Older boaters might find it to be way too much work. I found that we lost about 1 knot of cruising speed, which impacted our fuel economy, but given that we did our exploring and side trips in the Whaler instead of the Albin, it more than made up for itself. That said, we have now invested in a 10' inflatable and davit, which has zero impact on fuel economy and requires no special maneuvering prior to docking.