Towing a Boat on the Water
There's more than one might think to towing a boat on the water but breakdowns happen. Be ready to tow a boat in case professionals aren't available.
The near-complete coast-to-coast towing coverage from services like BoatU.S. and Sea Tow has been a great thing for pleasure boaters. Since the Coast Guard stopped giving towing assistance (unless life or property are threatened) to boaters who broke down, these services have provided professional assistance countless times. And since towing a boat can involve a certain amount of risk it's always best for a pro to come to the rescue. In fact, if you break down or come across a boater who's lost power the first move should always be to call one of these services and stand by until they arrive.
There could, however, be a time and a place where a professional service either isn't available or can't be contacted. Leaving someone stranded would be both irresponsible and dangerous and it seems like boaters are always willing to lend a hand, which occasionally might mean towing someone back to the dock or ramp when his or her boat has, uh, not lived up to expectations.
In this case you have some choices to make. Of course you want to help, but if you’ve got an 18-foot bowrider with a 50-hp outboard and the boat that needs a tow is a 50-foot cruiser, the physics should indicate you’re not in a position to tow this boat anywhere. If there is a risk to human life, like if a boat is on fire, of course you're obligated to mount a rescue effort but you are not required to preserve property by trying to tow it. If you can’t tow someone or are uncomfortable with your abilities, the best help you can offer might just be standing watch or going to find help; every situation is different and requires the use of good judgement.
Towing a Boat on the Water: The Basics
In cases where the pros can't lend assistance and you judge towing a boat to be safe and appropriate, it's important to know how to tow the other boat. If you have a small boat and you’re pulling another boat of a similar size at very slow speeds, then a good dock line from your stern cleat to the other boat’s bow eye or bow cleat may suffice. Bear in mind that pulling from a cleat on one side of your boat is going to make towing a bit clumsy. If you can pull along the centerline the tow will go much more smoothly.
Not all boats will have a centerline attachment point and this can be where a bridle setup will help. The larger the boat you’re towing, the more necessary a bridle becomes because it also spreads the load among multiple attachment points. If you don’t spread the load sufficiently you can snap cleats off, at which point they become dangerous projectiles. Always keep clear of lines under tension. If the cleat snaps, it traces the path of the line.
The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary has a good video on YouTube on how to make a simple bridle:
Each side of the bridle should be twice the beam of your boat. Typically, your forwardmost attachment points for the towing vessel will be your amidships cleats, passing the load to your stern cleats, which form the tips of the “Y” to form the bridle.
Use the bridle length and amidships cleats for the towed vessel, too. Just spread the load to the forward cleats, to form the Y of the towed vessel’s “Y.” Then put a stretch of line between the bridles. Because of the amount of load on this line, use knots that don’t tighten with tension, such as a cleat hitch or a bowline. The amount of line between the boats should be about eight to 10 boat lengths. So, if you’re pulling a 20-foot runabout, figure up to 200 feet of rope. You may need to shorten the line (and reduce speed to bare minimum) when maneuvering in close quarters like a harbor.
Of course, most people don’t carry that much line on board, so if you’re rendering assistance, allow for as much distance between the boats as possible. Also bear in mind that ropes can stretch or snap. Good dock lines or an anchor line is probably your best choice as opposed to tow lines meant for watersports.
While towing you’re not going to be able to get on plane, which is a bad idea anyway. Just pull with a steady throttle, keeping the tow slow but also keeping enough throttle to maintain tension on the lines. If you’re towing in rough water, that will be more difficult. Rough water can be a challenge, but wind and current present their own challenges. It’s always best to tow upwind or upstream if you can, because it gives the towing driver a greater measure of control.
We don’t always have that option, but realize that wind can push a towed vessel off course, so you have to maneuver the towing vessel accordingly. Likewise, current can push the towed vessel in ways the towing driver doesn’t intend. If you're towing downcurrent or downwind, when you get to your destination it might help to tow the vessel past the dock or ramp the turn upstream for the final approach because of the greater control. Currents and headwind can also help control speed when approaching a dock.
Realize, of course, that if you volunteer to help, it changes your day. What was supposed to be a relaxing day on the water can become stressful. Consider the size of the vessel, the distance of the tow needed, and the circumstances before volunteering to become a tug boat captain. And always remember that whenever possible, the best option is to call for professional help.
For more information, read Top Mistakes that Lead to Tow.
Editor's Note: This story was originally published in June 2015 and was most recently updated in August of 2024.
