Ranger as a Tow Boat

D

Don&Jeanne

New member
Joined
Jun 18, 2015
Messages
3
Fluid Motion Model
C-26
Hull Identification Number
FMLR2502E516
Vessel Name
Blue Ranger
MMSI Number
unknown01
Hello,

We live on the largest inland lake in Wisconsin. In early June we took delivery of our new Ranger 25". We have put a few hundred hours on it so far.

Here is my question for the forum. Our lake and river system have no real apparent boat towing companies. I have spoken to people around Cap Cod that do this for a well known insurance company. To me, the Ranger has a bunch plus more Horsepower and could tow some out of fuel boats to shore. On the flip side it is slow and can not race to the boat in distress as my friends in Cap Cod do. They use inflatable boats with two 250 HP motors.

I know I would need to get special insurance. I am in the process of getting the Captain's license. I know I would need to figure out a tow bitt that could pull good.

Does anyone have thoughts?

Don B
 
I think It would not be the easiest vessel for towing purposes. A center console type boat allows access very easily around the entire boat for any type of towing and maneuvering situation. Also the placement of fenders will be critical and some tows may not be as easily adaptable to our body style to raft tie them.
Additionally, do you really want to use your boat in a commercial application like that. I guess after the first ding it won't hurt as much, but I guarantee over time your boat will show the wear.
 
When I lived in the Houston area, I used to tow sailboats off the many shallow areas with my Mastercraft ski boat. It has a similar inboard/transmission/propeller setup to my R-25, but I've come to think of that type of boat as unsuitable for shallow water towing.

Here, in Florida, the tow companies use inboard tow boats for long distance tows from places such as the Bahamas. Ground tows are nearly exclusively handled by twin engine outboards - they draw far less with the engine tilted and have the advantage of differential engine and steerable thrust for the tows that must be accomplished in reverse for the first few feet.

I'd protect my keel and prop and keep my Ranger in safe waters if she were mine to repair.
 
I believe you will need a captain license with a towing endorsement, plus the added insurance.
Your new tug will not look new for very long if you start towing. It's not just the towing but then you have to take them along side and get them to a dock or into a slip. I wouldn't count on the thrusters to be much help with another boat along side. You might want to practice with a friends boat and see how maneuverable the tug is under different weather conditions. Someday you may want to sell the boat and there may not be many interested buyers with a tow bit installed on the boat and knowing it was used for commercial purposes.
 
Get a classic R21. It is perfect for towing. There is very good visibility aft, good places to connect the tow cable, excellent low speed control, and lotsa low speed power. We have towed many out-of-gassers with no problem. We have even done quite a few hip tows. Lotsa fenders and take is easy. We do it for fun, which limits (if not eliminates) the liability.

We seem to encounter quite a few tow opportunities just being out on the water a lot.
 
Thanks to the replies, all of them have useful information. I guess I saw a business opportunity to help pay for the boat but I certainly did not think about the consequences. I now think I will just enjoy the boat as it is, non commercial and pretty.

Don B
 
Don B....

You're making the right decision. Another factor to consider is liability insurance. If you're going to tow commerially you'd need it and without a license and actual commercial towing experience I think the cost...if anyone would even cover you...would be prohibitive.

I applaud the good samaritans who help out with a tow when the situation warrants it but it's real easy to get in over your head. I won't bore everybody with tales but I've run tugs most of my life and there's a little more to towing than attaching a line and hoping for the best. It's not the hardest thing in the world either but it takes some getting used to and some practice to do it well.
Just for fun sometime get a friend's boat, preferably one much bigger than yours, rig up a bridle and a tow line , get out on the water and experiment a little. Make sure your friend stays ready to start his own engine if needed. Try different hawser lengths, tow into the wind and current, go crossways to them, go with them too. Throw a buoy overboard and practice bringing your tow alongside. Try not to run over your tow line or have the towed vessel foul it either.
After you're done playing with the hawser, go alongside the friends boat and hip up to it. Experiment with how far back or forward you should be to have maximum rudder and prop effect. Again, throw out a buoy and practice docking. Find out how much way you need to maintain steerage under different conditions. Find out how far it takes you to stop. Find out how it handles when you're backing. You might be in for some surprises at how clumsy a towed vessel can be.
One other thing...before you tow anything make sure your deck fittings can take a strain. Most pleasure boats I see don't have strong enough fittings to really put a lot of weight on. Tow gentle.
 
Over the 4th of July, I had occasion to be on the "other end" of the towing (in one job, I drove the rescue boat when not driving the cruise boats) - the excursion boat I was driving blew a hose and we lost our coolant. I got the boat shut down before there was any damage, but we had to be towed back to the harbor. Vessel Assist was running a former USCG small boat (RIB type, with 2 250hp outboards). The boat I was driving that day is 42' (whale watch boat), with 26 passengers aboard. Working against wind, current and chop, Vessel Assist was able to move us at about 2 knots... and that operator has a lot of experience... until we were able to get to more protected water. If you have ever been to Roche Harbor on the 4th of July, you can appreciate the challenge of getting that boat back.

In another job, I have pulled boats off groundings, pulled people out of the water, emergency pumped boats about to sink, and towed boats in some awful weather (while dealing with scared, angry, occasionally inebriated people)... there is nothing pleasurable about it. When you consider any commercial use of a boat, the perspective, responsibility, liability, and your schedule all change. We sold our personal boat last fall, after years of driving someone else's boats. In another week or two, we will be finished with another season of boat work - and I will be ready for some land traveling. Keep the pleasure in pleasure boating.

Jim
 
Resurrecting an old post and looking for guidance from the Tugnuts brain trust.

Over the past few years, I have had the "opportunity" to tow several disabled boats back to port. Fortunately, they were relatively small (~25') day boats and I was able to use one of the rear cleats to secure the tow line. Nevertheless, I worried about the strain that the tow line was placing on the rear cleat and am concerned that if I needed to tow a larger, heavier boat, it could be a problem.

So, I am looking for advice on the best way to tow a relatively heavy boat with an R31 (e.g.another R31), given these limitations:

- The trailer tie down "U" bolts are located underneath the swim platform -- and are not accessible when we are on the water. Even if I could get at them, the tow line would probably be dangerously close to the prop and would definitely rub the underside of the swim platform
- My R31 has swim platform rails - so using a bridle or harness across both rear cleat to spread the load would be difficult or impossible.

Are there any good tow options, or should I just lower my eyes and pretend I don't see the other boat waving at me?? 🙂
 
This is only my thoughts with no engineering input. If it were me I would make a Y and attach to both rear cleats ( not the cleats on the swim step) with one line then going to the boat in tow. The largest strain will be when first starting out. Start out slowly and it will be less strain. Once at your cruising speed the strain will be much less. As a side note. Roam & I towed a 30 foot sea ray using our dingy and torqeedo. The only means of attachment from the dingy was us holding the line while towing. Hence if two guys can hold a line and tow a 30 foot Sea Ray I would think a lateral load on your cleats would have no issue. And then there is Sea Tow.
 
You could use a bridle with swim step rails by placing chaffing gear on the top rail and leading the bridle over it.
 
Another consideration is weather the cleats have been sufficiently backed up to handle the extra strain that will placed on them when towing.
I doubt they have the proper backing plates/material.
 
REO6205":1u8uqf5f said:
Don B....

You're making the right decision. Another factor to consider is liability insurance. If you're going to tow commerially you'd need it and without a license and actual commercial towing experience I think the cost...if anyone would even cover you...would be prohibitive.

I applaud the good samaritans who help out with a tow when the situation warrants it but it's real easy to get in over your head. I won't bore everybody with tales but I've run tugs most of my life and there's a little more to towing than attaching a line and hoping for the best. It's not the hardest thing in the world either but it takes some getting used to and some practice to do it well.
Just for fun sometime get a friend's boat, preferably one much bigger than yours, rig up a bridle and a tow line , get out on the water and experiment a little. Make sure your friend stays ready to start his own engine if needed. Try different hawser lengths, tow into the wind and current, go crossways to them, go with them too. Throw a buoy overboard and practice bringing your tow alongside. Try not to run over your tow line or have the towed vessel foul it either.
After you're done playing with the hawser, go alongside the friends boat and hip up to it. Experiment with how far back or forward you should be to have maximum rudder and prop effect. Again, throw out a buoy and practice docking. Find out how much way you need to maintain steerage under different conditions. Find out how far it takes you to stop. Find out how it handles when you're backing. You might be in for some surprises at how clumsy a towed vessel can be.
One other thing...before you tow anything make sure your deck fittings can take a strain. Most pleasure boats I see don't have strong enough fittings to really put a lot of weight on. Tow gentle.
Click to expand...

The mere mention of all those variables is enough to convince me that my own rescue activities should be limited taking the women aboard for refreshments while the captain of the stranded vessel awaits a competent tow.
 
Thanks for the thoughtful responses folks, sounds like the best bet is to steer clear of being a tow vessel!

I'll rig up a Y harness, though, just in case I am forced to help out.
 
I probably misunderstood your original post. Helping someone out is quite different then charging for business purposes. As I stated earlier the boat is capable to tow someone, but to start charging is a whole different legal ballgame.
 
I wouldn't hesitate to tow someone in a emergency, and not worry about damage, but certainly would not subject my boat to a steady diet of tows.
 
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