How far back do you tow your dinghy?

[Above-the-Fold 15]

I tend to have the dink snugged up pretty tight (because I once backed over a painter with unfortunate consequences). But I see some people have theirs way far back. Saw a launch towing the dinghy 20 metres back.

 

What's optimum?

[Jon 360]

There is a pressure wave behind your boat, usually about 1/2 to 2/3 the length of your boat behind.

If you tow it on the front of that it’s effective surfing and the painter will have very little weight on it.

That’s the optimum spot, and the least load on everything, but just need to remember to shorten on entering a bay then less raps on the prop.

I have a loop in my painter about two metres from the bow of the dinghy that I slip over a cleat for short and the long setting changes due to speed and sea state so I just let it out slowly once underway until it finds its happy place.

[Black Panther 1,586]

Floating painter

[Above-the-Fold 15]

Floating painter

NOW I have a floating painter. 

[Jon 360]

Floating painters can get jammed between the rudder and the hull

Not saying how I know this

[Crazyhorse 47]

We have a old fish net float midway along the "floating" painter as when setting the hook...they don't always float! Seen some with lots of floats (must've picked up their painter more than once!)

[Guest 000]

You have to figure it out for yourself - too many variables. Boat speed, sea condition, dinghy type etc. When we were liveaboards we endlessly experimented with a variety of dinghies in an effort to determine the best results. For us on the Cav39, rubber dinghies liked being close to the counter and towed on a bridle. The Eastport clinker liked a longer painter and was quite well behaved. The port-a-bote was dreadful, it didn't matter what you did, it liked to bury its nose and then roll over. Again for us, we chose to put the dinghy on deck for anything longer than hopping from one bay to the next figuring that our efforts were better spent devising a simple and easy method of on deck lifting and stowage than putting up with the vagaries of towing.

[SloopJohnB 322]

Floating painter

Michelangelo and the Sinstine Hall.

[Island Time 1,235]

I'm with Chris.

Its not seaman-like to tow a dingy far. Stow it on deck/davits/whatever.

 

But, when I do tow mine, its on a short painter, too short to reach the prop. The painter is tied in a sennit, so it can easily be adjusted to any length - when towing it behind a launch I've had it right out - about 20m, at 20 knots. There is a bridle attachment on the dingy, helps it tow straight.

[Vorpal Blade 89]

Front trampoline.

[Addem 95]

I'm with Chris.

Its not seaman-like to tow a dingy far. Stow it on deck/davits/whatever.

 

But, when I do tow mine, its on a short painter, too short to reach the prop. The painter is tied in a sennit, so it can easily be adjusted to any length - when towing it behind a launch I've had it right out - about 20m, at 20 knots. There is a bridle attachment on the dingy, helps it tow straight.

+1

[Norwester 3]

I make the painter about a dinghy length but still have to shorten it before reversing.