I recently bought a Northwater SeaTec towing rig. I’m looking for ways to control the amount of line that I let out. The current setup is this: clip->line->bungee->sewn-loop-in-bag
Are there common ways of adding some sort of clip inside the bag to help shorten the line? What kind of clip would be good to use?
Thanks,
Avi
Here’s a suggestion
Can you clip another biner to the sewn loop inside the bag? If so, just clip one there and do a daisy chain of about half your tow line. Then clip the last loop to the biner. When you need to extend your line more, just unclip the tow line from the biner and the daisy chain will play out.
That’s pretty much the way my Expedition Essentials bag works except it’s got a 2nd sewn in loop just for the extra biner.
That’s a possibility
I have to see if there is enough room within the same loop for another biner. If so, what kind of biner do you have in the EE rig? Steel? Al? What shape and size?
Thanks,
Avi
You can see a picture of it here
http://virginiaseakayakcenter.com/catalog.php?item=29&catid=Safety%20Gear In addition, I use their quick release for a biner which is a “D” ring that is split on my tow belt and keep the tow line clipped to that rather than in the bag. That way all I have to do is grab the biner and pull hard and it comes off the belt and is ready to clip on. BTW, the biner is anodized aluminum.
I use the same tow system and I keep
the tow line short by using a daisy chain with a slip knot. Therefore, if I need just a short tow in flat water it is already set up for that length. If I need the longer tow I just pull the bottom loop of the slip knot and the full length is released as tension is added to the line. No extra biners or clippings, quick and easy, something that has worked for me in many different situations.
I like it
Good idea. I’ll have to try it on the water and under load to see how it behaves. I suppose you found that it does not get undone in the bag, just sitting loose in there? It doesn’t “slip” out by itself? If you have a close up picture of the end of the daisy chain and the slip knot, please post it for confirmation.
Thanks!
Avi
Learned a simple technique
For a short tow instead of clipping into the towed boat, pass the towline through a deckline and double it back to clip into your tow belt (on the side that will release quickly). You then have a half-length tow. If you need to lengthen it, remove the clip from your belt and clip it around the line. This forms a loop that will slide back and cinch around the deckline for a full length tow. The down side is having a double line on the short tow but that didn’t seem to be a problem when I tried it. I was towing an Anas Acuta (on an assessment) and I thought that the paddler was messing with me because it would not track straight behind me. So I switched to the full tow. Quick and easy. Turns out the Anas does not like a short tow due to the hull shape.
Prior to that I had tied a figure 8 down the line that I could clip back to the belt for a short tow. I dislike daisy-chains. I’m going to work with the double-back method for a while and see how it plays out.
That’s a new one for me
but that’s the nice thing about posting here. You get to hear about various methods. I’ll try this one in practice and see how it works.
Out of curiosity - why do you dislike daisy chains?
Thanks,
Avi
Video daisy chain w/ slip knot
I made a short you tube video to demonstrate how to use a daisy chain and slip knot to shorten a tow line. go to the you tube wedsite and type in my screen name and you will see the video entitled tow line. I just used a short length of rope as a demonstration. The slip knot can be near the beginning or end of the tow line (your preference). The top of the slip knot has two loops and the bottom has one loop. To release the line just pull on the single loop of the siip knot and the daisy chain will release. Always check your tow line in the bag before going out to make sure the chain and slip knots are set. I have used this tow system many times both teaching and in actual rescue situations in both flat water and in conditions. It is a system that has worked for me. If you have any specific questions please send me an email. Hope you find the information helpful.
A comment or two …
I use this daisy chain method also, then if I let out all the line and need to shorten it up again I use haresfur’s method. IMO, best of both worlds. However, the slip knot needs to be near the bag end so that you can reach it while you line is out and you are towing. You may need to release the daisy chain and lengthen the line while underway.
~wetzool
Cheers!
Thank you so much for posting this video! The slip knot is a little different than I imagined. Now I got it.
Avi