As a kayaker I practice rolling quite frequently. Then, maybe several times per season, assisted and unassisted rescues, usually in a group setting. Typically there may be several in the group who haven’t done this before.
However, I rarely practice towing and am thinking that should be more often. Situations where towing is appropriate are easy to imagine. There is also some familiarity with the gear to be established, for example:
deploying and attaching the tow line to the towees boat
actually towing
maybe transferring the tow line to another tower
detaching the tow line from the towee
putting the tow line away
Each of the above is straightforward, but fumbling around for the tow belt etc. is not a good thing.
I think your suggestion of group practice is an excellent one. Especially for those who have never tried it.
I was introduced to towing in a class last summer. It was started in a unique way: while on land we were each given a tow belt with the line strung all the way out and told to repack it asap. I had never seen a tow belt before, but my instinct was to treat the line as you would a lariat. Or a garden hose. I think it’s sort of like a parachute: you want to pack so it will deploy without tangles, kinks or knots. We did practice tows and handing off to another paddler.
I decided to buy a tow line because when the lake here at home is clear of ice, invariably there are things floating around which had not been brought far enough on shore by the summer people. Last spring I towed a sunfish that had drifted away from it’s beach and it was a challenge using a rope that wasn’t long enough and had no clips.
On Marshall’s recommendation, I bought the North Water Micro Tow Line which I really like because it’s preset for a short 17-foot and long 50-foot tow. I find repacking 50 feet more of a challenge to do well while in my cockpit because I have to deal with a smaller work area, plus a paddle. My practice has been on an inland lake and I’m not sure how well I would handle that in bumpy conditions. Probably worth trying on a really windy, wavy day here at home.
I practiced towing last summer because it was fun. Started out with a runaway beach toy, then a friend using my 14-foot kayak. Beach toy was much easier to tow than the kayak and occupant. Clipping on and off was easy - we had been taught to attach the carabiner so the opening faces up. There’s a U-bolt on the bow of my kayaks but for that tow I clipped on to a perimeter line. Quick release on belt works fine, but I should get it out and practice again to shake out the winter rust.
As I pretty much paddle solo, I’ll carry the tow belt in my day hatch but don’t wear it. If I attend classes or a symposium this summer, I’ll wear it.
I have wondered about the protocol should a kayker need a tow from a motor-powered boat. My inclination would be to use my tow line - but keep the belt on me as that would put me in control of the quick release. Or is this not wise to do?
I have wondered about the protocol should a kayker need a tow from a motor-powered boat. My inclination would be to use my tow line - but keep the belt on me as that would put me in control of the quick release. Or is this not wise to do?
I may misunderstand, but you want to tow the ‘victim’ by the bow of his/her boat … never from the cockpit area. That would get exciting quickly, pretty sure to broach.
I daisy chain my tow rope, so I can do a short or long tow easily.
A few years ago, I hadn’t checked my tow rope for some time, and found that the D-ring attachment inside the tow rope bag was quite rusty. I replaced the D-ring with something more resistant to rust (stainless). Even stainless will rust, depending on the grade, so it is worth checking. Another reason to practice, just to inspect the gear.
You may want to tow with the line over a shoulder if you have bow and stern ends that turn up above your deck, sea kayaks… Otherwise the tow can wander and put steering inputs into your boat.
I have a North water. Trouble is when alone I don’t take it but should. The if honey comes in a separate kayak I forget it sometimes. Try to clip it to my gear to not forget it. I may need a tow even from a boat so it’s good to have all the time.
That’s the thing about adding a piece of gear. Unless it’s truly a seasonal thing, you ALWAYS need to wear/bring/pack it for it to be useful. Therefore, I always don my tow belt, pigtail, and medium length tow rope in PFD pocket. With a pigtail it’s useful for so much more than just towing. I often clip onto my boat when practicing reentries and swimming with my boat short distances. I can set up for most situations in a very short time.
As for the original list of practice items, I think you pretty much covered the basics. The one notable task I see missing is releasing the line while under tow. Pretend that something snagged, or the towed boat has capsized, or some other plausible scenario. Release yourself from the tow system and collect up all the ropes in an orderly fashion. Make sure you do it in shallow water first to see what floats and what doesn’t.
For length adjustment, I just tie an alpine butterfly and clip to it when I’ve decided the length is appropriate. Fast and easy to tie even in moderate conditions. A trick I learned for quickly (and temporarily) stowing the tow rope is to gather it up and shove it down the front of your PFD. It keeps it out of the way until you have a chance to stow it properly in a tangle-free way.
@Rookie said:
I have wondered about the protocol should a kayker need a tow from a motor-powered boat. My inclination would be to use my tow line - but keep the belt on me as that would put me in control of the quick release. Or is this not wise to do?
With the crazy cityots (sound it out if you haven’t heard this one before) that I see bombing around on the weekend with no regard for the safety of others? I don’t want to be anywhere near them, especially not in tow behind. If I’m having that much trouble, put me in the power boat and tow my kayak empty.
@Rookie said:
I have wondered about the protocol should a kayker need a tow from a motor-powered boat. My inclination would be to use my tow line - but keep the belt on me as that would put me in control of the quick release. Or is this not wise to do?
With the crazy cityots (sound it out if you haven’t heard this one before) that I see bombing around on the weekend with no regard for the safety of others? I don’t want to be anywhere near them, especially not in tow behind. If I’m having that much trouble, put me in the power boat and tow my kayak empty.
I have lots of idle thoughts about odd paddling scenarios in the winter months. My form of cabin fever. Sometimes I don’t think them all the way through (obviously). In my mental movie, I was visualizing of a small fishing boat as the tow vessel. Moving very slowly. Jetski, absolutely not. Power or sailboat, I’d board it.
If my tow bag and line are wet, I dry them out then repack.
One thing I don’t like about the tow belt is when I wear it, there’s about 16" of excess strap hanging off. That bugs me.
@Rookie said:
One thing I don’t like about the tow belt is when I wear it, there’s about 16" of excess strap hanging off. That bugs me.
I had the same issue with mine, even though I’m probably double your weight. You have to wonder what their largest customer looks like!
I started to consider it a tangle hazard, and it prevented as smooth a release as could be. The solution was easy though - cut it to the required length. You own it, so customize it to get the maximum benefit from it. Melt the ends of the webbing with a lighter or small torch after cutting to prevent fraying.
Also, I don’t use the crazy back-threading through the buckle like the instructions say. It holds just fine threading it through once and releases SO much easier.
@Rookie said:
One thing I don’t like about the tow belt is when I wear it, there’s about 16" of excess strap hanging off. That bugs me.
I started to consider it a tangle hazard, and it prevented as smooth a release as could be. The solution was easy though - cut it to the required length. You own it, so customize it to get the maximum benefit from it. Melt the ends of the webbing with a lighter or small torch after cutting to prevent fraying.
Also, I don’t use the crazy back-threading through the buckle like the instructions say. It holds just fine threading it through once and releases SO much easier.
No idea what a proper length would be so that it would be usable if passed to another paddler who is twice or thrice my size.
No way to back thread on mine. Strap end slides into the quick release cam and buckled down.
@Sparky961 said:
The solution was easy though - cut it to the required length. You own it, so customize it to get the maximum benefit from it. Melt the ends of the webbing with a lighter or small torch after cutting to prevent fraying.
I use a wood burner or soldering iron to cut webbing and synthetic rope.
@Rookie said:
No idea what a proper length would be so that it would be usable if passed to another paddler who is twice or thrice my size.
I used to be much more hesitant to modify things I own. I still am when they’re relatively new. But I’ve since found that I can get a lot more out of “stuff” when I customize it to suit me better. I try to think of the things I buy as a kit that needs my finishing touches. Most of the time the next person also appreciates the changes, but I’m more likely to wear it out before that happens.
I’m just trying to help you see it from a different perspective. At the end of the day it’s your item and your choice.
Cutting off some of the belt will make it not usable to transfer to other larger paddlers. When towing you might want to trade off to another paddler when you get tired. If you cut the belt down it might not fit another paddler. Also if you do carry a tow line of any kind you should also have a knife ON your pfd in case you get tangled, could be deadly.
@dc9mm said:
When towing you might want to trade off to another paddler when you get tired.
Why do they not have their own?
They might have their own, but it’s easier to just switch the tow-er than reconnect both towee and tow-er. Further, you must store the original tow system, might as well keep using it.
Many people lack gear. Few group paddles I have been on with 12 people I doubt more than three had tow gear. Like a PFD you don’t need it till you’re sinking.
Similar to many other scenarios, I’d need to be in pretty rough shape before I give up my tow belt. It’s just as much for my own safety as for assisting others.
@dc9mm said:
Cutting off some of the belt will make it not usable to transfer to other larger paddlers. When towing you might want to trade off to another paddler when you get tired. If you cut the belt down it might not fit another paddler. Also if you do carry a tow line of any kind you should also have a knife ON your pfd in case you get tangled, could be deadly.
That’s my dilemma - how much, if any, to cut. I’ll be visiting some friends and family this weekend. They’re of various waistlines. I think I’ll take the tow belt with me for tryouts so I can figure out how short it can be, yet still be worn by someone three times my size.
Have a knife, but still working on a way to safely carry it on my PFD, yet remove the sheath easily.