Redundancy is good. Redundancy is good.
While teaching an open water class at the Door County Sea Kayak Symposium, we had a real scenario develop. While practicing rescues 1.5 miles off shore, the winds picked up from 10-15knots to 20-25 knots with stronger gusts, threatening to blow the group out to Lake Michigan.
We had six students, all with tow belts, so it seemed like an ideal time to practice towing into big headwinds…one of the groups opted to form an overly complicated in-line tow that linked four people together (a bad idea, but I believe in experiential learning), and the last person in line (who was the weakest paddler), capsized. At that point, the lead paddler quick released and went back for the rescue, but because he had released, no longer had his tow belt. Rather than wasting time retrieving it, he took the victims tow belt and used it to clip in and continue the tow, this time is a less unwieldy single in-line tow.
Thus, its a good idea for everyone to have a tow belt (and the training to use it), not just the leaders.
–Mark Pecot
P&H Team
Hooking up to the bow loop…
Probably isn’t the best place to clip in…if the fitting breaks, the knot gives, or the line wears through, you’ll lose the tow.
Clipping into the perimeter deck line near the bow means that even if a fitting pops, the biner will still be connected to the boat…in fact, you’d have to pop all 10 fittings in order to lose the tow, in which case, you probably don’t want to be connected to the boat anyway!
–Mark Pecot
P&H Team
Towing Practice – Spending my last $.02
In response to: “Isn’t it just a matter of hooking up and paddling?”
Yes.
Of course, hooking up means:
- Paddling in & knowing where to clip (many mistakingly clip to the bow toggle);
- Being able to do this while on the move with no wasted time (which means having the carabiner at the ready and using a sideslip or draw on the move to sweep in, clip in, and get going);
- Knowing and practicing different configurations for different situations;
…and just paddling means:
- Getting used to paddling with a tow in place in the kind of conditions that often result in the need to tow;
- Quick reactions to capsizing while under tow (quick release and response to rescue, as well as clearing the line from the water);
- Manuevering while towing…the line will catch your stern on one side or the other, so depending on which way you need to turn, you have to “flip” the line to the other side;
- Dealing with following seas…getting used to how it feels to be surfing away while having a tow pulling you back, as well as having a boat behind you surfing toward you.
Even experienced paddlers need to practice these skills to keep them sharp. In teaching Open Water courses, I’m always amused by what a fustercluck a towing scenario can become, with all the lines in the water, fumbling around trying to clip in, etc.
The good news is, this stuff is actually fun to practice, and it builds esprit de corps among your paddling group!
–Mark Pecot
P&H Team
thanks everyone
Some good stuff here. A few of us talked about this again last nite. Two of us have towing experience and the rest do not. We’re trying to get together and work on rescues before taking our trip and to me practicing towing seems just as important.
I think we’re all within a few degrees of each other regarding ability but the numerous reasons listed here for everyone to carry and be familiar with towlines are good enough for me.
not in Canada
Your confusing 50 feet of heaving floatable line(15 meters) .Its not a tow belt. The rope is usually sold in a small throw bag.
Dont ever use this bag for towing…its not appropriate and lacks the elasticity you need
Used for more than just towing
Many people don’t even realize that the tow belt can be a big help if you have to land on a rock jetty or basically any kind of rocks. One technique is to paddle up close to the rocks, wet exit, hook your tow line to your own boat, scramble up the rocks, and then pull your boat in.
You can also use it as a tether if you inadvertently swim. Think outside the box a bit - the tow belt is an important piece of safety equipment even if you are paddling solo.
I never leave home without it.
Good comment Mark
I’ve seen people do that when they only have 1/8" of plasric holding a toggle.
But I’ve got a QCC and everyone knows other than scratching easy they’re indestructible ;o)>
Actually it does have a stainless steel bow ring with a backer plate and when I replaced the deck lines with reflective Litelines I took two wraps around each loop and tied figure-eights so even if one side of the deckline broke it wouldn’t come out.
SYOTR
Randy
good point, Mark
its not rocket science, but there are some important does and don’t as illustrated above and you don’t ever want your first time trying to do it be a real time of need in conditions.
Metal on metal unclips itself
You can do the excercise yourself, take 2 biners and clip them together. Rotate them back and forth and watch how the gates unclip themselves when they pass across each other. I prefer clipping on to line and would not use the metal deck fittings for a tow clip. Lots of tows have been lost underway because of metal on metal.
As for group paddling, a waist mounted tow takes no hatch space. With everyone wearing a tow it provides a more secure environment for others and prevents a select few from doing all the work. Unless it is on, you don’t have it. I have seen lots of patting on the hips looking for a line that was needed that was actually under deck. There were fewer resources available to solve a problem those days.
Dogmaticus
good points
I have a rescue vest (old Palm Canyon w/ quick release/bungee tether/paddle biner) and still where the NDK tow belt. Generally use the paddle biner on the pfd as a quick and easy paddle leash, then hook tow belt to the “vic”, or hook paddle biner to bow of stray boat for a short paddle back to its owner/swimmer.
variation on that
and another situation where it benefits you for EVERYONE to have a towline - you want to land on a piece of shore that may not be very inviting but nevertheless need to land....so with 3 paddlers....
outside the break PADDLER1 has PADDLER2 clip PADDLER1 tow line from PADDLER1 waist to the forward deckline of PADDLER1 boat.....
PADDLER2 then clips HIS towline to the rear deckline of PADDLER1 boat....
PADDLER1 now paddles in as close as possible without bouncing the boat off too many toothy bits and wet exits (have i mentioned the importance of wearing a helmet? now would be a good time for that)....
PADDLER1 clambers up the rocks while PADDLER2 is HOLDING your boat off the rocks and from being bashed up with his towline attached to the rear deckline....
PADDLER3 in the scenario now clips HIS towline into the rear deckline of PADDLER2 as PADDLER2 comes in a bit to give PADDLER1 (guy on the rock) some slack so that he can haul his boat ashore. PADDLER1 pulls his boat up (takes off his towline and tosses it in the cockpit) and now since PADDLER2 towline IS STILL ATTACHED to PADDLER1 boat, takes that line off the boat and PADDLER2 comes in a ways and wet exits....
PADDLER2 now swims in and clambers up and PADDLER1 and PADDLER2 are now able to both haul in PADDLER2 boat as PADDLER3 is the drogue to keep PADDLER2 boat from smashing up on the rocks....
PADDLER3 comes in a ways, wet exits and swims ashore with only PADDLER1 and PADDLER2 now hauling in PADDLER3 boat.
suppose if conditions warranted it, PADDLER3 could act as his own drogue by either attachining his towline to the rear deckline of his boat or just hang onto the rear through the toggle...but i think perhaps he'd just swim in and get himself squared away on the rocks and let his mates worry about getting his boat ashore without bashing it up too badly...
there's a LOT going on in that scenario...the thing i've found important is to take your time...the guy on the rock is relatively "safe", the guys in their boats are relatively "safe"...the only guy really at an increased risk is the swimmer and he's no doubt going as fast as is prudent....so relax, mind the line in the water and have a good time.
very cool thanks rick
I might be a dork but I'm printing that one out. Sounds like fun to try.
first time we tried it…
i totally messed it up! it's so ingrained to "clear the line", right? so knucklehead here just kept taking the line offa the boat just pulled up and kept throwing it back at the guys in the water! stooo-pid.
anyways, try it. don't worry about messing it up at first, if we knew everything and nailed it first time out, nobody'd call it training, would they?
Practice, Practice, Practice
I have seen more screw-ups with tow lines than anything else. If you don’t practice these scenarios and others, you will only add to the screw-ups.
A little fun we had several weeks ago went something like this - I was paddling my surf boat for the first time and it was too long for me to paddle that boat. A friend offered to tow and I said ok. We still had a problem with the boat turning 90 degrees etc, so another friend rafted up to try and make things more stable.
Then we had another friend raft up and finally a fourth. Our tower was merrily towing away, thinking he only had one boat in tow, not four. Our laughter finally caused him to turn his head and look.
Make sure you only go under one deck
line and not two. If you do two and the fitting(s) break, you’re no longer connected. Under one line and clipped to it and it’s no biggie if a fitting breaks.
Good Advice Mark
- Paddling in & knowing where to clip (many mistakingly clip to the bow toggle);
Unfortunately, one manufacturer shows a bad setup on their website instructions.
http://www.northwater.com/SeaTec_QR_Rescue_TowLine_31SK-05.pdf
~wetzool
Storage should not be an issue…
…since everyone should be WEARING their tow belts, not stuffing them in their boats. A tow right is NOT something you want to have to dig out when you need it. Just try telling someone who’s gotten into a bad spot in rocks, surf, current, etc. to “Hold on for a few minutes while I find my tow rig and put it on.” In many towing situations, time is of the essence.