From time to time we have tried to tow any one of our beachcats (unmanned) behind a powerboat, to where ever we're going to play in the water for the day.



So far we have been patently unsuccessful in getting the beachcat to reasonably track while being towed (unmanned).



We've tried towing from the front beam from a bridle attached to the front beam...a tow-line affixed to the mast base... a tow-line attached to the front tang ...a tow-line attached to a bridle attached to the front tangs...etc....



On all occasions, the cat has a tracking mind of its own...usually tracking crazily from one extreme point outside the wake on one side and then crossing the prop wash to the other extreme side….or sometimes just staying one extreme side of the powerboat’s wake.



I already know part of the problem is any cat worth its salt doesn't want to follow a power boat … smelling all that smoke...but there's gotta be a way to tame that cat for the short cruise to where the family is playing for the day...



Any ideas....



TomH

Easy Solution: Put someone on the cat to steer

I tow cats sometimes at speed to check out the foils- like the one pictured sailing in this thumbnail. It works fine to tie a light line around the front crossbar on one side, through a small loop of line on the bridle tang, leaving extra to form a bridle, then return through a loop on the other tang to the crossbar. The towline is attached to this bridle with a bowline knot. Then have a kid wearing a lifejacket steer the cat? The kid will love it, and you can go Really Fast if you really have to. But seriously- towing at 12-15 knots works fine and isn't too fast.

Tom,



I think some of the problem might be that the cat is so light and barely in the water when towing that it simply get's squirrely. What if you connected the line to the mast base, through a loop on the bridle, but this time tie a small bucket (or water chute, GI Joe parachute ?) to the center of the rear beam and throw it in the water. This drag might help to keep the back of the boat "in the back" and everything tracking straight. I don't really know.

On second thought, A bucket is probably too much drag - perhaps an intertube?

I am going way out on a limb here....pulling it from you know where. How about running 2 towlines? Run one from each corner of the the tow boat to the corresponding bow of the cat? I would think if you keep the lines relatively short and used the previous suggestion of a small sea anchor off the stern, it would tow well in small seas. I think you should pull the rudders up; contrary to conventional logic, a slightly off center rudder would be worse than none.

If you fasten the two towlines to the same cleat on the powerboat, the rig you described becomes self correcting, no? Separated, they don't act to turn the cat when it gets off center, I'd think.



My $0.02 FWIW

my experience with towing canoes and kayaks suggests that if you can get the tow line low enough to lift the bows the boat will become docile. i dont know what kind of boat you have, i have a hobie 16. i can imagine a loop that wraps around the hulls just behind the front pylons, hook up to the lower part of the loop so the tow line lifts the bows. set it up so the loop cannot rotate and the bridle is fixed in the center of the loop. creative knot tying .i have never tried this, but i know light boats tow best when the bow is trimmed high. a tow that pulls the bow down will create wild yawing. if you plan to do this often you might consider adding towline attachments at the waterline on both bows. a sealed hole at the waterline through both bows would be best in my opinion.

They tow boats around the Islands here by power boat.



The key is this..



Have 2 towlines and cross them.



Adjust line until the get tight inside the wake..



You may have to add weight to the stern of the towed cat......tie the beach wheels back there or throw out some line.....it will keep the cats nose up and not wanting to 'dig in' and track....



...we tow them 35 ( St. Thomas) to 70 (Puerto Rico) miles like that....



...take mast off too for long hauls,...strip off d boards and rudders too.







Bruce



St. Croix

I tow my NACRA 5.5SL regularly, usually use the single line method around the mast base. Tow with a 15' jet boat and tow it about 15-18 mph with no problem. NORMALLY, I sit on the cat and steer while my wife tows me. However this Friday I get to do it solo for the first time for any sort of distance. 15 miles from the race site.

(Metts Island Regatta, be there Jake)

Have tried this before for short distances, with the squirrely waterskier effect as previously noted. Think the crossed lines makes a lot of sense, maybe more than a sea anchor. With the lines crossed one line would slacken as it got away from center, thus theoretically pulling it back to center. Should be a self centering mechanism.. Will report back on how it works.

CARY

Brace your rudders so they remain straight. Have all four boards

down. Tow from the mast base, but use long bridle lines off of the

jib or spin. bridle tangs.



So,.. your tow line will split into three pieces; one to mast, one to

port bow, one to stbd. bow. This places most of the load on the

front cross bar while utilizing the other two points to keep her

from turning.



Still dancing on the wake? Lengthen the tow line.



GARY

Cary,



1.By all means,..cross those tow lines.



2. We tie a small 'circle' of medium line at the bow chainplate assemble ( where it exits the hull),...about 2 inches in diameter......have the towline ( crossed) GO THRU THIS,..it acts as a guide,....it puts the 'pulling motion' on the bows.....then continue towline to front crossbar......I tie to the front crossbar on each line.



3. You may want to tie filled gallon water jugs to rear cross beam ( @ 8 lbs per gallon,..4 to 5 jugs will do)....lay them on the tramp, of course.........and 'drag' 50 feet or so of line....it will put weight on the back ( to keep bows up),....and help track....



Bruce



St. Croix