Also by accepting a tow a skipper should realise it is a considerable favour for any towing vessel to make and be gracious Insurance policies vary on whether they coverīy accepting a tow on any vessel I think a skipper is not in a position to start telling the tow where they are going to end up that is a decision for the towing vessel to make. Legally it does not matter who passes the towline. Alternatively towage is where there is a prior agreement between tug and tow. Legally a towing vessel can claim salvage if the tow has been rescued from danger with no pre-agreed terms. What’s the difference between Salvage and Towage Again you might have to stand by until help arrives. In the open sea with a swell and wind it is best not to attempt towing vessels larger than your own. If there is no wind or tidal stream and the sea is flat you can safely tow a yacht twice your size. Towing a larger yacht in calm water for a short distance is relatively easy. ![]() ![]() In less urgent situations you have to weigh up whether your yacht is capable of taking on a tow. In a rough sea it’s probably going to be a difficult and possibly dangerous manoeuvre, so standing by until the rescue services arrive might be more appropriate. If you come across a yacht in distress your primary obligation is to save the people on board rather than the yacht, although this might be achieved by towing the yacht away from danger. Towing a yacht is done to get them home following a problem caused by engine failure or some other non-urgent inconvenience. As a result their boat handling under power is first class.įor yacht skippers, apart from tenders, towing is a rare event and usually involves assisting a fellow yacht not as hazardous as a tug towing a ship, of course, but it can still be difficult, especially in the open sea. They have an ingrained ability to sense the effect the huge tension on the towline is having on the tug and the grave danger if the tug ends up beam-on to the line under tension. Some of the best boat handlers I have ever examined at yachtmaster and instructor levels are tug drivers. The weather and sea state make a huge difference, changing an easy process into one that can be difficult and possibly dangerous. ![]() Towing is incredibly simple in principle – just attach a line between two boats and off you go – but it is not always so straightforward, and mistakes can be costly. Whether it’s towing a dinghy, a small motor boat with engine problems, or another yacht in difficulty, cruising yachts can often be the first on the scene to lend a hand, at least until other help arrives. But knowing how to do it is still a key seamanship skill, and anyone listening to VHF Ch16 in the summer months will hear a good number of boats, of various descriptions, requesting assistance. Knowing how best to tow a boat on the water (as opposed to towing a boat on a trailer) is not necessarily something that occurs to most yachtsmen.
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