Brien Alkire wrote:
We're sailing from Marina Del Rey to Catalina Island for a 3-day weekend
next week. One of our guests wants to bring a kayak. It's 15-feet long,
which is kind of big to fit on the bow of the Catalina 36, so we're thinking
of towing it behind. My friend thinks it's stable enough in the water not
to tip over.

Has anyone tried towing a kayak? It's a 38 mile trip. Is this going to be
a hassle?

I've towed canoes, but not kayaks. It seems to me that if it has a skirt
that can be relied on to stay in place, this shoudl keep it from filling
up... and the other hassle is that it will keep shooting forward and
bumping into the boat. You can fix this by tying a short line to the
stern and putting some figure-8 knots in it.

Don't tow the kayak from the tip of the bow. Attach the painter as low
as possible on the stem. This will make it much less likely to tip and
slew around crazily. Your friend may not want to add an attachment point.

The biggest hassle will be trying to get into the thing from the
boarding ladder!

Fresh Breezes- Doug King

I think he said he was "thinking of towing it behind," which I'm assuming
means from the stern, unless he's going to be motoring backwards the
whole way. :-)

--
"j" ganz @@
www.sailnow.com

"DSK" wrote in message
.. .
Brien Alkire wrote:
We're sailing from Marina Del Rey to Catalina Island for a 3-day weekend
next week. One of our guests wants to bring a kayak. It's 15-feet
long,
which is kind of big to fit on the bow of the Catalina 36, so we're
thinking
of towing it behind. My friend thinks it's stable enough in the water
not
to tip over.

Has anyone tried towing a kayak? It's a 38 mile trip. Is this going to
be
a hassle?

I've towed canoes, but not kayaks. It seems to me that if it has a skirt
that can be relied on to stay in place, this shoudl keep it from filling
up... and the other hassle is that it will keep shooting forward and
bumping into the boat. You can fix this by tying a short line to the
stern and putting some figure-8 knots in it.

Don't tow the kayak from the tip of the bow. Attach the painter as low
as possible on the stem. This will make it much less likely to tip and
slew around crazily. Your friend may not want to add an attachment point.

The biggest hassle will be trying to get into the thing from the
boarding ladder!

Fresh Breezes- Doug King

I think Doug meant 'from the tip of the kayaks' bow.

SV

"Jonathan Ganz" wrote in message
...
I think he said he was "thinking of towing it behind," which I'm assuming
means from the stern, unless he's going to be motoring backwards the
whole way. :-)

--
"j" ganz @@
www.sailnow.com

"DSK" wrote in message
.. .
Brien Alkire wrote:
We're sailing from Marina Del Rey to Catalina Island for a 3-day
weekend
next week. One of our guests wants to bring a kayak. It's 15-feet
long,
which is kind of big to fit on the bow of the Catalina 36, so we're
thinking
of towing it behind. My friend thinks it's stable enough in the water
not
to tip over.

Has anyone tried towing a kayak? It's a 38 mile trip. Is this going
to
be
a hassle?

I've towed canoes, but not kayaks. It seems to me that if it has a skirt
that can be relied on to stay in place, this shoudl keep it from filling
up... and the other hassle is that it will keep shooting forward and
bumping into the boat. You can fix this by tying a short line to the
stern and putting some figure-8 knots in it.

Don't tow the kayak from the tip of the bow. Attach the painter as low
as possible on the stem. This will make it much less likely to tip and
slew around crazily. Your friend may not want to add an attachment
point.

The biggest hassle will be trying to get into the thing from the
boarding ladder!

Fresh Breezes- Doug King

No way! :-)

--
"j" ganz @@
www.sailnow.com

"Scott Vernon" wrote in message
...
I think Doug meant 'from the tip of the kayaks' bow.

SV

"Jonathan Ganz" wrote in message
...
I think he said he was "thinking of towing it behind," which I'm
assuming
means from the stern, unless he's going to be motoring backwards the
whole way. :-)

--
"j" ganz @@
www.sailnow.com

"DSK" wrote in message
.. .
Brien Alkire wrote:
We're sailing from Marina Del Rey to Catalina Island for a 3-day
weekend
next week. One of our guests wants to bring a kayak. It's 15-feet
long,
which is kind of big to fit on the bow of the Catalina 36, so we're
thinking
of towing it behind. My friend thinks it's stable enough in the
water
not
to tip over.

Has anyone tried towing a kayak? It's a 38 mile trip. Is this
going
to
be
a hassle?

I've towed canoes, but not kayaks. It seems to me that if it has a
skirt
that can be relied on to stay in place, this shoudl keep it from
filling
up... and the other hassle is that it will keep shooting forward and
bumping into the boat. You can fix this by tying a short line to the
stern and putting some figure-8 knots in it.

Don't tow the kayak from the tip of the bow. Attach the painter as low
as possible on the stem. This will make it much less likely to tip and
slew around crazily. Your friend may not want to add an attachment
point.

The biggest hassle will be trying to get into the thing from the
boarding ladder!

Fresh Breezes- Doug King

Scott Vernon wrote:
I think Doug meant 'from the tip of the kayaks' bow.

Geez, I gotta explain everything, don't I? Next you'll want me to draw a
picture.

DSK

Or not...

--
"j" ganz @@
www.sailnow.com

"DSK" wrote in message
.. .
Scott Vernon wrote:
I think Doug meant 'from the tip of the kayaks' bow.

Geez, I gotta explain everything, don't I? Next you'll want me to draw a
picture.

DSK

Dorkousmaximus.

RB


"Jonathan Ganz" wrote in message ...
No way! :-)

--
"j" ganz @@
www.sailnow.com

"Scott Vernon" wrote in message
...
I think Doug meant 'from the tip of the kayaks' bow.

SV

"Jonathan Ganz" wrote in message
...
I think he said he was "thinking of towing it behind," which I'm
assuming
means from the stern, unless he's going to be motoring backwards the
whole way. :-)

--
"j" ganz @@
www.sailnow.com

"DSK" wrote in message
.. .
Brien Alkire wrote:
We're sailing from Marina Del Rey to Catalina Island for a 3-day
weekend
next week. One of our guests wants to bring a kayak. It's 15-feet
long,
which is kind of big to fit on the bow of the Catalina 36, so we're
thinking
of towing it behind. My friend thinks it's stable enough in the
water
not
to tip over.

Has anyone tried towing a kayak? It's a 38 mile trip. Is this
going
to
be
a hassle?

I've towed canoes, but not kayaks. It seems to me that if it has a
skirt
that can be relied on to stay in place, this shoudl keep it from
filling
up... and the other hassle is that it will keep shooting forward and
bumping into the boat. You can fix this by tying a short line to the
stern and putting some figure-8 knots in it.

Don't tow the kayak from the tip of the bow. Attach the painter as low
as possible on the stem. This will make it much less likely to tip and
slew around crazily. Your friend may not want to add an attachment
point.

The biggest hassle will be trying to get into the thing from the
boarding ladder!

Fresh Breezes- Doug King