MMC wrote:
Damn expensive experience gathering! A good friend has lost 2 inflatables
while towing! He finally bought davits.....
"Capt. JG" wrote in message
...

The reason I am interested in hearing from someone who has actually
towed a sit on top is because of all the types of towed dinghies, it
seems like it would be the best. It can't fill with water. It won't
suddenly weigh 1000 pounds. It is unsinkable. The only thing that I
can think of that would be of concern is it flipping over in a seaway
and diving. Painter chafe is a solveable problem.

Carrying one onboard is easy and I do that regularily. I don't tie it
to the guardrails/lifelines though. They are not strong enough for that.

Gaz

"Gary" wrote in message
news:bg5Ff.322948$tl.239395@pd7tw3no...
MMC wrote:
Damn expensive experience gathering! A good friend has lost 2 inflatables
while towing! He finally bought davits.....
"Capt. JG" wrote in message
...

The reason I am interested in hearing from someone who has actually towed
a sit on top is because of all the types of towed dinghies, it seems like
it would be the best. It can't fill with water. It won't suddenly weigh
1000 pounds. It is unsinkable. The only thing that I can think of that
would be of concern is it flipping over in a seaway and diving. Painter
chafe is a solveable problem.

Carrying one onboard is easy and I do that regularily. I don't tie it to
the guardrails/lifelines though. They are not strong enough for that.

Gaz

Yes, it would seem like it would be the best... but they get pretty
squirrelly I would think... whipping around because they have no substance.
I believe that the one I saw lost kept getting whipped from side to side and
this finally did in the painter.

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

You asked me what I saw... that's what I saw... isn't that enough? It
probably chafed through? Just a guess.

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

"Gary" wrote in message
news:303Ff.547604$ki.339867@pd7tw2no...
Capt. JG wrote:
A broken painter.

That's it?

Gary wrote:
MMC wrote:

Damn expensive experience gathering! A good friend has lost 2 inflatables
while towing! He finally bought davits.....
"Capt. JG" wrote in message
...


The reason I am interested in hearing from someone who has actually
towed a sit on top is because of all the types of towed dinghies, it
seems like it would be the best. It can't fill with water. It won't
suddenly weigh 1000 pounds. It is unsinkable. The only thing that I
can think of that would be of concern is it flipping over in a seaway
and diving. Painter chafe is a solveable problem.

Carrying one onboard is easy and I do that regularily. I don't tie it
to the guardrails/lifelines though. They are not strong enough for that.

Gaz


Usually, at this time, someone recommends the PortaBote.
It folds up smaller than your kayak for attaching to lifelines, yet
would keep you dry rowing back & forth to mooring field.
Like a normal dinghy, I would only tow it in calm seas.

Capt. JG wrote:
You asked me what I saw... that's what I saw... isn't that enough? It
probably chafed through? Just a guess.

I was expecting something more dramatic/catastrophic. IE: The kayak
surged forward and landed in the cockpit knocking the helmsman
overboard; The kayak inverted and dove straight down ripping the cleat
right off the back of the boat; The kayak accelerated past the boat
while surfing on a wave and when the painter came tight it yanked the
kayak bow right through a portlight.

Something more........you know.

Gaz

Don White wrote:
Gary wrote:

MMC wrote:

Damn expensive experience gathering! A good friend has lost 2
inflatables
while towing! He finally bought davits.....
"Capt. JG" wrote in message
...



The reason I am interested in hearing from someone who has actually
towed a sit on top is because of all the types of towed dinghies, it
seems like it would be the best. It can't fill with water. It won't
suddenly weigh 1000 pounds. It is unsinkable. The only thing that I
can think of that would be of concern is it flipping over in a seaway
and diving. Painter chafe is a solveable problem.

Carrying one onboard is easy and I do that regularily. I don't tie it
to the guardrails/lifelines though. They are not strong enough for that.

Gaz



Usually, at this time, someone recommends the PortaBote.
It folds up smaller than your kayak for attaching to lifelines, yet
would keep you dry rowing back & forth to mooring field.
Like a normal dinghy, I would only tow it in calm seas.

Doesn't it also present a lot of area to a boarding sea? There is also
the looks thing. PortaBote's are really ugly. They make a MacGregor
look nice.

Gaz

I didn't see that part. I saw the part where the skipper and crew were
yelling "sh*t, sh*t, sh*t" over and over and trying to recover it.

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

"Gary" wrote in message
news:PGdFf.434495$2k.336015@pd7tw1no...
Capt. JG wrote:
You asked me what I saw... that's what I saw... isn't that enough? It
probably chafed through? Just a guess.

I was expecting something more dramatic/catastrophic. IE: The kayak
surged forward and landed in the cockpit knocking the helmsman overboard;
The kayak inverted and dove straight down ripping the cleat right off the
back of the boat; The kayak accelerated past the boat while surfing on a
wave and when the painter came tight it yanked the kayak bow right through
a portlight.

Something more........you know.

Gaz

On Sat, 04 Feb 2006 17:12:39 GMT, Gary wrote:

The only thing that I
can think of that would be of concern is it flipping over in a seaway
and diving.

Flipping over is a matter of "when", not "if". It would be good no
know in advance how it will react after it flips.

I've had 2 towed inflatables flip over, once with a 65 lb outboard
motor on the back, and 1 fiberglass dinghy capsize while being towed.
It happens with amazing speed under the right conditions, and it
doesn't have to be especially rough. I see no reason to think that a
kayak is immune.

Wayne.B wrote:
On Sat, 04 Feb 2006 17:12:39 GMT, Gary wrote:


The only thing that I
can think of that would be of concern is it flipping over in a seaway
and diving.


Flipping over is a matter of "when", not "if". It would be good no
know in advance how it will react after it flips.

I've had 2 towed inflatables flip over, once with a 65 lb outboard
motor on the back, and 1 fiberglass dinghy capsize while being towed.
It happens with amazing speed under the right conditions, and it
doesn't have to be especially rough. I see no reason to think that a
kayak is immune.

I don't think the kayak would be immune to flipping. I am interested in
what it does after flipping. Unlike a hardshell dinghy, it won't fill
with water or behave like a drogue. Unlike a zodiac it shouldn't start
to come apart. The kayak can't fill with water and will either dive or
just flip back again. Remember, it is more like a log than a boat.

Gary

OK, from experience - don't tow a kayak. Except for river or squirt
boats the majority of Kayaks are designed to track in a straight line.
All goes well until you tack. The painter slakens a bit, then
rightens and your Kayak continues on it's merry way on your LAST
course, until it is dragged sideways, flips over and fills with
water. That does not address your particular question about sit on
tops however as it would not fill with water - but I still wouldn't
tow it.

As to carrying on deck... a major pain in the ass unless you have a 60
ft boat.

Any other questions?

I've sold about a million dollars worth of Kayaks and have owned up to
five at one time and still have a couple of folders (which are what I
recomend and use on my sailboat). If you want an economical folder
check out pac boat.


regards,


Capt Spammy



On 3 Feb 2006 14:02:52 -0800, "
wrote:


Does anyone have experience either storing an
ocean kayak (closed, sit on top variety) on a 27
foot sailboat, or towing it behind?

What are your experiences? Doable? Horrible?
Good idea?

Thanks!