Question on Towing
 

Bruce in Alaska wrote:
In article ,
Matt O'Toole wrote:

On Sun, 26 Nov 2006 02:44:56 +0000, wrote:

Hello; Love this forum, and I've been reading it for a while. I own a 24'
Bayliner which has a 50 gallon gas tank in the stern engine area. I wonder
-
can additional fuel be towed on a large inflatable, like a Zodiac?
Adding larger fuel tanks is not a good idea - it diminishes performance.
But
I wonder if with a raft - you could tow along a large fuel supply? Say
another 300 gallons or so?
Towing a load in a Zodiac will diminish performance a lot
more, plus adding potential points of failure and safety problems.

One thing you fellows should really look at in this "Towing" business
is that if you tow ANYTHING, and your vessel is 26 Ft (7.8 Meters)
overall length, or over (or larger), then you are REQUIRED to comply
with the Bridge to Bridge RadioTelephone Act. CFR47 Part 80 Subpart U.
It doesn't matter if your non-commercial, commercial, pleasure, or
whatever, if your are US Flagged, over 26Ft and Towing, you are REQUIRED
to comply.

I'm curious, where do you get this? In 47cfr the phrase "towing
vessel" refers to a commercial tow.

Question on Towing
 

On Sun, 26 Nov 2006 02:44:56 GMT, "
wrote:

I own a 24'
Bayliner which has a 50 gallon gas tank in the stern engine area. I wonder -
can additional fuel be towed on a large inflatable, like a Zodiac?
Adding larger fuel tanks is not a good idea - it diminishes performance. But
I wonder if with a raft - you could tow along a large fuel supply? Say
another 300 gallons or so?

Basically you've got the wrong boat for the job. You don't really say
what your range aspirations are, but 300 gallons will take a 24 ft
Bayliner a lot further than it was designed to go, and certainly not
offshore I hope. Towing fuel is the wrong answer for all of the
reasons others have provided. Offshore fishing boats in that size
range will typically have fuel tankage of 150 to 200 gallons.

Question on Towing
 

... if you tow ANYTHING, and your vessel is 26 Ft (7.8 Meters)
overall length, or over (or larger), then you are REQUIRED to comply
with the Bridge to Bridge RadioTelephone Act. CFR47 Part 80 Subpart U.
It doesn't matter if your non-commercial, commercial, pleasure, or
whatever, if your are US Flagged, over 26Ft and Towing, you are REQUIRED
to comply. ...

That's not correct.

see 47 CFR 80.5 also 33 CFR 26.02

(5) Towing vessel. Any commercial ship engaged in towing another ship
astern, alongside or by pushing ahead.

I hate the CFR's!

-- Tom.

Question on Towing
 

Matt O'Toole wrote:
20 extra gallons is not a big deal. Get a few jerry cans and tie them
down safely. For a more permanent solution, add a tank. With a
relatively common, mainstream boat you should have no trouble finding a
ready-made plastic tank that will fit somewhere.

Matt O.

That's what I did on my old Chriscraft Cavalier '27 when I cruised down
the Illinois river from Peoria to Alton. We strapped 6 jerry cans
(back when they were made of metal) onto the dive platform. I knew we
wouldn't need them going down, but coming up , yeah, we tapped into
them.

Question on Towing
 

Tim wrote:
Matt O'Toole wrote:
20 extra gallons is not a big deal. Get a few jerry cans and tie them
down safely. For a more permanent solution, add a tank. With a
relatively common, mainstream boat you should have no trouble finding a
ready-made plastic tank that will fit somewhere.

Matt O.
But what I thought would always be cool, would be to get an military
surplus aircraft fuel cell bladder, that lays right in the keel of the
boat. they deflate as fuel is used. and you can configure them in
amazing ways. I saw some go on ebay for reasonable.

Question on Towing
 

But what I thought would always be cool, would be to get an military
surplus aircraft fuel cell bladder, that lays right in the keel of the
boat. they deflate as fuel is used. ...

Beware of chafe problems with them; they've been known to rupture. Of
course, you could tow the bladder behind the boat :) You'll want to
put a diamond day shape on the back of it and an all around white light
at night.

-- Tom.