BTW- for a sailboat under 30 feet, the best place to secure a towline is
to the base of the mast.


Steven Shelikoff wrote:
Not on a hobie cat, or any other boat with that type of mast.


Agreed... a boat with a rotating mast on a bearing at the step would be
a poor attachment point. But you could always put it around the forw'd
crossbeam!

DSK

On Wed, 12 Jan 2005 18:07:49 -0500, DSK wrote:

Paul Schilter wrote:
Is it more prudent for you to give your line over to a boat you're going
to tow or take his line?


An expert answer: it depends.

It's often said that accepting a line from a tower makes your vessel
salvage. OTOH it's often the case that the towee has no suitable lines
aboard.

When I've towed people in, I've always used my own line because
1- my crew had it ready
2- it was both long & stout enough, to my certain knowledge
3- that gives me more control over how it's paid out and the strain taken up


Another factor to keep in mind in this increasingly litigious and
responsibility deflecting society, is that if you use your line and
it breaks and results in further damage, there may be some urge to
hold you responsible. If you use his line and it breaks, then it's on
him.

Dave

"DSK" wrote in message
...
Paul Schilter wrote:
Is it more prudent for you to give your line over to a boat you're going
to tow or take his line?


An expert answer: it depends.

It's often said that accepting a line from a tower makes your vessel
salvage. OTOH it's often the case that the towee has no suitable lines
aboard.

Just trying to follow this conversation - what's the significance of your
boat being considered salvage in a case like this?

I never had the patience to follow a thread this long before. I'll probably
never do it again.
Only two posters attempted to answer the question:
BB pointed out that who handed who a line may be a point in salvage
questions and liability issues;
DSK pointed out that it depends.
Thanks to both of them for their answers.



"Paul Schilter" wrote in message
...
Is it more prudent for you to give your line over to a boat you're going
to tow or take his line?
Paul

Around 1/12/2005 7:14 PM, DSK wrote:

BTW another reason to not use the bow cleats is that they are usually
seriously undersized for the kind of rope almost any tow boat is going
to pass over.

That's why I carry my own tow line. As is understandable on a 14'
runabout, my deck cleats are *way* too small for anything above 3/8", so
my 5/8" tow line has a nice big carabiner professionally spliced on one end.

In the rare occasion when I'm being towed (by my parents, when it gets
too rough for an open 14') I just snap the line onto my bow eye.

When I'm doing the towing, I snap it onto one of my stern eyes. I've
towed a 32' Bayliner almost 2 miles against a mild river current that
way, and it worked fine... if a little slow.


--
~/Garth - 1966 Glastron V-142 Skiflite: "Blue-Boat"
"There is nothing - absolutely nothing - half so much worth doing
as simply messing about in boats."
-Kenneth Grahame, The Wind in the Willows

wgander wrote:
I never had the patience to follow a thread this long before. I'll probably
never do it again.
Only two posters attempted to answer the question:
BB pointed out that who handed who a line may be a point in salvage
questions and liability issues;
DSK pointed out that it depends.
Thanks to both of them for their answers.



"Paul Schilter" wrote in message
...

Is it more prudent for you to give your line over to a boat you're going
to tow or take his line?
Paul




Just to add a thought.
I'd know the condition of the line (size, age, past usage, wear,
construction, etc.) of the line I would be passing and considering for
usage, so I'd know what I could expect from it.
Whereas, the line from the other boat would be an unknown quantity and
quality.

otn

Harry,
I've heard that England's system is where if I sue you and loose then I
pay you attorney fees. I think that would stop a lot of frivolous
lawsuits. Perhaps also having a ceiling on how much the attorney's make
would help.
Paul


Harry Krause wrote:
Paul Schilter wrote:

Paul Schilter wrote:

Is it more prudent for you to give your line over to a boat you're
going to tow or take his line?
Paul





Are you concerned about the quality of the other guy's line or lawsuits?

I used to have a 5/8" towline with a bridle when I fished in
Florida...you'd frequently encounter someone who needed a tow into
the marina or the ramp, and the made-up towline made it easy.
Actually, I made it up after the first stator failure on my outboard,
in case ^I^ needed a tow...



Harry,
Thinking more of lawsuits.
Paul



Yeah, well, that's always a problem, and a telling note about our society.

BB,
It was just those rules I was curious about. It's not impossible if you
are the one being towed to find yourself in a salvage situation. Yes the
rules are different, they can be not what you would logically expect
based on common land rules. But it's still telling on our society!
Paul


Yeah, well, that's always a problem, and a telling note about our society.


You are confusing life on land with life at sea. The rules are different, and
for good reason.

BB

Harry,
You never know, the distressed boater COULD be a lurking terrorist
waiting to hijack your boat. It's a hell of a world we live in.
Paul


Harry Krause wrote:
snipped


Not necessarily. HE could sue you for tying a bad knot.

Gee, are we devolving to the point where no one is willing to help out
someone in distress? Next time I see some boater on the bay needing
help, should I consider whether he'll sue me before I go to his aid?

"Paul Schilter" wrote in message
...
BB,
It was just those rules I was curious about. It's not impossible if you
are the one being towed to find yourself in a salvage situation. Yes the
rules are different, they can be not what you would logically expect based
on common land rules. But it's still telling on our society!
Paul

Paul, what exactly does this mean - "find yourself in a salvage
situation"???