SIBS and towables

[daveyboy]

hi Im back after not being on here for some 10yrs or so and i m after some advice please. I have a Zodiac 340s, that being a 3.4m SIB with a solid wooden floor and I have just equipped it with a Parsun 15hp 4 stroke motor (new).
Would this be suitable set up to tow a large inflatable (Airhead Big Mable from Boatworld) which i already have. There are no eyelets on the transom to tow from and wondered if i could put some stainless eyelets on using the holes already there for the launch wheels. Thanks David

[Fenlander]

Welcome back David, from another David. Looks like you stopped posting about the time I started. I don't tow anything but for an emergency tow of someone else I carry a couple of eyes that bolt in the existing top transom wheel holes... as you mention. I would say the transom on the 340 isn't the most heavy duty so just consider spreading the load and going as carefully as you can. Glue does go off on older transoms and a snatch load from a towable can be pretty high.

[telecast]

Hi David,

I have messed with small towables behind a 3.4m sib with a 15hp 2 stroke.

I put an eye bolt on each side of transom as high as possible.

When my kids were big teenagers 16 ish it was just about possible to get on the plane with one of them on the tow along and one in the boat to spot.

As the loads are all through the transom engine vs towed load I don’t think it is as hard on the joints as you might first think ?

Bottom line it’s doable but just….

I have a 5M rib with a 60 now and towing one person is easy - 2 is just doable (mind they are a bit bigger now )

[Steve509926]

Hi David, is it a double towable? I think maybe towing one smallish adult or two kids you'd be ok. No adrenaline rush, but doable.

[Max...]

Small SIB's are surprisingly capable with towing if just for a bit of fun but you can push them a bit.

https://www.rib.net/forum/f50/waters...tec-69883.html

Pictured my eyelets here (go heavy duty if possible):

https://www.rib.net/forum/f50/towing...tml#post634234

[daveyboy]

Thanks all for your responses. The towable i jave is for 3 people i got it when i had my Doral Ibiza 180 with 90hp Mariner.
It hasnt been used so i think i ll keep it that way and flog it for something smaller. Cheers

[treerat]

I didn't use the transom on my SIb, but set a bridle up around the front of the boat, so in effect we were pushing the tow rope, not pulling it.

[Steve509926]

Originally Posted by treerat

I didn't use the transom on my SIb, but set a bridle up around the front of the boat, so in effect we were pushing the tow rope, not pulling it.

I assume the bridle went over the tubes and not under. Is there not a danger of the bow lifting?

[Trello]

Originally Posted by treerat

I didn't use the transom on my SIb, but set a bridle up around the front of the boat, so in effect we were pushing the tow rope, not pulling it.

That, treerat, is inspired! A great way of spreading the load. Please give details.

[treerat]

Originally Posted by Trello

That, treerat, is inspired! A great way of spreading the load. Please give details.

I had a Yam 3.83. It had two d rings offset from the front and then the front handle.

We had a webbing bridle that ran through these three points and down to teh back. A bungy on the back handles kept it in place there and went out to a single point with a large float where we attached a tow line.

Worked great and really spread the load. Can't find any pictures, but it was quick and easy to deploy and didn't load a transom that is only glued in place.

[Trello]

That is genius!

Pity you haven't any pictures - I think I've got an idea of how it worked, but I'm not quite sure what happened at the stern. By the "back handles" do you mean the handles on the rear parts of the sponsons themselves? If so, were they (the handles) the point at which the bridle left the boat to pass backwards?

[treerat]

Originally Posted by Trello

That is genius!

Pity you haven't any pictures - I think I've got an idea of how it worked, but I'm not quite sure what happened at the stern. By the "back handles" do you mean the handles on the rear parts of the sponsons themselves? If so, were they (the handles) the point at which the bridle left the boat to pass backwards?

In effect yes - they were really just a guide to stop the 'loop' moving away from the boat when turning too far.

[chipko]

Originally Posted by treerat

I had a Yam 3.83. It had two d rings offset from the front and then the front handle.



We had a webbing bridle that ran through these three points and down to teh back. A bungy on the back handles kept it in place there and went out to a single point with a large float where we attached a tow line.



Worked great and really spread the load. Can't find any pictures, but it was quick and easy to deploy and didn't load a transom that is only glued in place.

Sorry but unless interpreting wrongly this sounds seriously unwise to have any tow lines fixed to the bow. If those bungees at the stern fail then a sib will flip in the blink of an eye and or towlines will foul prop.

Call me boring but never had any problems towing from the transom. Fix a couple of eye bolts high and wide, spread load with large penny washers, and use a bridle with sliding float to attach tow line. Not ripped a transom off any sib yet.

[treerat]

Originally Posted by chipko

Sorry but unless interpreting wrongly this sounds seriously unwise to have any tow lines fixed to the bow. If those bungees at the stern fail then a sib will flip in the blink of an eye and or towlines will foul prop.

Call me boring but never had any problems towing from the transom. Fix a couple of eye bolts high and wide, spread load with large penny washers, and use a bridle with sliding float to attach tow line. Not ripped a transom off any sib yet.

Attachment 143565

Attachment 143566

Each to their own, never had an issue and had lots of fun working this way - without stressing the transom.

Its not the attaching to the transom that was under strain with rear tow eyes, but the glue holding it in place in my eyes.

[Steve509926]

Originally Posted by chipko

Sorry but unless interpreting wrongly this sounds seriously unwise to have any tow lines fixed to the bow. If those bungees at the stern fail then a sib will flip in the blink of an eye and or towlines will foul prop.

Call me boring but never had any problems towing from the transom. Fix a couple of eye bolts high and wide, spread load with large penny washers, and use a bridle with sliding float to attach tow line. Not ripped a transom off any sib yet.

Attachment 143565

Attachment 143566

That was also my thinking in "8, it just doesn't sound right.

[chipko]

Originally Posted by treerat

Each to their own, never had an issue and had lots of fun working this way - without stressing the transom.



Its not the attaching to the transom that was under strain with rear tow eyes, but the glue holding it in place in my eyes.

Totally agree each to their own, and you obviously have enough on water experience to make an informed decision.

My concern is anyone reading this and new to towing with their sib may think this is an accepted way of attaching tow lines.

I’m also of the opinion if you’re running a sib of the age where the glue is becoming an issue then you shouldn’t be considering towing at all. In fact you shouldn’t be going to sea full stop.

[Max...]

Add me to the list, seems a very sketchy idea, ‘towing’ from the *front* (as opposed to pushing) is not something I’m familiar with on any vehicle. Doesn’t the engine push against the glue joins just as much as towing from the transom will pull the same joins?

As in my links in the earlier post, make a HD set up on the transom and you’re good to go. I’ve even mono skied behind our Aerotec with a 15 no worries. Bloody hard work but the boat didn’t fall apart…

[telecast]

I have to agree that towing from the front is a non starter.

I will say again that with eye bolts in the transom - all forces are contained within the transom - outboard pushing forward - towable pulling backwards.

Any extra strain on glue joints is minimal.

[69cmw]

Originally Posted by telecast

I have to agree that towing from the front is a non starter.

Towing from the front? Has someone been on the wind up [emoji848]

[beamishken]

Originally Posted by chipko

Sorry but unless interpreting wrongly this sounds seriously unwise to have any tow lines fixed to the bow. If those bungees at the stern fail then a sib will flip in the blink of an eye and or towlines will foul prop.

Call me boring but never had any problems towing from the transom. Fix a couple of eye bolts high and wide, spread load with large penny washers, and use a bridle with sliding float to attach tow line. Not ripped a transom off any sib yet.

Attachment 143565

Attachment 143566

I have to agree with you on this one. Dont get the logic of moving the securing points from the transom where some of the load goes direct from engine to tow rope & moving the rope onto the tubes to save load on the transom. Surely moving the rope onto the tubes just stresses the transom further because all of the load now goes onto the glue securing the transom & your also adding unnecessary stress to all the glued attachments that the rope is now secured to. Apart from the risk of any one of the glued attachments coming unstuck & potentially decapitating anyone in the boat its almost certainly adding strain to the transom not reducing it.