How to Tow a Boat

Towing a boat safely requires the proper equipment and a lot of know-how, and it is best left to professionals. Occasionally, though, situations still arise in which you have little choice but to accept a tow from a friend or a fellow boater, or offer one yourself. Keep reading for detailed instructions to get you on your way.

Steps

Except in the calmest of conditions, coming alongside another boat is a recipe for trouble. Wave action can slam the boats together, and, worse yet, crew members’ extremities can get caught between them. Instead, throw the tow line to the other boat from a distance.
The bow eye — where the winch strap on the trailer attaches — is generally the best place to attach the tow line to the towed boat. On some boats, though, it can be difficult to reach from inside the boat.
If you need to tie the tow line around something like a bow eye, use a bowline to make the loop. Bowlines don’t slip and don’t tighten up under pressure as much as most other knots and can be untied after the tow without too much trouble.^{[1]XResearch source}
You should use an absolute minimum of 50 feet (15.2 m) of tow line; 100 feet (30.5 m) is much better. Remember that the boat in tow has no means of slowing down, so a longer line is an important safety measure. It also acts as a shock absorber.
If you’re doing the towing, don’t just throw your tow line overboard before getting under way; it’s all too easy to wrap it around your prop(s). Rather, keep it on deck and have a crew member pay it out slowly as you get moving
You should be able to instantly communicate with the crew of the other boat, and vice versa. If you can’t use radios or phones, work out a simple set of hand signals for slowing down, speeding up, stopping and cutting loose.^{[2]XResearch source}
Outboards or outdrives of boats in tow should be left down to provide directional stability. It’s important that they’re not turned to one side or the other. If the towed boat still swerves from side to side, try shifting weight toward its stern.
If you’re doing the towing, you should always be ready to cut loose the towed boat in case it begins to sink, or for other reasons.^{[3]XResearch source}
Towing, even in the best conditions, is potentially dangerous. Everybody on both boats should be wearing a PFD throughout the operation.^{[4]XResearch source}
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How fast can I tow my boat?
Community Answer
It depends on the boat weight and the capabilities of the tow car. It doesn't pay to drive fast because you can get speed wobbles and crash, and the braking distance is longer. I don't tow my boat over 80 kph or 50 mph.
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How do you raise an outboard for towing?
Tyler Ihle
Community Answer
Most outboard motors have a pivoting mechanism on them. It is a gear style device that a pin inserts into. Push the pin in to release the motor and tilt it up.
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