Hobie Cat Forums

I will need to two my TI from time to time behind my 25' pontoon boat. I will be towing it in Parker Az on the Colorado River. My wife like to take the boat to the shallows for the day. It is a large are that is no wake. There is usually nice winds and it would be fun to two it there from our place up river. It is about 6 miles one way. What is the best way to attach to the TI. How far back behind the boat. Should the amas be out as well. If you have any picks that would be great.

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Don
Las Vegas NV
2012 Yellow TI

I have a lot more experience towing a TI than I ever wanted, so should be able to help. I have been towed behind a 60 foot fishing trawler, and a sterndrive 25 foot cabin cruiser. Each tow was for over 2 miles, and I was in the front seat each time. I tried with 15 metre line and a 25 metre line (behind the fishing boat)

From my experience, maximum towing speed was just under 7 knots. However here might be some greatly higher speed, but to get there, the TI has to climb over the stern wave of the towing vessel, and I wasn't prepared to risk a catastrophe finding out. You should adjust the length of the tow line to put the TI in a gap between the stern waves.

The very most important thing though is to be aware that the TI (or at least mine anyway) was NOT stable under tow, and required some steering input to minimise it wandering to one side.

I suspect that the safest way to tow is to have someone in the TI, with the towline wrapped a couple of times round the front crossbar, with the (unknotted) end in your hand ready to be released if things go pear-shaped.

I am almost tempted to suggest a diving mask and snorkel too, as being under tow redefines what a "wet ride" can mean!

I should add that I have an oval "O ring" shackle attached to the bow fitting, but the tow rope only passes >through< this so the towing force is all on the crossbar, which the bow fitting only handles side-on loads. Definitely leave the amas out.

If you watch the TI carefully during the first tow, you will soon see what is the best setup, speed, tow length etc. Good luck!

Ive towed an AI many miles with a sailboat on Lake Powell and Lake Havasu. I cant go any faster than about 6 knots since Im towing with a sailboat and it tows fine at that speed. Last time I think I had removed everything that would have any drag underwater and in the picture below, it looks like I had pulled the AI in fairly close - might have even been pulling up slightly on the AI nose.

I go to Lake Havasu fairly often and am wondering where the "shallows" is - probably would be an easy one day trip from Lake Havasu?

towing the AI with two kayaks on Lake Powell (scroll down to near the end)

I think the drag of the two kayaks in the back added some stabilization

http://analogengineering.com/sail/powel ... l2010.html

Thanks for all the help and advice. I have towed my AI with my sailboat but it was a while ago. I have not towed behind a power boat. I noticed last time out that the boat makes a nice kick up tail in the middle and I think if I have the TI back a little it should do fine.

Walt. The shallows are on the Parker Strip. Have you ever been down there? I don't think your sailboat will do well there. The river is shallow in a lot of places, but it is a great place to sail the when it is not too busy. The shallows are in front of the Blue Water Hotel Casino. There is a sand bar in the middle where you can stand in 3-4 feet of water. Nice place to hand out and anchor.

I got my TI at Southwest Kayaks in Lake Havasu. I pick it up this Friday. It is a 2012 Demo that was used 3 times. Looking forward to sailing it.

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Don
Las Vegas NV
2012 Yellow TI

Walt here is a Video I did a while ago and sailing on The river at Parker.

http://www.hobiecat.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=70&t=13065

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Don
Las Vegas NV
2012 Yellow TI

I have just driven through Parker but it looks like a cool place (especially if you are right on the river). I wouldn’t take the sailboat down there but that would be an easy AI road trip from Lake Havasu. Ill have to remember the Blue Water Hotel Casino landmark. Nice video, made me want to head there now (Ill have to wait until late October if things work out)..

Remembering a little more from when I towed the AI (in March this year), it was a little squirrely if I had a long tow rope. Possibly bringing it forward like I did lifted the front end and that resulted in moving the underwater center of drag backwards which likely is a good thing for towing. Once I had it dialed in, I probably towed the AI at least 30 miles.

Was that primarily under sail?

I have to say that I now wish I had been able to experiment regarding the length of the tow rope as well as the speed, as clearly, there will be a "sweet spot" where the TI just obediently sits behind the towing vessel and causes no concern.

I suspect that my earlier suggestion was incorrect, as it makes most sense for it to sit just on the back of the stern wave so the bow is slightly raised (and maybe even slightly overhanging the front of the stern wave), which is definitely prefererable to the bow pointing down and potentially submarining, temporarily putting huge strain on the tow rope and/or darting to either side.

30 miles towing was with the outboard at under 6 knots (maybe closer to 5.5 or 5.4 knots). When I did sail the sailboat on that trip, the 17 YO son would sail along in the AI. Don will probably know where these points are but on that trip, we went all the way from the near the "sandbar" at the North end of the lake to Parker dam and stayed one night at Steamboat cove. At Lake Powell, I pulled the AI and the two kayaks floating off the back around 90 to 100 miles but as mentioned, I think the drag of the kayaks hooked to the back of the AI helped the stability.

I also had the tow rope going through a some sort of attachement at the bow and then clipped to the mast. However, when I look at the picture I posted above in this thread, it looks like the rope had wrapped around the hull one time and I didnt notice it probably since it was still pulling from the spot on the bow.

FYI, the towing hasnt seemed to hurt anything, my AI after 3 (or maybe its 4?) years of lots of torture is still in fairly good shape

picture below is from Lake Powell - towed like this 90 to 100 miles

Walt

Yea I know that area. There are so many different coves to check out on Havasu. I will also go into the Bill William's Wild Life Preserve. It is at the far south end of the lake near the Parer Dam. Lots of migration birds and good fishing from what I understand.

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Don
Las Vegas NV
2012 Yellow TI

Here is a picture from the shallows at parker a few weeks ago. This was a slow quite weekend.

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Don
Las Vegas NV
2012 Yellow TI

Slalom course on a windy day?

One thing I like about that area is the extreme range of personalities the lake / river has..

(picture taken from the AI – it’s the only thing I would take out on a day like that)

Nice Water!

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http://KayakingBob.com - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 2007, 2009 & 2010 Hobie AIs and a 2010 TI