Best Way To Tow A Laser?

andyatos

Well-Known Member
In a few weeks I'm going to be towing my old Laser that I have back east through a narrow tidal channel that can have very strong current during max coming and going tides. Strong enough that you need to get the motor boat up to planning speeds in order to make headway.

The mast will not be stepped because we will be passing under a low bridge then rigging the boat once we are out in the ocean.

Was thinking about running a rope down through the centerboard case in a large loop that ends up just forward of the bow eye then have another small loop come from the bow eye to restrict the side to side movement of the bow end of the larger, load bearing rope that is pulling from the forward edge of the centerboard case.

The Laser will not have anyone in it, no center board and no rudder. Just the mast and boom lashed to the deck. The rest of the towing will be at much slower, sub planning motor boat speeds.

Suggestions? Don't want to put any unnecessary loads on the old girl.

- Andy
 
you have got my attention, why are you towing it? Curiosity has got me...
To deal with the strong coming or going tide that happens under the bridge that can be seen in this video.

Have to get the Laser from the estuary (where I grew up) to the ocean... and back... when the tide may be hauling ass in or out.

- Andy
 
Is this a one time thing or are you going to have to do this every time you want to sail? Seems like alot of work
 
Definitely don't want to tow from just the bow eye as that is not a real strong point. I like your idea of tying something through the centerboard case.

Wild idea that probably won't work. Since we normally tie the tow line to the mast when the mast is up, maybe used a sawed off lower section that is low enough to fit under the bridge? I don't know how you would keep it secured though. Again maybe tie something trough the centerboard case to keep it in place, but apply the force of the tow to the shortened mast section. Just thinking out loud.

Personally give the current and the low bridge, I'd find someplace else to sail.
 
I've tried towing a Laser at planing speeds behind a power boat before. The water will fountain out of the dagger board slot and will completely fill the cockpit. It will be fine for a while. Then you will need to drive around at slow speed or bail the cockpit.
 
Is this a one time thing or are you going to have to do this every time you want to sail? Seems like alot of work
I live in California where I have one Laser. I grew up in Massachusetts where I have another Laser, "Old Red". The place where I want to tow is in Massachusetts, where I will be visiting in a few weeks.

Normally, if I want to sail out into the ocean, I wait for the tide to start to go out of the estuary. I then slide Old Red off the marsh next to our dock and sail to the bridge. While still fully rigged and sailing, I then position the Laser right next to the bridge and do a "precision capsize". That is, with the mast facing perpendicular to the out going current and with the front of the mast (and bow) facing into the current.

While straddling the gunnel... and using my body weight to keep the tip of the mast from going too far under, I let the current sweep me and the now capsized Old Red under the bridge. As soon as I'm on the other side, I right the boat and sail the rest of the current another 75 yards to the ocean... after passing through one final boiler/standing wave.

I then sail around in the ocean and return later in the day to back inside the estuary by doing another precision capsize, only this time with an incoming tide. This is the way we've been egress-ing and ingress-ing the estuary in our dinghy sailboats for years. Easy, peazy. No need to de-rig.

Anyway, the above process requires timing the tides. But if we don't want to have to wait, we just use our motorboat to tow the de-rigged sailboat out into the ocean. In a few weeks, guests visiting us while we are there means getting my bud out into the ocean (so he can sail the Laser) post haste. Hence my need to tow Old Red.

- Andy
 
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Why not use the lower mast and attach the tie rope with a bowline?
Yes, I was thinking about that. But when the tide is on the high side, you actually have to duck down as you pass under the bridge in a motor boat. Ie, you'll hit your head unless you are sitting down. :p:)

- Andy
 
Typically the Laser is towed by running the line thru the bow eye and tying it around the mast. The day we towed mine on a plane, I ran it thru the bow eye and tied it to the hiking strap line, which is held on by 4 fasteners in tension. The fear with simply tying onto the bow eye is that the cheap plastic fitting will break and that you are really pulling on one fastener in shear.
 
Why not just put the lower mast section in, tie it down and then tie a bowline around the section? Safer than a boweye or hiking strap.
 
The other way may be to get a section of tube (or an old broken lower mast) and make a stub mast to tie around.

I would not want to tow off the bow fairlead in those kinds of conditions or any other part of the boat aside from the mast if I am honest.

I do remember being towed on the Menai Strait between the 2 bridges where you get tide of around 14kts in full flow whilst kneeling in a Laser 4000. All we did then was loop the rope round the mast twice and then hold it.
 
Great suggestions all. I'll make sure to shoot video and post it here if we end up doing a tow of "Old Red".

- Andy
 
Ideal with someone in it, and the rudder in place for steerage.

They are so light, they end up sideways real easy with no one onboard.

Can you get someone in it?
 
Personally, I'd tie the bow of the Laser right against the stern of the motorboat. If you can lift the bow out of the water that's even better. The towed boat then tracks very nicely. Too much line between the two boats allows the towed boat to "do its own thing".
 

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