For those who may be new to this board, I spent eight years with Sea Tow and have towed hundreds of boats, including overnight tows from the Bahamas. I've also had a stainless steel tow hook fail and come whipping back, missing my head by about two feet. You'll notice that all boats engaged in recreational towing have a tow post as close to the center of the vessel as possible. This allows the towing vessel to maneuver while under tow. Most also have a steel grate behind the helm to protect the operator. The operator is a licensed captain with training and experience. Even then, there's not a year that goes by that one or more commercial tow boats are lost, usually tripped.
Towing is inherently dangerous. As I mentioned above, my last insurance policy specifically prohibited towing. I'd suggest that you read yours or call your agent. This forum is about safe boating. I can't recommend that anyone without the proper equipment, training and experience engage in towing, regardless of how small the vessel is.
I have, on many occasions, happened upon a disabled vessel. I will approach, determine if anyone needs medical attention, make sure the boat is stable and then offer to call a towing company or the CG. Most insurance policies will reimburse you for towing costs. The cost of a towing company membership is also fairly low. I'm certainly not suggesting that you just ignore your fellow boater. But you don't want to needlessly put yourself at risk either.
You'll notice that commercial tow boats have a special pole that is used to attach the tow line to the bow ring, as opposed to the cleats. The ring is much stronger than the cleats that, on many small boats, are simply screwed in with no backing plates. Then, of course, there's the issue of management. Tow a bow rider someday with 6 people on board. All six will want to sit in the bow. If sea conditions warrant, you need to get both boats in "step." If you have a vessel tied to your stern cleats, you have almost no maneuverability. Plus you need to be able to determine how much line you need - from 30' to 300'.
The typical tow is like a flight. The beginning and the end are the critical points with usually not much happening in between. However, it only takes a second for things to start going south. Polyester line is just as bad as 3 strand nylon, for just the opposite reason. Sea Tow, for example, uses a custom blend of synthetic line that has some elasticity, high strength and also floats to keep the line out of the props. The ability of a tow line to absorb shock is very important - it keeps the hardware in place. Tugs towing large vessels offshore use steel cable with sufficient weight to create a catenary that will absorb shock.
For those of you on Lake WakiWaki, I don't know what to tell you - other than, again, check your insurance policy. No one wants to leave a family stuck in the middle of the lake. But josko has pleny of commercial providers in and around Woods Hole.
