- Joined
- Mar 2, 2000
- RO Number
- 36
- Messages
- 6,660
Last Summer we had a couple of threads on the subject. Various means for towing a dink were discussed and this was all new to me and one other boater.
http://www.boatered.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=162346
http://www.boatered.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=161450
Having never formed an eye splice in anything before it was at the time a daunting task. The dink was new and cost about 20k. For me that would have been a huge loss.
Our itinerary was going to take us across Florida then to the Abacos. From there we were out in the Atlantic going to the Exumas. Finally we flipped around at Great Exuma for the return trip.
All in all this turned out to be about 1400 nm at a leisurely pace of about 8 knots. There were times when we hit 16k and things held together quite well.
We also had full day runs through genuine snot that had the dink slamming and our minds resolved to the notion we could lose it. But it all held together.
I thought I'd share what I wound up with and yes, it was all put together by myself.
There were three versions. First I used two 1/2 lines from Freedom out to the dink. I had some chafe gear but it was not enough. The lines frayed at the haws holes in the aft deck when we hit a foot of chop on Okeechobee. So we sat in Stuart while I rethought and rebuilt. I wound up with two 5/8 lines of the same material and extra chafe gear.
After arriving in the Abacos I had enough confidence in my splicing to convert to a bridle at each end with a hawser and that is composed of 5/8 3 strand to the hawser, and then another bridle at the dink. Soft eyes were used everywhere except where the hawser clips to the forward bridle and where the dink attaches.
These are what you see in the photo of the rig. The half inch lines were converted to a bridle for the dink.
Here is what it looks like in tow initially with both the 1/2 and then the 5/8 dual hawser. As you can see, you can try but the lines will never be the same length.
Moving on I wound up with the single line and here is a shot having made it through Cave Cay cut when the tide was running.
Here is the final rig;
A couple of stainless spring clips make the connection to the dink. The splice instructions and several videos are available online or at Samson's website.
I will say with smaller diameter line using a fid size under what is recommended for pushing the ends through works much better. Just make all of the measurements with a ruler or tape.
http://www.boatered.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=162346
http://www.boatered.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=161450
Having never formed an eye splice in anything before it was at the time a daunting task. The dink was new and cost about 20k. For me that would have been a huge loss.
Our itinerary was going to take us across Florida then to the Abacos. From there we were out in the Atlantic going to the Exumas. Finally we flipped around at Great Exuma for the return trip.
All in all this turned out to be about 1400 nm at a leisurely pace of about 8 knots. There were times when we hit 16k and things held together quite well.
We also had full day runs through genuine snot that had the dink slamming and our minds resolved to the notion we could lose it. But it all held together.
I thought I'd share what I wound up with and yes, it was all put together by myself.
There were three versions. First I used two 1/2 lines from Freedom out to the dink. I had some chafe gear but it was not enough. The lines frayed at the haws holes in the aft deck when we hit a foot of chop on Okeechobee. So we sat in Stuart while I rethought and rebuilt. I wound up with two 5/8 lines of the same material and extra chafe gear.
After arriving in the Abacos I had enough confidence in my splicing to convert to a bridle at each end with a hawser and that is composed of 5/8 3 strand to the hawser, and then another bridle at the dink. Soft eyes were used everywhere except where the hawser clips to the forward bridle and where the dink attaches.
These are what you see in the photo of the rig. The half inch lines were converted to a bridle for the dink.
Here is what it looks like in tow initially with both the 1/2 and then the 5/8 dual hawser. As you can see, you can try but the lines will never be the same length.
Moving on I wound up with the single line and here is a shot having made it through Cave Cay cut when the tide was running.
Here is the final rig;
A couple of stainless spring clips make the connection to the dink. The splice instructions and several videos are available online or at Samson's website.
I will say with smaller diameter line using a fid size under what is recommended for pushing the ends through works much better. Just make all of the measurements with a ruler or tape.
