[Paddlewise] tow line

Jim asks:

<<<
What is the preferred location for clipping the tow line onto the towed
kayak?  The bow grab handle? Close to the cockpit so the victim can
release if need be?  (That sounds like a squirrelly ride near the
cockpit) I have only towed in practice and always clipped near the bow
grab handle.
>>>

There are a number of options, mostly dependent on how much ability you
and the person being towed want to garnish to the kayaker in need. I've
never worried about that myself...if I need to tow someone, they usually
aren't in a frame of mind to be concerned with having the ability to
release. I, on the other hand, will not tow unless I _can_
quick-release  -- if needed. This was demonstrated to me viscerally on
our failed Storm Island crossing where the tow line was about to get
wrapped up in the rescuing fish boat's stabilizers at the end of the
ordeal (I had a lower chest harness system).

As for your direct question, I prefer to pull on the front of the kayak
being towed for best directional control, where the paddler is able to
remain upright and hopefully apply some propulsion. I've found the most
difficult aspect of hooking onto the boat to be towed is actually
_making the connection_. Well, in a stormy, boisterous sea, it can be a
real challenge to retain stability, keep paddle control and retention of
same, all while engaging your tow system and then clipping to the other
kayak. Remember, its bouncing around and can be difficult to coordinate
the movement necessary to clip on. In this situation, forget the toggle
or grab loop, and just go for the front deck line if one is present.

In the case of the incident I was involved with (a six hour tow in 35
knot winds and 7-foot breaking seas superimposed on a 2 to 3 meter
westerly bump with a strong current mixed in, I eventually had to lean
over onto the front deck of the kayak needing assistance, then bear hug
it close in, in order to clip into the deck line. Its a lot harder than
it sounds, and would be something a lot of towing classes would gloss
over. And this was all before the seas got really bad.

BTW, the towing portion of many a BCU exam (or other germane paddling
schemes) is the area where a lot of paddlers fail - literally - for a
variety of reasons.

Cheers,

Doug Lloyd

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