Re: [Paddlewise] Tow a container - was The Old Man and the Bicycle

> Has anyone had experience towing a storage container with their
> kayak?  Please contribute details like container shape, size, weight, towed
> distance, problems, sea conditions, etc.

For about 11 years I would go on 1 week trips towing a single kayak behind a
double. I had the entire family in the double (Wife plus two kids). We
carried extra gear in the double. This was all off the west coast of
Vancouver Island.

The first time, I towed a Keeowee kayak which was a little plastic thing. It
is a little short kayak that is quite wide. It worked OK but one reason I
wanted to bring a single was for short trips after we got to a destination
and the Keeowee was not good for any distance.

One problem that I had one day was in big waves from the stern the kayak
surfed into the back of the double and bent a rudder. Solution was just to
lengthen the tow rope.

I was paddling with friends with their own kids who were more frugal with
their gear and more comfortable paddling with things in their lap so they
did not tow anything. I would tend to fall behind but not that much. Another
problem was that they would grab the kayak being towed and I would find that
I was towing more than just my own "dingy"

But as I pulled the little Keeowee I wondered whether it was actually
slowing me down a little because it was being towed so close to its hull
speed. So I started towing a Mariner kayak (first version). That worked
well. I had been concerned about the kayak capsizing but that never happened
in all those years with some time in pretty rough conditions. I made a tight
cockpit cover that would have survived a capsize. I was careful to put the
heaviest stuff low in the kayak and in general a loaded kayak without a
person inside is pretty stable. I found that I had to load it stern heavy (a
lot) so that it would not snake back and forth when paddling. In bad
conditions, it would surf but I towed it far behind the kayak. When it
surfed it might curve off course and then get dragged abruptly back into
course so I used a fairly stretchy tow line so mitigate the jerk.

With the kayak behind me, I would tend to just forget it. But I did remember
not to play in rock gardens which I was not inclined to do much with my
family anyway. (When I forgot, my wife in the front of the kayak would
remind me)

We lost the kayak once because of the hook disengaging. I paddled for quite
a distance before I realized it which is testimony to the "feel" of paddling
a fully loaded double with 4 people in it.

And I had a quick release mechanism if ever had to disengage.

Now, happily, my kids are old enough to paddle their own kayaks. (Happened
when the youngest was 10)

Paddling in the back of a double is almost a different sport and not one
that I like as much as using a single. Towing the single gave me the ability
to do little trips in a kayak that I liked after we reached our destination.

And packing was easy.

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