Towing Line

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There is no wind, and your engine won't start, but the harbour isn't far away. If you've taken precautions and have a tow line or tow bridle on board, other boaters can help you get to safety. Regardless of the severity of the situation, a good tow line should be part of every boater's safety equipment. We've assembled a selection of high-quality tow lines here, including pre-spliced and floating tow lines. To keep shocks to your boat and crew to a minimum, this type of line requires high strength and elongation.

What to consider when using a tow line?

- Sea rescue -

A tow line is an important piece of safety equipment on board your boat that can help you get out of a potentially dangerous situation. However, it must have certain essential characteristics in order to do so. A good tow line should float, have plenty of elongation, and not be too light.

Towing a boat at sea requires two boats to come close together. However, one of the boats will most likely be unable to move and will be at the mercy of the wind and waves. This presents a challenge for the boat providing assistance. If you buy a floating line, it is less likely to become entangled in the prop and cause damage. The helmsman can also easily navigate to a loose end, even if the boat is drifting in the water, without accidentally driving over it.

If the towing boat is carrying the line, it should be secured there. In the case of towing a larger boat, a bridle setup will come in handy because the load will need to be distributed among several attachment points. The longer the towline, the greater the shock absorption. Better for both boats and, of course, the nerves of your crew.

Dynamic forces, such as swell, also act on a towline, which is why the rope breaking load must be carefully considered. It's a good idea to select a rope that's one size larger than standard mooring lines. 

Whatever the length of the towline you need, 5 m, 10 m, all lengths from one metre and more can be purchased from our range of rope products!

What kind of towline do I need?

We have towlines for cruising yachts, regatta or dinghy sailors. In the case of the latter two, it is usually just a matter of being towed in and out of the harbour by a dinghy. A pre-spliced polypropylene towline of five to ten metres in length is all that is required, depending on the size of the dinghy. These ropes are also water-resistant, making them light on board even when wet. They do, however, have limited UV resistance, which should not be a problem for this type of application.

On cruising yachts, however, polyamide lines with greater elasticity and durability are preferable. As a general rule, a tow line should be about twice the length of the wave. In addition to dampening the jolts caused by the weight of the line, this also prevents the towed boat from getting too close to the slower towing boat while riding a wave. The wave length in open sea at four Beauforts is about 30 metres. To be prepared for long towing distances on the high seas, mooring lines by the metre on a drum are recommended. Custom-made ropes with spliced eyes are available in our shop.

A prefabricated towline of at least 30 metres in length is usually sufficient for short trips in sheltered coastal areas.

Customer ratings & reviews

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Gregor H. on 18.03.2024

D

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CRISTIAN DAN P. on 18.03.2024

Perfect !

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Bostjan K. on 18.03.2024

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