Sea Kayak Towing

[fafnir]

Has anyone ever seen or heard of anyone towing a sea kayak behind a sailboat?  I have thought about doing this with my Ranger 23 but just never got around to actually trying it.  That boat also was a real handful when sailing singlehanded anyway, the com-pac seems a lot easier so I am thinking about trying this.  Whats funny is my kayak is 2 ft longer then the sailboat.

[pelican]

I found an empty sit in fiberglass model w/ rudder floating around the ICW last year. We towed it to a marina with my power boat at idol because the empty ,light, long narrow, hull didn't seem stable above idol in the chop.

IMO, a kayak does what a kayak does very well. A dingy is designed to be stable under tow with little drag and it has the ability to carry loads. Maybe the right kayak in the right conditions would work but .... It's not the best tool in the box.. I have seen some sit on models with passengers being pulled by power boats at high speeds, but thats a different story

[fafnir]

Thanks for the reply, I realise that for use as a tender or as a dingy replacement a kayak is a poor choice.  I was thinking it would be nice to bring along for those days when there is no wind.  Kayaks are fun when it is not windy,  sailboats are more fun when it is windy.  Most of the places I sail are also nice places to paddle. 

[pelican]

I thought thats maybe what you planed to do. We have Kayak and canoe trails in my area. We get the canoe out from time to time. The fishing is good in the backwaters this time of year.

While sailing,we sometimes pull our 8 foot dinghy.

Good luck !

[KPL]

Since the Kayak is longer than the CP, it should probably tow fine.  As long as the kayak is below hull speed, it wouldn't be to big an issue.  You may want to add a little weight to stabilize it, and position it slightly to the rear to help tracking.  Of course, you'll also probably want a cockpit cover to keep the water out.

The biggest trick will be getting into the kayak from the boat without swimming!

I've actually used my 14' sea kayak to tow a disabled jet ski (it was sweet!).

Kevin

[fafnir]

Kevin, you towed a jet skier? Most of the kayakers and sailors in my area wish they could torpedo the jet skiers.  I think I would have loaned him a spare kayak paddle and then got out the video camera.  You really are too nice :-)   When I was growing up I had an 11 foot Super Sea Snark that I used to carry to a lake a few blocks from my home.  The jet skiers used to enjoy running at high speeds towards me and then turning sharply and drenching me with there spray so I have a deep resentment of jet skiers :-)

I have built several kayaks and am thinking of putting together another one with the remainder of the winter.  I was thinking something along the lines of 16ft and with a fair amount of rocker (kinda like a dinghy) I would think you would not want the kayak to track very well, as I could see a hard chine kayak without a lot of rocker zig zagging behind the boat. 

[KPL]

It was really windy that day (25+ knots) and really rough.  He dove into a wave and stalled it, couldn't get it started.  He's my neighbor, so I though it was a neighborly thing to do.  I can't stand jet ski's, but I couldn't in good conscience let him drift to the opposite shore (although I did ponder the thought!)

You might also think about a retractable skeg, to keep the nose pointed in line.  How are you planning to get into the kayak?  Or are you going to make it wide enough to be stable?  I have a hard enough time getting into mine from the dock.  Although, once you get your butt in the seat, the things are pretty stable.

[fafnir]

Getting into the kayak has never really been a problem.  I have a bombproof roll and don't mind getting wet so when it comes time to get in the boat I just jump in the water, flip the boat over, climb in and roll up.  It is really pretty easy.  The retractable skeg is a GREAT idea,  I have not thought of that.  They are pretty easy to install as the boat is being built.  Thanks for the idea.