Installing tow points?

Has anyone installed a real towing eye? I mean a real piece of hardware, like boats have in the front and back of the hull.
I have a Revolution and I have needed to tow my fully rigged kayak from a small Whaler and those little eyelets that hold the front and rear handles do not look very strong at all. Looks like the screws would be pulled right out of the plastic.
Im thinking of installing a real towing eye in the front of the hull and at the back.
After attempting to tow the Hobie forward I realized that towing from the rear is better as the nose cuts into the water and tries to flip.

Also, when I go kayaking with my daughters (on their own kayaks), they get tired and I end up towing them from my Revo.

It can easily be done just make sure you give the bolt or whatever you are going to use plenty of backing with a lot of surface area.

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MrGreen

Great idea! This could make a whole lot of skinny water more accessible by getting further faster, then shifting to the 'yak to work the flats and tributaries.

Would be good to hear any advice from those who have experience with towing kayaks...

l am not sure how well it would tow. Gotta be careful with a non-planing hull
They get a little whacky and want to wig-wag or even roll when the speed gets too fast. Maybe it's OK. My Revo 11 is easy enough to throw aboard my bigger boat and you are right on about the added versatility.

I've got a Revo 13 and an 18-foot center console... don't know how it would work out to try to carry the 'yak.

Again, any advice from those who have tried it/done it would be great to hear!

Have you considered lashing it to the side of the boat? It seems that with a couple of 2" wide straps that you could have it secured near the gunwale so that it was not inside the boat not being towed behind. Not sure if this would work, but it would solve the problem of towing causing undue stress.

Best of luck, whatever you decide!

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Fish tremble when they hear my name

A ship in harbor is safe -- but that is not what ships are built for.
--John A. Shedd, Salt from My Attic, 1928

*shrug*

on my Tandem Island i just added a carbiner to the front padeye...have been towed several times by boats and sure was handy having the carbiner in there to attach a rope too.

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2019 Hobie Outback Slate Blue
2018 Hobie Compass Seagrass Green
2012 Hobie Pro Angler w/MD180 Papaya Orange

ex 2012 Hobie Tandem Island
ex 2011 Hobie Pro Angler
ex 2011 Hobie Adventure Island
ex 2010 Hobie Adventure Island

Any problems with stability (yawing/rolling), speed or water conditions, etc?

no, seemed like it towed fine, but in all fairness, i was in the TI steering, very very choppy/rough conditions each time (both times were with +40kt gusts, hence me getting towed vs trying to sail it back)

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2019 Hobie Outback Slate Blue
2018 Hobie Compass Seagrass Green
2012 Hobie Pro Angler w/MD180 Papaya Orange

ex 2012 Hobie Tandem Island
ex 2011 Hobie Pro Angler
ex 2011 Hobie Adventure Island
ex 2010 Hobie Adventure Island

Yes, the (skeg-less) Hobie Mirage Drive kayaks are more directionally stable towed backwards. Plugging or taping over the Drivewell keeps it from scooping water.

Towing position on your stern wake also makes a difference. You can adjust the line so that the tow rides with less resistance on the front side of a wake swell (doesn't have to be close like this)

Note the skegged kayak is being towed forward.

rather than on the back side where you can see it obviously pushing more water and going "uphill".


If towing from your kayak, You don't want your tow line attached at your stern. Aside from possibly fouling the rudder, you rapidly lose rudder authority at slow towing speeds or in crosswinds. Holding your tow line and slinging it over your right shoulder allows better directional control and a quick and easy release at the appropriate time.

Roadrunner: looks like one of your images didn't show... Any experience towing a 'yak with a power boat?

I posted two pictures showing different tow positions relative to wakes. They're both on my copy.
No, never have towed a kayak with a power boat. I have been towed on several occasions though in small sailboats by motor launches at sea, both singly and in "boat trains" under a variety of weather conditions, and am generally familiar with the process.

My previous commentary was primarily motivated by turnerm's reference to using his kayak to tow his kids. And although I haven't towed kayaks from a power boat, I've towed many power boats from a kayak, as well as kayaks, sailboats, rowboats, canoes, buoys -- just about anything that floats. I've towed in bays, lakes and rivers in a variety of weather and wind conditions. Obviously Mirage Drives make fairly capable tugs for rescue as well as transport. Here are a few examples:








Hopefully this may be useful to those of you who tow with power in addition to those who tow from their kayaks.

I put the Yak on a 15' Whler Sport. We put it on the very back, almost up to the engine, running side to side. Worked perfectly as that is the part of the boat that has the least amount of movement. And the weight was perect for that part of the boat. We used seat cushions in between yak and boat.

I thought about carrying it across the boat and have seen kayaks loaded this way but I don't know how they were secured... what did you work out?

If you are towing another kayak, simply have them pull up along side of you and have them grab the side of your kayak. It's remarkable how easily they glide right along with you.

My grandson and I were out one day when the Mirage Drive on his Outback broke. We used the above method and made it 3 miles back to the launch with no noticeable effort. Grandpa to the rescue!!