Towing your boat with the tower down!?

[lffish133]

Have any of you ever seen this done before? I work right next to the local Nautique dealer. Today when I was leaving work I saw a guy go down the freeway, exit, and pull into the dealer with his tower down on an 07 210. This just seems crazy to me! What are people thinking these days...

[Mark_P]

I have an '05 216 and do it all the time. Otherwise the tower will hit low hanging branches. The spots where the tower rests on the grab rails in the bow are protected. One of my ski partners does this as well.

Mark

[TRDon]

Whats wrong with that? Afraid you wont look cool with it down?

[lffish133]

Exactly :grin: , I can understand towing with it down for short distances as Mark_P described, it was more or less the fact that it was on the freeway that threw me. I wasn't aware of tower pads on the bow for when it was folded down, that would definitely help. I still wouldn't recommend this if you have a Titan, because half of the tower rests on the windshield.

[NautiqueJeff]

When I pick up my boats at the beginning of the season, they are wrapped with the towers down. I pull them over 800 miles like that.

[NCH2oSki]

Everyone manufacturer ships their boats as pictured above. I normally lower my tower when we are wiping down in the parking lot of the ramp. Saves me from getting back in the boat again before she heads for the garage. I use a swim noodle to cusion the tower on the grab rails on the bow of my boat, works great.

[INVNO1]

I tow with mine up.05 SANTE.It does rest on the grabrail when down,but looks like in certain situations it could actually contact the gel.My dealer recommended leaving it up, but noted ,and I think I remember seeing this in the manual...that the factory actually recommends putting it down.

[AirTool]

I think there is a note on my 206 that says something like "lower the tower before towing"

I've never seen anyone trailering a not-new boat with the tower down.

[SkiTower]

A buddy claimed increased fuel mileage with it down, so I tried it once. I put a towel between the tower and hull and tied it down to prevent bouncing. I didn't see a change in fuel consumption and in the end wasn't comfortable towing with it down (besides how it looked).

If CC recommends it, why don't they have provisions for locking it in the down position and some sort of buffer between the tower and hull?

[AirTool]

If CC recommends it, why don't they have provisions for locking it in the down position and some sort of buffer between the tower and hull?

exactly

[Familyman]

For what its worth, the last sentance of the RED sticker on the FCT reads "Before trailering your boat make sure that the tow tower is in the down position and properly secured"

[jhiestand]

I'd be interested to know why CC recommends towing with the tower down. A buddy of mine just purchased a new 210 and it had gelcoat damage from being transported with the tower down when it was trailered from one dealer to another. They apparently put a block of foam in between the tower and where it rests but the foam got dislodged at some point. The boat was still in shrinkwrap.

Can't imagine that would have any chance at all of happening with the tower up.

[Sinkoumn]

Isn't this just a way for CC to legally avoid the "idiot factor" with some person destroying a drive-through/low bridge/their boat/etc by forgetting their CC towable is about 13ft tall with the tower up, and then turning around on CC and blaming them for the owners dumbarse mistake by saying "well if I should have lowered the tower to fit under a 10ft tunnel, why isn't there a warning?!?"? I.e. If someone can sue McDonalds for spilling hot coffee on themselves, I wouldn't be surprised for someone trying to sue CC because they didn't have every common sense warning printed somewhere on the boat...

I've never towed with the tower down and never plan to just because I tow twice a year for a combined total of 2 miles . But to me it just seems to be an escape clause for CC as a company should someone try to put them blame on them for the owner being a complete tool. Plus, how many people actually have ever read, let alone knew, that CC recommends lowering the tower for towing?

[flaudia402]

I'm fortunate I don't have to tow my boat anywhere, but if the water comes up another two feet we'll have to start lowering the tower to get into the dock.

I don't understand how some of you guys are taking the tower down. My '05 220's tower is like a gazillion pounds and with the NVS's up there, thats another 25 pounds added to it. Man, I am really hoping I don't have to start lowering the tower.

I remember my '01 Xstar's tower was so painless, my girlfriend could lower it with minimal assistance from me. I guess it's a good thing the Nautique's tower is heavy and super rigid. It's easily a good inch and a half wider in diameter than my Xstar's tower.

[wake_fun]

EXACTLY...........It's for covering thier own butts so you can never sue them if you hit something.

Isn't this just a way for CC to legally avoid the "idiot factor" with some person destroying a drive-through/low bridge/their boat/etc by forgetting their CC towable is about 13ft tall with the tower up, and then turning around on CC and blaming them for the owners dumbarse mistake by saying "well if I should have lowered the tower to fit under a 10ft tunnel, why isn't there a warning?!?"? I.e. If someone can sue McDonalds for spilling hot coffee on themselves, I wouldn't be surprised for someone trying to sue CC because they didn't have every common sense warning printed somewhere on the boat...