Towing Ski Nautique behind Houseboat - Any suggestions

[jharris]

Headed down to spend 5 days at Dale Hollow in a couple of weeks for a houseboat trip. Curious if there are any special precautions to take when towing the Nautique behind the houseboat. Don't want to get all the way down there and then ruin my trip by doing something stupid.

My idea would be to park the houseboat close to a ski course and never move but I doubt the rest of my group would go along with that.

Also going to be dragging a jet ski along so I'm afraid we might look like a train out there.

Jeff

[DanielC]

Tow off the bow eye, under the boat. 50 to 70 feet of line is good. For peace of mind, adjust the packing nut to leak 4 to 5 drops of water a minute. Make sure the rudder is straight before you get out of the ski boat.

[ffmedic74]

Could u leave the boat in gear to help solve the spinning prop issue? What about those without packing glands, water pressure system.

[Yiger]

Many of us sailors place the transmission in reverse while sailing to prevent excessive wear as it keeps the prop from spinning. Towing should be similar. Typically the transmission manufacturer will mention it in the manual. Might be worth a look if you have it available.

[DanielC]

The 1.23 to 1 transmission in a Ski Nautique is operated by hydraulics . The transmission oil pump is driven by the engine. Moving the throttle/shift handle to forward, or reverse, without the engine running, pretty much does nothing. The propeller still spins.

Here is a similar situation. You have to tow a car. With an automatic, would you leave it in gear to tow it, or put it in neutral? Same idea with a manual transmission.

If the transmission could not withstand the small amount of thrust pulling on the prop shaft caused by towing the boat forward at houseboat speeds, with a freewheeling propeller, the second time you put the boat in reverse to back it off the trailer, the transmission would be destroyed.

[Yiger]

The 1.23 to 1 transmission in a Ski Nautique is operated by hydraulics . The transmission oil pump is driven by the engine. Moving the throttle/shift handle to forward, or reverse, without the engine running, pretty much does nothing. The propeller still spins.

Here is a similar situation. You have to tow a car. With an automatic, would you leave it in gear to tow it, or put it in neutral? Same idea with a manual transmission.

If the transmission could not withstand the small amount of thrust pulling on the prop shaft caused by towing the boat forward at houseboat speeds, with a freewheeling propeller, the second time you put the boat in reverse to back it off the trailer, the transmission would be destroyed.

Good to know though my recommendation wasn't with concern for the backwards thrust (you'd arguably have even more rearward thrust with a fixed propellor but that is a different debate).

[Pjoachim]

just curious how you plan to stop the boat when the house boat stops? how are you preventing current effects on the boat?

[DanielC]

Lets see, 20,000 or 30,000 pounds of houseboat, with possibly two 15 inch propellers, and 2,000 to 3,000 pound boat and a 12 to 13 inch propeller. Which one do you think will stop sooner? Here is a hint. When approaching a dock in the houseboat, go really slow, and apply reverse long before you think you need to.

When driving the houseboat, make small steering changes. Wait a full minute, to see what happens. Then make a slight correction. Do not be that guy that drives a constant "S" path trying to go straight.

Dale Hollow is a lake. Probably not much current in the summer. But if there is, the hull area in the water is going to affect the houseboat much more than the ski boat. Same idea for the wind. Only worse.

I have been to many houseboat camps with my church, and other churches on both Lake Shasta, and Lake Billy Chinook. I have also taken a personal houseboat vacation on Lake Powell.

I would tow the ski boat off one side of the houseboat, and the PWC off the other side. Put the ski boat on about a 20 foot longer rope.

If there are no wakes, from other boats, when camped, you may tie the ski boat to the houseboat side, with bumpers, of course. If there are wakes, get an "Anchor Buddy", and use it to pull the ski boat away from the houseboat, and keep the ski boat about 10 to 20 feet away from the houseboat.

The propeller is spinning anytime a ski boat is moving through the water. Even when the engine is off.

[azeus17]

When we were on Dale Hollow, it was someones job to watch the Nautique when we were stopping to make sure it did not run into the back of the houseboat. Whoever mentioned making sure the rudder is straight on the nautique before getting out was right on. I have seen some people use a piece of PVC and run a line through it to keep the boat a constant distance behind the houseboat. Have to keep the line pretty tight to avoid constat bumping the pvc, though.

Oh, and make sure watever you do that you move the house boat. Whats the point if you just park it in one spot the whole week?

[sodbuster88]

I have houseboated for years on DH. Have always had enough people to serve as drivers. Guess in my case, I would assign the inexperienced driver to the houseboat and point them down the lake. I would then run ahead and scout coves or tie up locations. We would then leave the HB there all week. Use the ski boats run around the lake on...

[sodbuster88]

I have houseboated for years on DH. Have always had enough people to serve as drivers. Guess in my case, I would assign the inexperienced driver to the houseboat and point them down the lake. I would then run ahead and scout coves or tie up locations. We would then leave the HB there all week. Use the ski boats run around the lake on...

In 30 yrs of house boating DH, never pulled a boat behind the HB except the trash dumpster (row boat).

[AirTool]

One safety suggestion.

I know you are going to do a great job of properly installing a tow bridle....but !*$*(% happens.

Offshore, we require towed vessels or barges to have an aux bridal installed and ready to grab. So when the first one breaks for an unexpected reason, you can come alongside the now loose vessel and get it quickly...or another vessel can get it quickly.

You can think its overkill....but you don't want to hear an "I told you so."

[adaptivelimb]

We typically ride ahead with the Ski Boat when we leave the marina to scout a spot and in the morning when we are returning to the marina, when it is typically flat calm and everyone is packing an cleaning to return the houseboat, we tow it behind with about 50' of rope. Have never had any problems.

[gchaney]

Does anyone ever use a side tow position? I really like the control it offers if you use the right bumpers and lines.

[DanielC]

"Does anyone ever use a side tow position? "
Sure many people try it. Usually before they figure out towing the ski baot about 50 or 60 feet behind the house boat is much easier.