What to tow using tower?

[michaelmiller85]

There is a debate about where to puil tubes, either from the tower or from the post right near the engine. We usually pull two 3man tubes.

THanks!

Michael

[surroundsound64]

RE: What to tow using tower?

Tower = more air.

[NautiqueJeff]

RE: What to tow using tower?

You should not be pulling tubes from the tower.

[bkhallpass]

RE: What to tow using tower?

I don't believe it is a good idea to pull a tube from the tower either. Particularly pulling two three man tubes. The weight, combined with the drag of the tube on the water, creates tremendous Torque. Doing some back of the napkin math, I would estimate you could easily generate more than 10,000lbs of lateral force, easily enough to role the boat. IMHO, wakeboarding, wakeskating, kneeboarding, foiling, barefooting, perhaps a beginning level water skier, and perhaps one or two smaller kids on a single tube would be the activities suited for a pull from the tower. I'm sure others will have differing opinions. BKH

[Bullet]

RE: What to tow using tower?

i pull my sons tube from the tower---but he is little

1 or 2 should not hurt the tower, i put lots more stress riding my wakeboard than a tube could ever----we ride doulble wakeboards alot--i have'nt behind my SAN yet, but allways did behind my BU and MC

[NCH2oSki]

RE: What to tow using tower?

BK What kind of back of the napkin math formula did you use to figure the 10k of lateral force? Just curios. Thanks
Jeff

[bkhallpass]

RE: What to tow using tower?

Sure good question. Just simple math and assuming a simple lever. Figuring a 7 foot high tower, with a fulcrum point at the floor. Six riders, 200lbs a piece is 1200lbs, plus some additional force for drag on the tube. Apply a 1200lb+ force over a seven foot lever, and you could theoretically see close to 10,000lbs force. Now, I know this is oversimplification. The tower spreads the force amongst the four arms, as well as across the length and width of the boat. Additionally, the rotational force at the fulcrum would be greater to the side of the boat than directly behind. Friction gets reduced when the tube reaches optimum planing speed, etc. My simple math would be more applicable to an extended pylon whose forces more closely resemble a simple lever. Of course that is one of the reason's that a tower is a superior option to an extended pylon because it does distribute the loads. Anyway, it's been 25 years since I studied physics, and I'm not sure I could figure out exact forces any more even if I wanted to. So, I just thought about the force of a simple lever to give me sort of a ball park, worst case scenario. I'm sure there are some smart physics types out there who can probably
place a more accurate number. BKH

[ag4ever]

RE: What to tow using tower?

Keep in mind, that nott all the force is translated into stress. Some is converted into rotational energy to tip the boat, some into stress that is distributed into the aluminum tubing, and some to the fiberglass.

[iceman991]

tubes

tubes suck! all they do is mess up the butter and piss off real riders like myself! quit buying 70,000 dollar boats to tow stinkin tubes. tubes are for kooks!

[NCH2oSki]

RE: tubes

Thansk for the explanation BK.

Tubes have there place, and its not where people are trying to ride or ski. If you havent towed someone on a tube that has no behind the boat experience, especially a child then your missing out on a great way to introduce them to water sports. My 3 year old girl likes the tube, but she would rather ski with me on my shoulders then ride the tube.....most of the time.

Jeff

[nautique95]

RE: tubes

Personally, I would pull from the pylon. As SS64 stated, the tower is for getting more air, so I would pull tubers and skiiers from the pylon and wakeborders, wakeskaters, and kneeboarders from the tower. JMO I don't see putting the extra stress on the tower if you don't have to.

[fwMiata]

RE: tubes

i would really like to see a boat roll due to pulling tubes...
i see tubes be pulled from towers on every boat that has a tower around here. never seen one roll or look like it ever could come close.

[Bob's2001]

RE: tubes

Pulling a 2 person tube at little more than a idle, the **** tube did a nose dive while I was turning and almost pulled the port stern under the water. If I hadn't gone to neutral it would have been ugly.

[BigBald]

RE: tubes

When my boys force me, I have no issues with pulling a double tube. Once the tube is up and going, it hasn't got any more "significant" resistance to the tower, then pulling my fat but up on slalom, double skis, or a wakeboard. Plus, more and more barefoot skiers are primarily using the tower...and there can be a bunch of resistance from those starts.

Also, we have pulled, 4 double ski skiers off of my tower....and the thing didn't creak or groan even a little bit. Now, I would also say that I would not try to do that type of pull every time we go out. But once and while would be OK.

[bkhallpass]

RE: tubes

Lots of good points. Just for clarification, I don't think there is a lot of concern about breaking the tower or fiberglass (though I suppose anything is possible). I think the more likely scenario is swamping the boat or nearly swamping the boat, as Bob2001 describes. BKH