Towable layout bottom

Not sure if this towing method will work with your rig, but I don't want this piece of historic wisdom to disappear. This post in my files dates back to July of 2004 - Wisdom from the Mighty Layout Boys: Enjoy! Scott

Hello Fellow Layout Shooters,


It has come to my attention that there are some questions as to how to tow a layout and I would like to show you how I tow a layout while under full power or idling. The key to towing a layout is to lift the rear of the boat so it will ride directly on the prop wash that is created by the motor and lifting the rear of the layout slightly so it won't dive under the water. To make this happen I use a type of tow bar something like ski bar that is bolted to the rear of the tend boat.


The first drawing simply shows how a well designed layout should have a rounded area at the rear of the cockpit to help the boat ride over the wave's while hunting and to help in towing, just a note here the Mighty Layout boat has this style of cockpit for these reasons.


The second drawing shows the tow bar that is bolted to the transom of the tend boat with 4- 3/8" bolts on each side. The tow bar is large enough to allow the motor to tilt and turn with no interference. I used 3/4" black pipe and on the top part of the bar bent a slight V in the center and welded a ring under the V for a point to tie the line.


The third drawing show how the rig should look while under power. You will need to keep the tow rope as short as you can to hold the layout up. On some boats this is only inches away from the motor.


I hope this answer's some of your question's on towing a layout, the thing to remember here is that you simply can not tow a layout on a long line behind a tend boat because it will dive on you.


Good Gunning,

Chuck Crump



Towing a layout.jpg
 
Thanks Scott. This would work if I had a winch on the back of the tender. This pumpkinseed is just way too heavy to try and lift up by hand or just a rope in itself. It's a good idea though, something I will consider when screwing around with this.
 
Nick,
I think Scott is on the right track for getting the boat to tow without modifications. If you build a bracket or a ski pylon at the rear of the boat and a short rope it naturally keeps the bow high and prevents submerging, although adding a keel will keep it tracking straight. I have also seen guys attach a ?bar? across the gunwales extending a few feet off one side with a clip at the end to attach the bow eye of the layout. This keeps the layouts bow high and the boat in clean water depending on where it is attached to the tender. I should also mention that It pivots on the gunwale closet to the extended side and ?quick connects? to the other gunwale so it?s easy to attach the layout and acts as a lever.
 
We always had ours set up to be pulled from the bottom. We had a bridle that was attached at the shoes on the bottom of the layout when you get under way it would get the nose up however we had the right shape bottom to begin with not sure if this would work with your application but we have had good luck doing it this way not only with layouts but pond boxes as well
 
How about a permanent spliced bridle [ painter ] 1/3 from bow under with cleats near the head rest. When I worked for towboat, when towing a empty vessel, I took a coil of rope [ coiled ] and dropped it over the stern to create drag. Stopped boat from self steering and over taking the tow boat.
 
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