Here’s a neat little idea I learn’t about from Gordon Brown via the preview copy of the soon to be released ‘Sea Kayak With Gordon Brown 2‘ DVD. I’ve been playing with building it and using it during rescue practice over the last few weeks.
This set up is for contact tows – situations where you are alongside another sea kayak and need a quick way of towing whilst your boats remain in contact (as opposed to using waist or deck mounted towing systems that place the towed kayak anywhere from a couple to 15 metres behind you depending on the length of the towline used).
Parts:
This set up cost somewhere in the region of £12 to make. Parts required include:
- Stainless Karabiners x2 (must NOT have ‘teeth’ where the gate closes as this can snag rope)
- Thin cord – a little over 3x the width between the deck lines on your cockpit
- Whipping cord and needle
Construction
I’ve gone through 3 iterations of as I discovered mistakes – initially using Karabiners that had teeth where the gate closes (a snag hazard) and then using knots to attach the cord which could not slide through the gap between deck and deck line when required. I’ve also lowered the diameter of the cord on each version. I also tweaked the length of the cord to get a better fit – not too tight or loose.
I basically measure 3 times the distance between the the deck lines directly in front of the cockpit and then added a small amount for the whipped end of the cord.
I then passed the end of the cord through the Karabiner and stitched the ends together before whipping the ends together. This was my first attempt at whipping so it’s a tad messy but neat enough for me!
Stitching Cord
Completed Whipping
Finished Contact Tow
In use
- The two ends of the contact tow are passed under the deck lines on either side of the cockpit.
- The ends are then brought up to the mid point of the deck and one twisted together by one turn.
- The ends are then taken back to the deck lines and clipped onto the deck line.
When needed the one of the karabiners can be unclipped and either:
- Clipped directly to the front-most deck line of the towee’s boat OR
- The twist taken out of the system and then clipped to the towee’s deck line.
Crossover Contact Tow
Close Contact Set-Up
Extended Contact Set-up
Using the first ‘mode’ keeps the bow of the towee’s boat right next to you – the downside being the boat may rise and fall in rougher conditions under your armpit knocking you about.
In the second ‘mode’ the cord pulls through placing the towee’s boat further back which avoids the boat knocking you about as much in rougher water but does place them and the Karabiner a further back.
In both modes, the towee should be able to hold the stern of your kayak or stern deck line to keep the boats close together.
It’s also important that the Karabiner is clipped from ‘underneath’ the deck line. Clipping downwards leaves the Karabiner in a position where it can unclip itself.
Pros
- Cheap to put together
- Easy to set up
- Relatively Lightweight and certainly small to carry
Cons
- Unsure how quick is it to release
Summary
I’ve only just started to experiment with this system however there is some fantastic footage of Gordon Brown explaining not only this system but some other ideas for contact tows on the new DVD along with excellent demonstrations of all the systems in use. I will keep folk posted as to the publication date for the DVD which is highly recommended viewing!
Useful Links:
Sea Kayak With Gordon Brown – Website for information and ordering DVD 1 or 2.
I’ve seen these before. The only thing that I don’t like about them is the lack of a quick release. I use a vest mounted pig tail instead, because they’re easy to release.
Agreed – ease and speed of release is the aspect I’m interested to play with myself as it may potentially be an issue. On the DVD Gordon is very swift in their use due I have no doubt to hours of practice – wether I’ll be as swift is another thing!
Palm make an elasticated tape Cowstail, fitted with a large ‘Wire gate karabiner’ at one end and a stainless steel ring at the other.
Use a ‘highwaymans hitch’ to secure the stainless steel ring to the deckline by the cockpit.
this is a quick release knot
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MoaLHjiCGuo
the small stainless steel snap hooks you show will be next to imposible to unclip when your fingers are cold.
Handling small diameter cord is difficult with cold hands, and is easily knotted and what if it wraps round a finger with a load on it …. ? would you use use 3 mm Stainless wire ?
The large gate krab can also be used as a paddle park
Aside from the knot … nothing to learn !
I would dissuade everyone from towing from a Vest (PFA) mounted tow system of any discription. It places stress on the back likely to lead to injury. THIS IS BAD PRACTICE FOR SEAKAYAKERS
(PFD cowtail tow sytems were developed for white water paddlers to tow an empty playboat to a nearby bank on flat water, PFDs with a harness are developed for specialist white water safety and rescue, not Sea kayak towing )
Hi, Karl, I simply disagree with you about the use of lifevest mounted tows. Just because they were designed for one use, doesn’t mean they don’t work for others.
Could they cause stress on the back? Yes, but a waist worn tow rope could as well.
Not only have I used vest mounted tows professionally for years, many of the guides I know do the same. No one that I know has ever had an injury because of it. We’re talking about 3 to 4 inches higher on a vest vs. a waist. There isn’t that much more leverage there.
As you know I am not a fan of these due to the lack of quick release, however I did see one system made up and in use on my BCU4* assessment where the user had one end as a quick release knot and on wider diameter rope (I think as Karl is describing). It worked well and I could see how even upside down he could find the knot and release it easily. I’ll be interested to see Gordon’s new DVD when it comes out and how these are applied. In my situation on the assessment I was being “rescued” from a cave and it was very quick and effective.
Shortly after reading you thought Simon, I saw Phil Hadley using a similar so I decided to experiment with the highwayman’s hitch – wrote it up here: Quick release contact tow
Regarding the lack of a quick release, how about a version that uses webbing and a ~6 inch strip of velcro, finishing the end with a hand-sized loop. The webbing connects to the carabiner and attaches to itself via the velcro, which is easy to release by grabbing the loop. The carabiner stays secured to the deck line.
Where do you find the carabiners of the sort shown? I haven’t found anything yet that is similar.
Cheers,
Bryan
Hi,
This sounds/looks good (with the various cautions in mind). I’d just suggest one clarification – that the cords be seized together rather than whipped together such that there is no risk of their being pulled apart.
Thanks for the information
Donald