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I use a rather complicated rig for towing the Whaler at higher speeds. The boat does not have a centerline cleat in the stern so you have to fashion a bridle. Also, I don't trust the pop-up cleats on the swim step for high speed towing. Up to about 8 knots, I'll use them, but above that, I prefer to use the larger main cleats on the gunnel. However, because they are forward of the roof supports, you have to spread the bridle aft of that, so I use an old spinaker pole we have from our sailing days.
Here is the bridle I use:
And here is how the boat rides:
And here's why I do it:
To me, if I'm going for more than a couple days, it's worth the extra hassle to have the Whaler along so that I can take the side excursions and get into the places that the Albin can't go. Part of it is also economics. I use the Albin as a sort of "base of operations" and use the greater speed and efficiency of the Whaler to go explore the many nooks and crannys that our area has to offer.
I would probably rather have a tender that could be easily tilted or lifted aboard, but the 13' is what I have, so I make do. And honestly, the ability to take four people in relative comfort 10-20 miles from your anchorage for a day trip just can't be achieved in anything smaller.
Last edited by Mariner on Wed Dec 05, 2007 12:17 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Oh, and no, I don't use floating line. To me, 3/4" nylon offers the right amount of strength and flexibility for the job. I view floating line as offering only a false sense of security. When backing down, the suction caused by the propeller is enough to suck even a floating line down and you should really have the boat pulled in close when maneauvring anyway to avoid damage to either of your boats, or other boats in the marina.
Just curious...I'm in Chattanooga. Was filling up my runabout when this gorgeous trawler pulled up....green hull...and it turned out to be an Albin 36 ET. I was DROOLING. Have spent several months trying to find the boat, and just verified this week where she is moored. I think the name is "a frayed knot". I can't afford to be an owner at the moment, but there is a nice one on eBay with less than 100 hrs on the diesels. Anyway, I hope to be able to see the local boat and maybe one day own her. I'm so jealous of you guys that have the pockets to play in the "big game". Does this sound like the same boat to you?
Mariner,
Given the size of your boat I agree the Whaler is a perfect tender. Inflatables are great. I have always had one but if I ever moved up in size I would reconsider. Your towing rig seems to work well.
Slotjocko,
The 36 IS a great boat. That one on Ebay has been there all winter. I don't know if anything is wrong with it or just bad luck selling it.
Does anyone know anything about it? I would think the seller is pretty motivated by now.
I've just located where the one in Chattanooga is moored. Some guy told me that you could go to a coast guard website and search by name, and dang if he wasn't right. The owners are out cruising right now, but I hope to get ahold of them and express interest in being an owner one day. Quick question...I've assumed that one would always want twin diesels, but it sounds like additional weight might be a reason to go single. Secondly, I've seen, at least once, the aft helm station...which makes tons of sense. Can I presume that is not standard? And if not, would you venture a guess as to whether it could be retrofitted or not? The one on eBay with purportedly less than 100 hrs looks like a perfect candidate. Too bad the broker can't spell. Makes you wonder. I've been reading other posts on leakage. I think I saw that the mfgr didn't caulk around the windows? Could this possibly be true?
I agree that the 36' ET is a wonderful boat. We love ours. Perhaps it will help if I bring it down to eath a little bit. The boat is not without flaws. There is no useful co-pilot seating, which means that the Mrs. is relegated to sitting at the settee while underway. It seems like it's not a big deal, but once you have to live with it, it becomes quite annoying. Also, the boat is not very efficient compared to other boats in it's size and speed range. However, it does have excellent stability in a variety of conditions, which is the inevitable tradeoff.
As for singles vs. twins, I believe that depends very much on the user. Twins will go faster, and provide you with the redundancy of having a second engine. However, the propellers and rudders are not protected from groundings or log strikes, and use considerably more fuel at any speed, turning this alreay fuel-hungry beast into a real monster. We went with the single since we don't boat "offshore", and are more likely to strike a log in the winter than find ourself broken down outside of the range of a tow. We don't regret that decision one bit.
With regard to windows leaking, you are probably reading about the older 36' Albin aft-cabin trawlers built in the far east in the 80's. Those were notorious for leaking window. Not just the Albins, either; it was true of all the "taiwan trawlers" built around that era. Wood just isn't a very good material to use for framing large windows in a marine environment.
That said, we have experienced a small amount of leakage around at least one window. Or at least I think so. There is never any water evident in the cabin, but some of the maple trim near one of the windows has experienced some serious water damage beneath the varnish. It's very strange and I can't quite figure it out, but it simply must be from water intrusion.
The aft helm station may have been an option, but it was clearly done at the factory, and was installed on virtually every one of these boats. I find that I don't use it as much as I thought I would, but it is still very handy to have. I can't think of any better use for the space, so why not have it. Mostly I use for maneauvering the boat when pulling crab pots and docking. The main problem is that your view forward is very restricted, meaning you can't really use it whenver there is forward motion involved. Even when docking, I bring the boat into the slip from one of the other stations, then use the aft station to perfect the landing at the dock.
Very interesting John. Didn't know that the ET was considered to be a fuel-hog in the duel config. We're on the river, so unstable conditions wouldn't be an issue. I've never boated anywhere or locked thru. The marina is 10 min from work, so I just head out after work 3-4 afternoons a week, and putter out to the dam, and bob until the sun goes down. Not looking to do much else here, but might get exploratory if I had the capability. Don't think exposed blades would be an issue. Bow thruster is great, but I gotta believe having twin screws make it easier to dock, and i would be doing tons of docking, as opposed to weeks of traveling. I'm a newb, but haven't found another config that offers the open after area, upper deck seating, and at 6'8", a decent size salon that I don't have to crawl down into, all with a semi displacement hull. And...she looks so good. I got very close to purchasing a completely redone 1964 37' Egg Harbor, but I'm too scared of wood, and the beauty of boating has everything to do with not having constant projects. Thanx for your observations. The 2 person helm seat wouldn't be an issue, and I doubt if I would ever be traveling over 10-11 knots.
Anyway, hope I find a way to join your club sometime. The owner of the local one called me today and said they were up in Kentucky and would be back in another month. Hope to get my first tour soon.
Balboita wrote:I will be towing a Novurania 360DL w/ 40hp motor. It is about 13' and weighs 700#, a little less than a 13' Whaler but otherwise about the same.
That depends on what era Whaler you're talking about and what kind of engine it has. A "classic" 13' Whaler (1957-1999), weighs somewhere between 250-410# depending on the year and seating configuration. Most weigh about 350#. Most of those are rigged with 40 horse 2 stroke motors that tend to weigh about 200# with power tilt and trim. Even a brand new 4 stroke Merc only weighs about 240#. That's too much weight for a 13' by the way, but even if you assume the heaviest 13' Whaler (SS Limited) and a new 4 stroke motor, you're still well under 700# until you add a full load of fuel (12 gallons). Most 13' Whalers are around 600# full of fuel.
It is common for people to assume that Boston Whalers are "heavy" boats. When I was in college, I had to take an art class to satisfy all the required ellective credits, so I opted for pottery. One of the things I learned in that class was that people perceive a dish to be light or heavy by how proportionately heavy it is to the thickness of the rim. A heavy dish with a thick rim, will not feel overly heavy when picked up. That is because your eyes see that it is heavy and adjust the muscle input accordingly. Put put a thin rim on the same dish, and when you pick it up, you will notice that extra heft. Put a thick rim on a light dish, and you're liable to break it, because you will expect it to be heavier than it actually is. How does this relate to boats? Well, you can't pick up a boat by hand, so most people base their assumption of a boats weight simply by appearances, particularly the size and thickness of the gunnels. Boston Whalers, by virute of their construction method, have thick gunnels, and, as such, appear to be very heavy. But the reality is that the bulk of their volume is lightweight foam. In reality, they are among the lightest for their size and engine rating.
Sorry for the late reply. I misspoke. It was a Boston Whaler 130 sport. Net weight 640 # plus 40hp engine of 240#+-. Wonderful boat.
This summer I took the 36' Ex Trawler to Maine /Nova Scotia and back. I towed the 13' Noveraia all the way with a rig similar to the one you suggested. You were right- you get used to it even in tight places. I ran long days and it was much easier to enjoy for short trips at night.
That said- when cruising I am running full of fuel and water as well as a full component of 'her"stuff. I averaged 8.5 kts. When towing under those conditions I couldn't reach full RPM by about 50 rpm. I.E- I was probably slightly overloading the engine/ propeller. At lower fuel/ water levels I was ok.
I "sticked" the tanks every night and got some good data. It is imperfect as sometimes the boat ways pitching and rolling a little at anchor . Fuel was a big deal at upwards of $5. I recently installed a Flow Scan so I will get better data on the next trip.
It was the perfect boat for the trip and it's time is here with everybody looking to be more efficent.
