How to properly tow a dinghy behind a sailboat or yacht?
Towing bridle is necessary in order to properly tow your inflatable boat. Towing bridles are available at many marine retail stores and on-line. Do not tow the inflatable boat by connecting rope to the central D-ring with integrated handle. Use towing D-rings on both sides of the dinghy bow. The most common mistake made when towing is the improper use of the towing bridle. Many boaters knot the tow bridle into a loop at the center, and attach a towing line there. This is wrong. The towing line should not be fixed to the bridle, but instead should end in a small bowline loop, through which the bridle passes. This allows the towline to slew back and forth in the bridle, and provides for tension on both sides of the bridle. Not rigging the towline this way is the most common cause of failure of the pad eyes on the dingy to which the tow bridle is attached. It is inevitable that during towing, the dingy will rock a little from side to side, shifting the strain on the bridle from one side t
