Stay Safe Out There, Y’all! I’m on the water towing boats all summer from the Bush River down through Deale. I can tell you boating stories that would make you laugh, cry and cringe in fear. This time of the year the boating frenzy hits an all-time high and I see more and more common-sense boating rules being ignored. Just last week, I watched a young boater tubing with friends break every rule in the book which prompted this safety reminder.
The most important thing to remember when towing anyone behind a boat, whether on skis, a wakeboard, or on a tube, is to be sure that ALL riders are wearing a life jacket that is approved for the sport. Captains also need to keep the boat and the towable a safe distance from boats, docks, channel markers, bulkheads, shorelines — and from shallow water on BOTH sides of the boat. The law says 100 feet. While ropes made for towing tubers are sometimes shorter, full-length ski rope measures 75 feet long — add another few feet to account for the tow bridle, plus the length of the tube itself, and it’s best to consider 100 feet as a bare minimum safe distance.
To increase the safety of your tubers, avoid towing in congested areas, busy channels and pay attention to other boats in the area. Their operators may not be watching you or paying attention to the erratic movements you’re making while trying to give your tuber a thrilling ride.
Maryland law requires an adult spotter in the boat whenever you are towing. They are responsible for keeping an eye on the rider which allows you to focus on driving and to keep an eye on your speed. If you’ve ever experienced the exhilaration of being whipped through a tight turn at the end of a ski rope, you know that the tube is traveling faster than the boat. The key to this is the length of the ski rope, which puts the tube through a much longer arc than the boat travels. In a full turn the tube may travel twice the distance of the boat, which means it’s travelling twice as fast as well. So, while you, the Captain, may be experiencing that turn at 20 mph, your rider feels the water rushing by at 40 mph or more — making it doubly important to avoid those aforementioned solid objects.
When traveling to and from your tubing area, secure inflatables within the boat. There was a tragic death a couple of years ago where a young man drowned after the tube unexpectedly flew from the boat and knocked both him and his girlfriend from the small Carolina Skiff. With no Captain aboard, the boat circled and struck the young man. By simply tying down the tube, this tragic scenario could have been avoided.
If you break down while out having fun with your family, have the spotter reel in the rider while you take the time to securely anchor your boat. Once everyone is on board and the boat is safely anchored, hail us on VHF channel 16 or use the BoatUS Towing App to contact us and we will be right out to assist. Our goal here at TowBoatUS is, and always will be, to make sure you and your family make it safely home.
