Best setup for pulling boat behind a houseboat

jayreese

Im going house boating at the end of June in the Delta and I am trying to figure the best way to pull the boat behind it. I dont wnat to do what we do at Shasta which is hook it up to 50 feet of rope, because the Delta has to many sharp bends and it wouldnt be very polite to my fellow boaters to have 60 feet of houseboat 50 feet of rope and 23 feet of boat eating up prime water. i was thinking of sliding a 10' piece of pvc pipe over the rope and that way I wouldnt have to worry about stopping and have the boat on the back deck of the houseboat.

Bruky · Guest

damn, when i saw the title of your thread i was just going to name off what we do at shasta...darn man, i cant really help you there...i would really use something stronger than pvc pipe though that wont just shatter when bent or compressed i should say from stopping...if you could figure out a way to protect your boats, use some copper pipe or something of steel that you could manage to use.

Dr.Giggles_ · Newbie Joined: 11 May 2004 Posts: 23 City: NOR-CAL

I went to the delta last summer, rented a houseboat, and pulled 2 boats behind it, and a jet ski.

We just tied up with a bow line, and when we where going to stop, just have a person on each, to absorb the stop. It was pretty easy, even with the outboard motors on the housboat, we would use their cage to jump onto the first boat.

Our tow lines were only like 5 feet. I know it kinda sounds stupid, but we did it easily with no problems. Of course, our rental housboad only went like 5 or 6 mph. I'm not sure if others go faster??

If you have people you trust to watch your boat, this is a real easy way to do it.

Good luck, and hope you have fun.

Diggs · Addict Joined: 27 Jan 2004 Posts: 627 City: Portland

Keep these ideas coming. We are heading to Shasta this weekend with a couple boats behind one houseboat. I have done it on another houseboat at Lake Billy Chinook and just moored it to the side of the houseboat very tightly with several bumpers between them. Make sure the boat is facing forwards. Not the best set up, but the houseboat only went about 5 mph if you were lucky. Any other ideas for multiple boats would be great. Thanks

jayreese · Posted: May 18, 2004 7:44 pm Post subject:

I guess I forgot to mention that I'm the only guy on the boat with 4 women and a couple of children and the woman dont have much in boat experience but they are nice to look at ( one couple had to back out he tore his acl behind my boat) so I am looking for the most fool proof way to keep both boats apart.

Bruky · Guest

do that same thing you were going to do with the pvc pipe, but stick the boat about 5 feet to the SIDE of the houseboat like mentioned earlier....im thinking that should work and because most wakeboarding boats are pretty heavy, when you stop, i dont think the boat should go flinging forward and into the side of the houseboat, but if it does, it will go parallel and you will have your bumpers there. it will act like a parallelogram getting laid over, that is if it even does go towards the houseboat, because i know for a fact that boats are hard to pull in going directly sideways.

jamesbburgess · Newbie Joined: 02 May 2004 Posts: 47

We have had a houseboat at lake powell for over 15 years, anyway we are always pulling at least 2 boats, and afew jetskis. we just put them about 20 feet off so they dont get hammered by the wake, our houseboat has a couple of v8's in it so it goes pretty fast. id never put a boat 5 feet off or use pvc on it, sounds like an accident waiting to happen.

key · Posted: May 19, 2004 5:10 am Post subject:

why not use two or three cushion buoys between ski boat and house boat. (tie side by side) tie them real snug so there is no movement, it should react as one unit. we did this with two pontoons one time and only used one engine for power... no problems!

WakeTech · Addict Joined: 19 Jan 2003 Posts: 949 City: Edmonton

Another question regarding house boats, We are planning a trip to the shuswaps (sp) and at night the houseboats have to be beached. How do you tie in the boat for the night to protect it from a storm, wave, wind, ect. Also note that the shore line drops off pretty quick so I'm not sure if you can anchor it.

Diggs · Addict Joined: 27 Jan 2004 Posts: 627 City: Portland

If you are renting they will tell you how to do it. It is pretty easy. Just run a line off the front right side at about 45degree angle and one on the left side at about 45 degrees and tie them to trees or whatever. At least that is what we have done...

WakeTech · Addict Joined: 19 Jan 2003 Posts: 949 City: Edmonton

Is this to tie the houseboat or the ski boat ?

Diggs · Addict Joined: 27 Jan 2004 Posts: 627 City: Portland

Sorry I thought you were talking about anchoring the houseboat at night...... We just tied the boat up to the houseboat with bumpers in between. Sat there just fine. Sorry

WakeTech · Addict Joined: 19 Jan 2003 Posts: 949 City: Edmonton

Not a problem I wasn't very clear in my question

Blue22V · Soul Rider Joined: 19 Mar 2004 Posts: 290 City: Double Oak

I rent houseboats often, and even in the Delta, I still recommend towing behind the houseboat at least 30'. A houseboat drags more in the water and will stop well before the wakeboard boat will. you don't want to risk hitting your nice boat on the stern of a rental houseboat. Just be sure to take slow easy wide turns.

When mooring the boat at night I bought and use all of the time, a HullHuggr brand fender. It is portable, and when opened creates a great protection barrier for tying up to a houseboat at night

http://www.bartswatersports.com/catalog.asp?C=226&P=688

Diggs · Addict Joined: 27 Jan 2004 Posts: 627 City: Portland

Good info. thanks

Dave Sunseri · Posted: May 19, 2004 11:23 am Post subject: how i did it on sunday

Hey man
I just got back from a houseboat trip on sunday on Dale hollow lake in Kentucky. We had 6 ski boats on 4 house boats. I tied mine tight to the back left or rihgt side of the boat . We had 2 boat captains on our boats that drive big boats in the summer for money they said this was the best way i forget what they called it. also just beach the houseboat basically run it into shore and tie the ski boat on the side next to some bumpers in deeper water.... thats what we did and it was alright

Dr.Giggles_ · Newbie Joined: 11 May 2004 Posts: 23 City: NOR-CAL

Jayreese- Only you and 4 women huh..... I have another idea for you, TAKE ME!! haha.

Bruky · Guest

i will totally go with you and just watch the boats/chill with women Mr. Green

landon · Newbie Joined: 03 Feb 2004 Posts: 41

Be careful if you tie to the side of the houseboat like mentioned above. We came across a houseboat at Dale Hollow that had done this and the front line came undone, the boat was getting pulled backwards filled with water and had turned upsidedown before they had noticed. They managed to save the boat but not before the outboard motor came off and sank to the bottom.

jayreese · Posted: May 19, 2004 7:44 pm Post subject:

Hey thanks for all the tips. I think I'll just figure the rope length on a situation by situation basis. Thanks again for replies

Dave Sunseri · Posted: May 23, 2004 6:05 am Post subject:

landon thats harsh....