A dinghy is your link to the shore, but carrying it aboard is not always convenient. On short coastal hops, many cruisers simply tow it astern. Done well, towing is easy and safe. Done badly, it can end with a towline wrapped around your propeller, a swamped tender dragging like a sea anchor, or an outboard at the bottom of the sea. This guide covers how to rig the tow, how much line to let out, what can go wrong, and when you should bring the dinghy aboard instead.

Quick answer: Remove the outboard, fuel and loose gear, tow from a bridle on the dinghy’s bow D-rings using a floating line, and adjust the length so the dinghy rides on the front (downhill) face of one of your boat’s stern waves, usually the second or third crest. Shorten the line before maneuvering under power, and lift or stow the dinghy for open-water passages or when wind and seas are building.

Prepare the Dinghy Before You Tow

• Take the outboard off. An outboard adds a lot of weight and drag, strains the transom and towing points, and is likely to be ruined if the dinghy flips. Mount it on a stern rail bracket or stow it aboard. If you really can’t remove it for a short, calm tow, tilt it fully up, lock it, and add a safety lanyard.
• Remove fuel tanks, oars, life jackets, bags and anything loose. Loose gear can blow or wash out, and every extra pound adds to the tow load.
• Pump or bail out water and set the drain plug according to the dinghy maker’s instructions. Even a few inches of water greatly increases drag and the load on the towing points.
• Check the towing points. Use the dedicated towing D-rings or eyes on the bow, not lifting handles or the bow painter ring alone, and look for chafe or loose patches on inflatables.

Rigging the Tow: Bridles and Lines

Use a bridle on the dinghy

Most inflatables have two towing D-rings, one on each side of the bow. Run a short bridle between them so the load is shared and the dinghy tracks straight. The key detail: the towline should end in a small loop (a bowline, an eye splice or a small block) that the bridle passes through, so the towline can slide freely along the bridle. If you tie the towline to a fixed point in the middle of the bridle, one D-ring will take the whole load each time the dinghy yaws, which chafes and can tear the fitting.

A small hard dinghy with a strong eye low on the stem can be towed from a single point. Attaching the line low on the bow helps keep the bow up rather than pulling it down into the water.

Attach to the sailboat

On the big boat, tie off to a stern cleat or, better, rig a second bridle between both stern cleats so the load is centered and the towline stays clear of the rudder. Make sure you can ease or shorten the line quickly from the cockpit.

Choose a floating towline

A floating line, such as polypropylene, is the standard choice because it stays on the surface and is less likely to be sucked into the propeller. It has drawbacks: it degrades in sunlight, chafes easily and is slippery, so inspect it often, replace it when it gets stiff or faded, and use knots that hold well. Some sailors prefer a stronger, more durable line with small floats threaded on it. Whatever you use, it must never sink.

Add a backup line

A second, slack safety line from the dinghy to the boat means you won’t lose the dinghy if a knot, cleat or D-ring fails. Our guide to the most important sailing knots covers the bowline and other knots you need for this setup.

How Long Should the Tow Line Be?

There is no single correct length in feet, because it depends on your speed and the size of your boat. Instead, look at the wake. A moving boat creates a series of stern waves behind it. The aim is to have the dinghy sit on the front (downhill) face of one of those waves, usually the second or third crest. There it is gently pushed toward you, so it tows with less resistance and keeps steady tension on the line.

Dinghy position	What happens	Fix
Too close (in the first wave trough)	Dinghy runs uphill, drags heavily, may bump the stern or the outboard bracket	Ease more line
On the front face of the 2nd or 3rd crest	Low drag, steady tension, tracks straight	Ideal; recheck when speed changes
On the back of a crest	Dinghy pulls back hard and surges on the line	Shorten or lengthen to reach the next front face
Very far astern	More yawing, line can sag and sink, harder to manage	Shorten the line

Every time your speed changes, the wave pattern changes, so be ready to adjust. In following seas, a longer tow gives the dinghy room to surf without hitting your stern.

Short tow for maneuvering

Before docking, anchoring or motoring in reverse, pull the dinghy up close so the line can’t drift under the boat and into the propeller. Some crews bring it alongside on the side away from the dock and tie it to a midship cleat with fenders between the boats, which keeps it out of the way during close-quarters maneuvering. For more on boat handling, see tacking, gybing and docking techniques.

Common Risks and How to Avoid Them

Line in the prop

This is the most common towing accident. A slack or sinking towline can wrap around the propeller the moment you shift into gear, especially in reverse, leaving you without an engine and possibly damaging the shaft or cutlass bearing. Prevent it by using a floating line, keeping it short and taut before you use the engine, and making a habit of checking the dinghy before every gear change. If the line does foul the prop, shut down the engine immediately rather than trying to power through it.

Swamping

Spray, breaking waves and rain can fill a dinghy. A swamped dinghy is extremely heavy, puts huge loads on the towline and fittings, slows the boat dramatically and can tear free. Check the dinghy regularly, bail it out when needed, and bring it aboard before conditions build.

Capsizing and flipping

Strong gusts can lift and flip a light, empty inflatable, especially in beam winds. Steep or following seas can make a dinghy surf, broach and roll over. If the dinghy flips, slow down right away, bring it alongside on the leeward side and right it in the shelter of the boat. A capsized dinghy with an outboard on it will usually mean a ruined engine, which is one more reason to remove the motor.

Collision with your own boat

In following seas, or when you slow down suddenly, the dinghy can surge forward and hit the transom, the self-steering gear or the outboard bracket. A longer tow in following seas and keeping the dinghy on the front face of a wave reduce this risk.

Chafe and gear failure

Constant snatching loads wear lines and D-ring patches. Inspect the towline, bridle, knots and towing points before every tow and during longer passages, and carry spare line. See Sailing Lines, Ropes and Knots for more on line types and care.

When to Lift or Stow the Dinghy Instead

Towing is best kept for short trips in protected or moderate conditions. Bring the dinghy aboard, onto davits or into a locker when:

• You are making an open-water or offshore passage, or sailing overnight.
• Wind and seas are forecast to build, or you face following or breaking seas.
• You expect to motor in tight spaces, raft up or come alongside a crowded dock.
• You want to sail as efficiently as possible; a towed dinghy costs noticeable speed, particularly in light air.
• Your dinghy has an outboard you can’t remove easily.

Storage options

• Davits hold the dinghy above the water at the stern. They are convenient for coastal cruising, but they add weight aft and can be vulnerable to large following seas; the boat’s transom must be strong enough for the load.
• On deck, upside down on the foredeck or cabin top and lashed down securely. This is the traditional choice for passages.
• Deflated in a locker, for soft-bottomed inflatables. It takes more effort to launch, but it is the safest option for long trips.
• Folding or nesting hard dinghies, which some cruisers choose specifically because they stow compactly on deck.

If you are still choosing a tender, our dinghy sailing guide and cruising sailboat equipment essentials can help.

Pre-Tow Checklist

1. Outboard, fuel and loose gear removed; dinghy bailed out.
2. Bridle rigged between bow D-rings, with the towline free to slide along it.
3. Floating towline in good condition, plus a slack backup line.
4. Line secured to the stern so you can adjust it quickly from the cockpit.
5. Dinghy positioned on the front face of the second or third stern wave.
6. Line shortened before any maneuvering or use of reverse.
7. Regular checks underway for water, chafe and line position.

Towing a Dinghy Behind a Sailboat: Summary

Towing a dinghy is convenient for short coastal trips if you prepare properly. Remove the outboard and gear, tow from a bridle with a floating line, and adjust the length so the dinghy rides on the front face of one of your stern waves. Keep the line away from the propeller when maneuvering, check the dinghy regularly, and when you head offshore or the weather turns, bring it aboard. A few minutes spent stowing the dinghy is much easier than recovering a swamped tender or freeing a fouled prop at sea.