# Ideas or experience towing layout boats



## happyhooker2 (Nov 11, 2005)

I just purchased my tender boat and my buddies and I have added a 2nd layout boat to our spread. I have some limited space in my tender boat(1600 SS Alaskan) and I was looking to tow it behind my tender boat. Any pros or cons or towing suggestions? My concern it submerging the front of the layout boat while up and running. I have considered making a mast out of a seat pedastal and welding a second piece of some type of material to get it higher and adding a bow eye or loop. Thay way I can remove it from the seat base. any suggestions would be appreciated. We always use to haul the layout boat inside the tender boat but my buddys tender is 2 feet bigger and about a 1 1/2 wider than mine and i have a console and gun boxes running along the inside of the boat. I want to do it the safe way but I also want to avoid making a permanent mount on the boat too. Thats why I thougt a seat pedastal with maybe parts of a planerboard mast welded together may work just to keep the rope higher out of the water.


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## SabikiRig (May 1, 2004)

Happy,

I have towed a pair of two man kalash boats a few times.  Even towed one and piggybacked one at the same time too. An yes, we stuffed them and bailed them out a few times too.

By design a Lake Erie or pumkinseed style boat is not made to tow at planing speeds. It can be done but it is only a matter of time before a wave or wake from another boat throws a wrench in the program.

If you tow the boat make sure the coaming is up and you place some weight (Anchor, etc.) at the back of the boat to get bow to ride high. You will have to adjust the painter (tow line) to get the boat to ride the wake of the tender to prevent you from "stuffing" the layout.

Some old timers add a solid oak keel down the middle of the hull. It makes the boat tow straight and does a great job of protecting the coffin from damage too.


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## just ducky (Aug 23, 2002)

HH-
I've already discussed this at length over on the diver page on the waterfowler's refuge...you may want to post your question there http://www.refugeforums.com/refuge/forumdisplay.php?f=31

As you know, I just got the same boat. In short, I plan on carrying my one man layout on it's side right in the boat, using some life vests and pads to cushion it. I did this with Lwingwatcher in his bowrider (i think it's 18'?) last year, and it worked fine, and left plenty of room in the boat. However, I do not plan on using my pedestal seats in duck season....I have some portable stools that I will use instead because they'll allow more flexibility with the boat blind. I'm sure there are other ways to carry it in the boat too. When you think about it, all you're doing is motoring out to your hunting location, then you toss out the layout, and ya got all kinds of room. The advice I got from the hardcore layout guys on the other site was to not try to tow it for the very reasons you stated. Not that it couldn't be done, but you'll be fine carrying it in the boat.


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## happyhooker2 (Nov 11, 2005)

Thanks guys, I'll stick with my instinct and just find a way to carry it inside the boat. You are right, its only inside for the ride out and the ride in and after all, we have 2 layouts and 2 tenders, I am sure we have more than enough room to bring all the gear we need between 2 boats.


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## duckcommander101 (Jan 14, 2003)

I have towed a couple different layouts.

2 man Kalash towed fine when we pulled the bow up near the stern of the tender and tied it so that the layout bow was higher than its stern.

1 man Bankes, towed like a dream but it is made to tow. Had a locking cover to keep splash out. It is way too heavy to ride in a tender.

My MLB Supermag does not tow well at all, we tried it and gave it up quickly.

I now rest my Supermag across the gunnels of my tender when transporting (I put heavy duty foam pipe insulation on each rail to keep from beating the boat up) and I also put some cleats on the tender to allow it to be tied down when transporting on the water. It rides on a wooden rack to transport to the ramp, the rack just comes out and gets put in the truck before we launch)


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## Aukebay123 (Sep 9, 2003)

I am registered but have never been given access to post to the refuge forum site by the moderator. I have been trying to contact the moderator for about 6 months. Do you have any suggestions as to how I can contact the moderator? I live in Juneau, Ak and want to post to the Alaska site. But it appears that the same moderator administers all ot the different state sites.


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## lwingwatcher (Mar 25, 2001)

David will be a trick....try Chester-Tn but other than that, try a local Mod to help you touch bases with Admin.


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## happyhooker2 (Nov 11, 2005)

duckcommander101 said:


> I have towed a couple different layouts.
> 
> 2 man Kalash towed fine when we pulled the bow up near the stern of the tender and tied it so that the layout bow was higher than its stern.
> 
> ...


Thank you. The 2 layout boats my hunting buddies have are a MLB single and a Ron Bankes, chances are the Bankes is what I would be towing.


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## duckcommander101 (Jan 14, 2003)

happyhooker2 said:


> Thank you. The 2 layout boats my hunting buddies have are a MLB single and a Ron Bankes, chances are the Bankes is what I would be towing.


The Bankes I towed was the fancier one, it's like a half of a Bankes Revolution. I don't know about towing a Bankes Pumpkinseed type layout.


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## Branta (Feb 6, 2002)

I just got my latest Wildfowl mag. haven't read it yet, but i saw a pic of a motorized layout boat some guys were using in Lake michigan. 

try to read about it later tonight!


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## lwingwatcher (Mar 25, 2001)

I have seen where guys rigged a trolling motor up on a boat for propulsion but, manufacturers will tell you that boat not rated for it.

Branta, be sure and fill us in, I am having a hard time figuring out the advantages of having a motor out on the Great Lakes...


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## Branta (Feb 6, 2002)

I'll check out the article tonight - maybe I can scan the pic tomorrow at work to post up.

Lwing/JD : Post up how you guys plan on porting the layout across the alaskan. (wouldn't it take a beating / unstable? maybe I'm not visualizing this correctly becuase I can't see how you could reach across 4ft to the bow to secure it down.)


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## sprigdog (Jan 29, 2004)

Branta said:


> I just got my latest Wildfowl mag. haven't read it yet, but i saw a pic of a motorized layout boat some guys were using in Lake michigan.
> 
> try to read about it later tonight!


the thing in the magazine is a beast, 9' X 13' and sits 10" above the water!!! not a true layout, but built on a sponson all aluminum set-up for 2 gunners. 
3 electric motors per sponson, with 165 pounds of thrust per..plus 2 2.5hp gas motors in the middle. bilge pumps, 5 batteries....can be towed up to 25mph or used solo closer into shore...wow


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## lwingwatcher (Mar 25, 2001)

Branta said:


> Lwing/JD : Post up how you guys plan on porting the layout across the alaskan. (wouldn't it take a beating / unstable? maybe I'm not visualizing this correctly becuase I can't see how you could reach across 4ft to the bow to secure it down.)


I don't have an Alaskan, I tend from a bow rider and transport my layout in the tender on its side (on the road) and very often on the water the very same way.

Across the gunnels will work at times, just set the boat on a boat cushion and ratchet down. I learned the hard way about not ratcheting down....


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## DECOYSbyRAS (Oct 20, 2004)

*Don't Do It!!!*
I've fished well over 3 dozen hunting parties off this lake over the last 30 years. At least 2 dozen were from towing lay-outs. Some of these were some multi generation families on the east side that have done it for ever. I wouldn't even begin to guess at how many have been fished out by others.

The capper was when the Whitmore Boys, both in their 50's with over 40 years experience, died from it in 95". I was on the water that November 8th. A 70 mph shear wind came thru as _THE _front of a weather change. Nobody had predicted it in the early morn when we all went out. They always towed. The Lay-out acted as a diving plane and pulled the transom down while the bow went up and over. 

The very day after that happened, I took out a loan and bought the 20' Alaskan. I still to this day have had close calls. You just never know what Mother Nature will send you on any given moment. 

Of the others most were from motherlines with droppers shorter than their lower units. Just thought I'ld throw that in.

RAS


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## BFG (Mar 4, 2005)

I've posted this before (still don't have a pic) but this is how we tow our Bankes Pumpkinseeds. Granted, we do not layout hunt in 2-3'ers...so take this for what it is worth. 

Bro in law came up with this idea a few years back and it works well for us. Take a 10' piece of 2 3/4" handrail and seal it with several coats of polyurethane. Attach two oar lock posts so that they fit in the oar locks on your boat, making sure that you have at least 4' overhanging one side. Attach an oar clamp (no post) 18" from the outside end of the overhanging portion. Attach a 12" piece of chain to the clamp with a spring clip on the end. After you have launched your tender, turn it around at the launch, attach the boom, then attach the clip to the ring under the nose of the layout. Lay the nose of the layout on top of the boom, and you are done. The boat will ride very nicely alongside at slow speeds, and then will kick out over the edge of the wake at higher speeds. Once at your spot, throw the layout anchor out (already attached), unclip the boat, and you are done. When picking up, haul the anchor, lift the bow of the layout on the boom, attach chain, and you are on your way. You will also need to put some sort of support strap in the middle of the handrail attached to inside of the boat to beef up the boom in the middle. You will also need to put a clip in the oar post to make sure that it does not pull out of the lock. 

We do this with one or two layouts on the same tender. Looks like something out of Star Wars coming out the channel, but it works for us. Several guys asked us about it last year at the launch.....and after some very weird looks, they said..."ha...never thought of trying that..."

We tried multiple other ideas to get the nose of the Bankes out of the water for towing, but each one failed. Best plan was the one outlined above. Granted, we hunt relatively close to shore (<1/2 mile) and never hunt big waves (nope..uh uh) so this works for our fair weather layout program. 

All this typed and I just realized that your tender probably lacks oar locks. Sorry for taking up your time....LOL


BFG


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## just ducky (Aug 23, 2002)

lwingwatcher said:


> I don't have an Alaskan, I tend from a bow rider and transport my layout in the tender on its side (on the road) and very often on the water the very same way.
> 
> Across the gunnels will work at times, just set the boat on a boat cushion and ratchet down. I learned the hard way about not ratcheting down....


Branta,
I admit that I haven't had the layout in the new Alaskan yet, but from going out with Lwing in his bowrider last fall, and carrying the layout on it's side near the back, I saw firsthand that this is very easy to do. I may also try to lay it across the gunnels up front for really short rides, but I picture some problems in rough weather or high wind that way. I'll post a picture up later this year when I try it out in the boat.


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## just ducky (Aug 23, 2002)

DECOYSbyRAS said:


> *Don't Do It!!!*
> ...Of the others most were from motherlines with droppers shorter than their lower units. Just thought I'ld throw that in.
> RAS


Good advice. In rough weather, I can see where this would be a real problem.


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## lwingwatcher (Mar 25, 2001)

just ducky said:


> Good advice. In rough weather, I can see where this would be a real problem.


It is a problem, especially for Mod V's without Wave Whackers or something similar.

But, run a deep v with a splash well and you don't have the same issues to concern yourself with.


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