I purchased Dinghy-Tow in September of 1997 and had it installed on my 50' 1990 Beneteau 500 using a 13' dinghy with a 15 HP outboard. I was initially skeptical that it could be used on such a large boat with a large dinghy but instead, I have been extermely pleased with the Dinghy-Tow and how it has helped in my cruising throughout the Carribean. Each year, I sail my boat to Grenada from its home base in Tortola. The boat resides in Grenada over the summer and I sail it back to Tortola in October. In 1996, I did not have the Dinghy-Tow and I pulled the dinghy behind the boat or I had to put the dinghy up on the deck for longer crossings. By the end of these long trips, the dinghy was beat up and was badly in need of repairs. In 1997, with the Dinghy-Tow, towing the dinghy became much easier with much less wear and tear on the dinghy and less drag on the boat.
The Dinghy-Tow was invaluable. Not only did it save wear and tear on the dinghy, it actually helped considerably when my dinghy was vandalized in Martinique. The dinghy, an inflatable, was slashed while at the dock and the boat was moored in Martinique. We did not have sufficient repair equipment and were only able to get it to hold enough air to get us back and forth to shore, but there was no way it would have withheld being towed behind with a traditional painter. Without the Dinghy-Tow, we would have had to remove the motor and haul the dinghy up on deck every night until we got to a place to have the dinghy repaired. With the Dinghy-Tow, we were able to continue to pull it along behind us until we reached Antigua for repairs.
In 1996, we had to haul the dinghy out for the longer crossings but this was no longer necessary with the Dinghy-Tow. We just towed it behind for the longer crossings and in higher seas. With only minor adjustments, the Dinghy-Tow worked wonderfully throughout the trip.
I would highly recommend the Dinghy-Tow to others. You have a great product!!!
Sincerely,
Tracy B. Kingham
Captain of Auriga
