tow with curtains on or off?

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wdlfbio

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Just got my new boat delivered from Florida today. I'm not sure if I should tow her with the curtains on or off. It rains quite a bit out here and I'd rather have the helm dry when I get to the ramp. I'll be traveling 50-130 miles each way and at highway speeds.

2007 282
 
Congratulations....

I used to tow my 226 with the front curtains down from time to time....never more than 25-30 miles although it was on the expressway. Just make sure all the snaps are tight.

Not sure about the side or aft curtains though...to me, if wind gets behind them they will start to flap.
 
Hard top?
Regardless, I would tow with curtains off if I would be travelling at highway speeds. First of all, you will get better fuel economy and more importantly you won't be putting stress on the curtains or battering the plastic with bug juice
 
258 with a Hard Top - curtains down 60 -65 mph highway no problems.

208 with a Bimini - I towed top up and curtains down but kept it in the 50's. In fact, without the curtains down, i think the bimini acted more like a sail. I figured it was ok to tow with the curtains down if you keep it to a speed as fast as the boat would go on the water and my 208 topped out at 53 with a 200 on her.

Previous comment about secure snaps is right on. Keep an eye in your mirror for loose canvas. And "bug juice" will also happen. Kinda nasty.

I would also add that seat cushions (or anything else) be stowed. You won't see them fly off.
 
I tow with mine down, (204 w/hardtop) 1 1/2 hours at 65 mph. I store it in the cuddy. Makes a big difference in wind drag too. If its gonna be a rainy tow, I also put the dash mounted electronics and anything else that shouldn`t get wet in there, or my truck. I always have a bunch of towels on hand. I get my wifes replaced bath towels. I also use them to wipe my hands when using bait/chum. Just don`t mix them with the other laundry.
 
Just wanted to clarify - when I say down, I mean rolled down and snapped in place.
 
That's what I kept wondering..What "Down" meant. I was taking "down" to mean "Taken Down" and put away.

Anyway, I never tow with the canvas on. I don't want the extra wind resistance, plus, keep in mind when your running 60 or so and a semi passes you the other way on a 2-lane road you can get 80-100 MPH gusts generated by the meeting. To me, there is risk of damaging the canvas and it's not worth it.
Instead, I had a custom cockpit cover made for towing and to cover the boat when I don't want to struggle with putting the canvas up. Works great for me.
 
226 w/ Hardtop - Avid Striper fisherman. I put the full enclosure on in October and it comes off in mid-May. It stays up out of necessity. Ever try to snap a fulle nclosure into place when it was 20 degrees out?

Many, many miles of towing in between. Easily a couple of thousand highway miles a winter. Additional fuel burn is negligible. Maybe a gallon on a 200 mile trip.
 
wdlfbio said:
Just got my new boat delivered from Florida today. I'm not sure if I should tow her with the curtains on or off. It rains quite a bit out here and I'd rather have the helm dry when I get to the ramp. I'll be traveling 50-130 miles each way and at highway speeds.

2007 282
Click to expand...

I live here in Washington same as you. On my second Grady and I've always towed with the front, side and back vinyl in place. Never had a problem with them and it keeps the helm area a whole lot cleaner. Plus it's a pain in the rear to put that stuff up and down all the time.

And when I tow I'm always going 65 to 70.
 
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