Pictures courtesy of Janet Rupp.

At Sail Expo in Atlantic City, Walt and I walked the aisles searching for nautical-dream-wish items, one of which was a solution to securing our newly purchased dinghy with its newly purchased outboard motor. Having heard sea stories about dinghies flipping over during storms, becoming lost at sea, being stolen at night from the vessel, filling with water on davits, my search for the perfect answer to an imperfect dinghy towing method was answered the minute I saw your Dinghy-Tow. I mean literally. The minute I saw your invention that was it. I was so excited to actually see the solution to every problem mentioned above.

So we bought the Dinghy-Tow and installed it and went sailing. Great! Our dinghy road with the least amount of drag because there wasn't much of her hull in the water thanks to Dinghy-Tow. We went out for a weekend and rafted with 10 sailboats. Breaking off to reanchor due to an oncoming vicious storm, we were warned that since our dinghy was raised in our modified "stored" position, although not as high as we store it at the dock, it would add windage and we would drag. The storm was, indeed, vicious with lots of wind, interesting lightning patterns and finally rain. We didn't drag anchor. They did, who gave us advice about our dinghy and windage. A raft of 3 sailboats, a raft of 2 sailboats and a single sailboat dragged, but we held firm. We have used our Dinghy-Tow for several years and have found it to be reliable giving us security of mind that we will not lose our dinghy.

At the dock we raise the dinghy very high and have successfully placed a cover over the dinghy that would ordinarily be placed over the top if the dinghy were stored on the deck. The cover fits well over the bottom of the dinghy in stored position to protect the hull from the sun.

We have never had to bail the dinghy since it rides at a slant and does not fill with water when storms come along. The Dinghy-Tow secures the dinghy in two ways so we know we will not lose it, and the dinghy cannot flip over during a high wind.

We are thankful to have met you, to have had the opportunity to be offered the results of your marvelous invention, and to have the answer to our need for securing our dinghy. You patiently answered all of my questions, put up with me this year at the Annapolis Sailboat Show when I stepped up and pushed my sales pitch to your prospective clients due to my enthusiasm over Dinghy-Tow. I am usually not that aggressive except when I am excited about a product that really works. Unrealistic as it may seem, since there are no absolutes, especially with sailboats, I think everybody should own the Dinghy-Tow.

I have included some photos, a beam view and a stern view. Walt went out with a few fellows and flew the spinnaker. We made the spinnaker and the mainsail. Walt installed the Dinghy-Tow. Brigadoon is dressed in her finest.

Fair Winds,

Janet Rupp

U.S. Patent No. 5018473. Canadian Patent No. 1310549.