[Fr. Frank]

Okay, I have been racking my brain about how to put a samson post on this boat and couldn't figure out how to. Can you give me an idea, Frank? I have only ever seen Samson posts on boats with inboards. If put on a boat with an outboard, how do you keep the towline from rubbing on and interfering with the outboard?

If you're going to tow, a Samson post is much better than a bridle. While having the post fixed to the keelson is best, there are two common types of Samson posts in usage that are not anchored to the keelson.

The first is called a tow pylon, and is nothing more than an extra heavy-duty ski pylon, bolted to the deck in front of the motor, with two load bearing arms traveling backwards to the transom. The bitt of the towing pylon is usually high enough above the deck that the tow line passes above the OB motor cowling under strain. This one is at SeaTow in Boston, and also has a protective hoop to keep towlines out of the props:


The second type of unsecured Samson post is for use on full transoms and is often used for securing anchor rodes on the bow of a boat, but has a more limited capacity. With a good backing plate and the cap securely fastened to the hull, it would easily pull at the limit of force a 130 OB motor could apply:


I highly recommend the first of these.