Patent ID: 7299761

Claim:
An apparatus comprising: a towing vessel having a bow, a stern, opposing starboard and port gunwales and an operator's station of the towing vessel located between the gunwales and positioned at least one of amidships and forward thereof; a skeletal towing frame attached to the vessel for supporting an elevated tow rope attachment point substantially above the vessel, wherein a first, generally vertical support attached to the starboard gunwale, a second, generally vertical support attached to the port gunwale, and wherein the first and second supports have sufficient length so that vertical extremities thereof extend substantially above the vessel, a third support attached to the vessel forward of the first and second supports, with the third support extending upwardly and aft, and wherein the third support is spaced from the first and second supports a sufficient distance to impart stability to the skeletal towing structure, and wherein upper portions of the first, second and third supports are coupled with a generally horizontal bridging portion located generally above and proximate the operator's station to at least amidships and forward thereof, the towing frame having a structural strength to withstand a force from towing a human performer behind the vessel by a rope attached to the frame; and an elevated tow rope attachment point attached to the bridging portion for attaching a tow rope thereto for towing the performer.