An apparatus for connecting a towline from a watercraft, comprising a support structure of inverted U-shaped configuration comprising a pair of side supports. An overhead structure extends at upper ends of the side supports. The overhead structure includes fore and aft substructures. The support structure is adapted to be releasably mounted to a watercraft. A towline connector is provided on the aft substructure of the overhead structure for receiving a fore end of a towline. A protective cover is attached to the fore and aft substructures of the overhead structure.