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Experience with TowBoat US

8K views 58 replies 33 participants last post by  Coquina 
#1 ·
What has been the forum members experience with TowBoatUS? In particular, I am concerned with salvage vs. assistance. The sales pitch is that if you join, they will provide assistance at no additional charge. If the boat is in peril, it becomes a salvage where a high percentage of boat value can be charged and is not covered by membership. Peril can cover lots of territory. If I'm fishing in open water and engine won't start, am I in peril or just inconvenienced? Who decides? SeaTow says they will cover soft groundings provided 5 things exist, including that you must be able to rock the boat and they must be able to pull you off in 15 minutes. With a large boat, wing keel, and soft mud, there's a good chance you can't rock the boat, but are you really in peril? I have membership with SeaTow because of proximity of one of their facilities. and don't know specifics of TowBoatUS contract...not trying to compare the two. Just want to know whether they really assist, or is membership a sneaky way charge you a big bill for salvage. I will start a similar thread for SeaTow.
 
#32 ·
or the mood of the people he's towing...

also, It wasn't the member's boat... If it were a member's boat (yours) you likely would have had a "better" outcome- as it was your buddies boat, and he hadnt joined- this captain wasn't as worried about his interests as he would have been about yours- maybe.


I don't know- It's apparent however that at no point were you or your buddy actually concerned about your safety or personal well being- so you got that goin for you. which is nice.
 
#33 ·
i have two experiences in florida keys. am well satisfied with their professionalism and courtesy. on larger sailboat I would expect them to advise waiting until last hour of a rising tide unless you are in a special situation. they certainly will help you rig anchor from the halyard to get heeling if needed.
if there is a better option I don't know of it.
hope you never need them but its nice to have that full membership.
 
#34 ·
My main beef was, I cast off the mooring buoy and took their tow line to the bow cleat, on the 30'+ inboard boat, then he idled with us for 10 min, turning us stern to the waves. while the contract was being discussed.

I would have been better off tied to the buoy.

given enough time, that boat was going down. and they were in no rush.... the worse it got, better the rate, eh?

it was 2-3' and 10knts from the E, on memorial day weekend. with a cooler and pfd I figured we could swim in, probably take an hour or less. yeah, I was a bit nervous, but more pissed than anything.


On a different day, crewing on a 34' sloop we ran aground on a sandbar off Key biscayne and needed a tow.
captain was not a member. think that was $350 for the soft grounding.
 
#35 ·
I have two policies, a personal unlimited gold for Auspicious and a professional unlimited gold for deliveries.

I have three good and one horrific experience to share.

1. TowBoat/US showed up to pull me off a soft grounding at ICW mile 81.5. The hazard mark is still on ActiveCaptain although the channel has since been moved. It was in the channel when I found the hump. By the way, this was in January and the tower had a frigid two hour run in each direction. Cost to me: $0.

2. TowBoat/US Annapolis came out with both fuel and a bosun's chair when I ran out of fuel on delivery (my fault - I took the word of the owner that he had just filled the tanks) and the roller furling main jammed in the track. I did get the main unjammed by tacking back and forth while waiting for TowBoat/US. The fuel was much appreciated though. The local tower had another call so he dropped his tanks, fuel, and chair off on my word that I'd stop by the next day to settle up. Cost to my customer - fuel cost.

3. TowBoat/US Virginia Beach came out when our last onboard fuel filter clogged solid and I wasn't making much progress up the Chesapeake. They picked up a case of fuel filters for us and towed us to Little Creek where we ran through a few sets of fuel filters before I was comfortable getting back off the dock. Did I mention this was another cold weather delivery and it was snowing?

On to the bad.

A foreign cruiser who joined Boat/US for the towing insurance ran aground on the way from the Beaufort NC inlet to Beaufort Town Dock ran aground. The local TowBoat/US tower called it a salvage. Welcome to the United States. The cruiser is a member of ActiveCaptain and of SSCA. Jeff Siegel and I both approached corporate Boat/US in our respective capacities to help. Boat/US rebuffed us, stating that they could share no information with us out of regard to the privacy of their member. It is not clear why they ignored the pleas for redress by the cruiser. I continue to be astounded by the poor customer service exhibited in this case, still unresolved many months later.

It would appear that when something goes wrong it goes very very wrong.

sail fast and eat well, dave
Dave Skolnick S/V Auspicious
SSCA President
 
#36 ·
I was in the USA for 9 moths last year and early this year and did the ICW from Norfolk to Key West, solo on a boat drawing 6 foot, so Boat US at $150 for the year is a bargain! You'd be crackers to do the ICW without it!

I did have land that jumped up off the sea floor a few times, but I was able to get off myself. My only use of Towboat US was advice on the VHF and phone. If there was a yellow blob on Active Captain that looked bad I would ring them for advice. They were great!

As for the salvage/soft grounding issue if think they should review that stupid policy and have a GOOD TRY before they call it a salvage!

Otherwise just go to Sea Tow or whoever else has a brain!

Mark
 
#42 ·
I wonder, too, if it isn't that there are multiple contracts in play. The BoatUS towboat that came to get me turned out to be a subcontractor. The boat was the typical "BoatUS" marked boat, but the receipt I got clearly states that the operator is a contractor. (similar to AAA) I wonder if many of the operators are franchisees. Could this explain the muddiness as to why things go so wrong when the cirucumstances are outside of the stated coverage?
 
#46 ·
I've only used them once, but the experience was exceedingly positive.

We clogged the screen in the tank pickup tube when some rough chop and gusty winds stirred up the tank. So we sailed to the mouth of Forked River dropped the hook and called for a tow into our slip.

TowBoatUS showed up in about 30 minutes. Their captain was competent and professional and got us in without a hitch. Couldn't have been happier with the service.
 
#47 · (Edited)
I should have mentioned the Francisee situation in my previous post. I was in an area where there was an owner that tried to run a good business, but the territory next door was managed by what I can only assume was an alcoholic. I heard many a tale of woe with that guy, mainly in the form of not responding. I heard him once on the radio, sounding drunk, telling someone he wasn't coming out, despite the guy having coverage.

So, while I still have TowBoat US, I did ask around before signing up when we moved our boat. I would choose between TBUS and Seatow, based on what I could learn about the franchisee in my primary sailing area and hope for the best when I was away from home base.
 
#49 ·
I also think that some of the local tow companies are dual branded with regional programs.

I'm gong to guess that they contract with BoatUS and essentially get a captive audience of business from all those insured. One wold expect service standards to keep it, but some areas may not have much competition, reducing BoatUS leverage. Other areas could have multiple operators.
 
#50 ·
Good Morning! I have a few questions that I would like to ask you if you have time. I am a also a boat captain by trade. I beached my personal boat on August 31, 2013 off the Sebastain Inlet. (soft beaching) The motor and the electrical system were high and dry. The boat was listing to the starboard side and taking water and sand over the side. I called TowBoat US for help. They showed up without so much as a SHOVEL. They had no floatation devices or pumps. They yanked my boat off the beach full of sand and water and took off through the inlet. When he slowed down, he completely SUNK my boat. NOW, after speaking with TowBoat US corporate office, I have attempted to get this tow companies insurance carrier so I could file a claim. He refuses to give it to me or the corporate HQ. I got a bill Monday for almost $3,000 and yesterday recieved a certified letter stating he was putting a lien on my boat because it was a salvage. It was most definitely NOT a salvage. I just need to know if you would consider a soft beaching with all the important stuff high and dry a salvage or a simple tow? I just need some imput from someone who has the experience with the tow boat ins and outs. Thank you so very much! Regards:confused:
 
#52 ·
The boat was listing to the starboard side and taking water and sand over the side....................
Its a salvage when the boat is at risk and this sure suggests it would eventually go down without their assistance.

The salvage bills are often negotiated, but I doubt you will simply pay for a tow. Then again, three grand for a salvage is pretty light. This includes raising your boat after it sank?

If they were able to tow you off, I'm not sure what liability you're suggesting they have? If your boat was so full of water and sand that it sunk when not under two, that's all the more proof it was a salvage. Your between a rock and hard place.

Sorry for your trouble.
 
#53 ·
I saw a boat dragging this summer on Martha's Vineyard. Dragging hard. I rowed out to it and asked some other powerboats that were passing by to call the harbor master. Anyway I ledges out my anchor from the dinghy and the. Reset his. Tow boat from Falmouth showed up. I said I didn't want the guy to get billed or salvaged. The guy could not have been nicer. Said since I'd already settled it, he wouldn't charge the guy anything.

We attached the boat to his and moved it onto a free mooring. The guy said that if the guy had a membership he'd get a payment from towboat but if not he wouldn't charge him.

If i understood him, I think he said they wouldn't go to salvage for a members boat. He said if the guy hadn't had a membership and I hadn't shown up he'd be in for $4k.
 
#54 ·
So how did the boat sink if it was not flooded/sunk to begin with? Something seems to be missing from the details


While it was up on the beach, it took sand and water over the starboard gunnels. Once Tow Boat US got the bow pointed towards the waves to stop the sand/water from coming over the side, I assumed he would finish dewatering the boat thus, reducing the weight. (I have a 21' Pathfinder) To everyones suprise, he just kept going headed to the Inlet. Why? No one standing there, including me, knew why he would have made the decision to just keep going. They was absolutely no damage to the hull, no holes etc.. The boat got beached because the engine cut off as we were netting mullets. If I had a little more man power, other than my girlfriend, I would have been able to get the bow into the waves, I would have never had this problem.
 
#56 ·
It's not cut and dried but one definition of a salvage can be based on your decision to allow them to continue.

If for example if the tow boat reaches you and you explain in detail exactly what you want done and how it is to be done and they agree it is a tow.
If you and the tow guy disagree you wave him off and call someone else.

If however you have no time or inclination to come to an agreement or do not feel you have a choice to accept his help then it is really his discretion as to whether it is a tow or salvage.

IOW if it too dangerous or inconvenient for you to negotiate favorable terms before accepting a tow then according to both law and custom the guy that gives you two makes the rules unless you take him to court and then the court makes the rules.
 
#57 ·
Didn't the tow cap ask you what you wanted him to do? I was towed once a few years ago with a mechanical problem. As I remember, the tow cap specifically asked me exactly what I wanted him to do and where I wanted to be towed. It was obviously part of his ****** to get this clear before starting. If you wanted to bail the boat out, could you have made this clear? A 21' boat can be bailed out with a bucket in short order... if it's still floating. A lot of equipment is not essential. Maybe the lesson here is to communicate instructions clearly in case you get a tow boat that doesn't do what may seem obvious. Like in most things, there is probably a large range of competence in operators.

**The word s-c-r-i-p-t has been starred out. Why?**
 
#58 ·
are you talking about 'boat us' or a copycat? either way you need to stop your do-it-yourself foolishness and (A) involve your insurance company and (B) hire a lawyer. you are in a legal mess and need expert help. also might be a good idea for you and any your passenger/witnesses make sworn statements while memories are fresh. my experience with Boat US as both an insurance company and their towing affiliate has been uniformly good but there is always a possibility of a rotten apple.
 
#59 ·
I have had great luck with TowBoatUS and long ago SeaTow as well.
I had an engine failure and I sailed to Kent Narrows, got towed through to the other side, and resumed sailing. Another engine issue and I sailed to my marina entrance and they met me to tow me to the dock. And yes, I do know how to sail into my slip, but it is not possible when the wind is blowing the wrong way with our narrow entrance. Bill both times was $0.00 :)

I had a powerboat that sank on her mooring. SeaTow got her floating and delivered to the yard. They billed the insurance company for salvage* and I was not out of pocket at all for this. The last person to use my boat was an adjuster for the company that insured her, so THAT claim went right through :laugher

NOTE: BOATUS hull insurance covers hull value and salvage as SEPERATE buckets of money. If your insurance pays out of the same pile of cash for both, you could easily eat up most of the value of the boat in paying salvage with no money left to fix her.
 
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