Tow Boats

[ClaryHawes]

I am heading from Sag Harbour , Long Island Sound, arround Manhattan and up the Hudson , Oswego Canal to Lake Ontario, Can anyone recomend the best Tow Boat service to Subscribe too. I am unfamiliar with the waters , Have experience and GPS but understand shallow waters and mechanical failures may ( touch wood) happen and would prefer a well represented tow boat service. Any advice you may offer is appreciated.
CH.

[sailortjk1]

BoatUS was offering unlimited towing for the season at a very reasonable rate. I think It was your regular member ship fee than an additional $35, If I remeber correctly.

Give them a call and see if they cover the waters around the NY area.
Once on LOntario, I think you will find TowBoatUS covers those waters.

[PBzeer]

TowBoatUS is in Tarrytown and Albany, as well as all along the north shore of Long Island. Besides the towing, your BoatUS memebership is good for discounts on fuel, slips and other services at many marinas. Whatever you do, buy the unlimited package. It's well worth the extra money, and one tow, will pay for itself many times over.

[merttan]

BoatUS is really common around LIS, Membership is 19$ and unlimited tow is 116$ a year... And I think they reimburse you if you get towed by another company...
Visit their web site, they have a tow coverage map..."http://www.boatus.com/ServiceLocator/?fromSite=2"
They do indeed have fuel, slip, and some other accomodation discounts with many marinas...
I used them last year, I'm about to renew it for this year. They are really experienced and will come to help as soon as they can...

[jjablonowski]

Here in the western Sound, Sea Tow seems to have good coverage. I subscribe to their prepaid tow service but haven't had the need. From monitoring Ch. 16, most calls I hear tend to be to Sea Tow.

[sailortjk1]

Did not mean to confuse everybody.
There is a different rate between Salt Water and Fresh Water.
I paid $35 for unlimited FRESH WATER towing.

[Hartley18]

You guys have a towing service??

You mean you actually pay money to people to promise to come and rescue you if you get stuck up a creek somewhere without your paddle?? Even with sails, anchors, dinghys and engines???

I'm shocked! Over here it's "look after yourself, mate!!"

..or call the Water Police.

[JohnRPollard]

Originally Posted by Hartley18

You guys have a towing service??

You mean you actually pay money to people to promise to come and rescue you if you get stuck up a creek somewhere without your paddle?? Even with sails, anchors, dinghys and engines???

I'm shocked! Over here it's "look after yourself, mate!!"

..or call the Water Police.

Hartley,

It hasn't been that way here in the States for decades. Over here, we have businesses that operate as coastal towing services. The vast majority of their clients are powerboaters, but they'll also drag an occasional grounded sailboat off a sandbar. Most boaters either purchase a separate towing insurance policy, or have one that is included with their standard vessel insurance.

When I was a kid, the CG would routinely take folks in tow back to harbour, but that all changed as the growing towing businesses developped more clout and complained that the government was unfairly competing with the private sector. Now, the US Coast Guard will only take you in tow if absolutely necessary to protect life, property, or the environment, or if you are well beyond the coastal domain.

No more free rides for the hapless boater, but in some ways it's better now, since the new paradigm frees Coast Guard assets to concentrate on their primary missions: Search and Rescue, Law Enforcement.

[Hartley18]

Thanks, John

Originally Posted by JohnRPollard

No more free rides for the hapless boater, but in some ways it's better now, since the new paradigm frees Coast Guard assets to concentrate on their primary missions: Search and Rescue, Law Enforcement.

Heh. Over here that would be "chasing jet-skis"!!