Is Seatow worth the money?

[jackrabbit66]

So I've had seatow for 3 years now. I think I got few months free for joining but all together I've paid about $450.00 for membership that I've never used. I only take the boat out about 6-10 times a year. I live on the gulf and never take my boat more than 3 miles off shore since my boat is only a 19' duel console and not made for offshore. When I first bought the boat I figured it would be good to get sea-tow just in case I purchased a lemon. Wouldn't it make more sense to just save the $175 a year in a rainy day fund?

 

[dingbat]

Charges are not based on distance from shore.

Tow services charge from the time they leave the station, or their last call, to the time they return back to the "station".

I was within sight of the dock the last time I called towing. Couple of hundred yards at most.

I had a filter problem and didn't want to mess with it on the water. Knowing that I had free towing, I called to get towed in. I waited 40 minutes and the tow took 15 minutes tops. The bill would have been $540 if I didn't have unlimited tow insurance.

Years back, I blew a power pack @ 10 miles down range. The estimate was $1,500-$2,000. I had a $500 limit at the time.

I had them tow me to the closest public dock we could find which cost me $680. Then called a cab to pick me up and run back to the ramp ($45 cab fare) to get the truck and trailer and another $15 toll to cross over the bridge to get the boat. Two hours and $740 later, I was back where I started.

I've had unlimited towing ever since.

 

[airshot]

How much of a gambler are you? I am in your same situation, I don't carry it either and I run lake Erie in the great lakes. Sometimes I am 10-15 miles offshore on a nice day. With that said I do my own maintenance and repairs and yes I am very thorough and picky about my boats. I go thru the boat after every outing, checking all fluid levels, check all batteries and anything else I can think of. I have been a boater for 50 yrs and have always done my own work. In those 50 yrs I have been towed one time, but I have towed numerous other boats. I suppose I am a gambler but due to my religious upkeep and maintenance I feel like If I did have to be towed I am in the good from all the money I have saved.

 

[SkaterRace]

As dingbat said it is often cheaper to have it than to not in case anything went wrong. I have tow insurance but have never used it thanks to nice people giving me a tow before I think about calling for a tow. That has happened maybe 10 ish times over the past 9 years. 8 of which were on a boat we nicknamed 'death trap' because it always had so many issues with it and eventually sunk.

 

[ezmobee]

I think it's part of being a responsible boater nowadays. I think the prevalence of these tow services have kinda changed the 'ol "I can get someone to tow me in" deal. I would certainly tow someone back who was close to the ramp but I'm definitely not long towing anyone especially when there's Sea Tow on my lake. Too much liability risk and wear and tear and FUEL now to assume someone is going to tow you any kinda distance. I have a tow rider on my boat insurance from Progressive (sign 'n glide) that gives me tow coverage. Otherwise I'd pick whoever had more boats in my area.

 

[ajgraz]

Hell^(infinity) yes, it's worth it.

Remember, they do more than tow...which as has been said is VERY expensive without the insurance. They'll also bring you gas out on the water. (Though the gas is extra!)

Also, don't forget your roadside trailer assistance.

 

[Scott Danforth]

I use towboat us. I have been towed twice. If i didnt have the tow boat insurance, one tow would have been over $1100.

Is it worth it. He# yes

 

[crazy charlie]

So I've had seatow for 3 years now. I think I got few months free for joining but all together I've paid about $450.00 for membership that I've never used.

I know a guy that bought life insurance.He has the policy for 3 years now.He got a few months free for getting the policy.He claims he has paid about $450 for life insurance that he has never used. Lol,its insurance..Charlie

 

[southkogs]

We towed another boat in to the ramp this weekend, and we were telling them about the Towboat US service on the lake and how much we liked having it. Humorously, my family started to laugh because we thought of the same story of having our old boat konk out on us about a half mile from the marina. We tried waving a few boats down, but most of them just waved back and passed by (we were doing the two armed wave, not a little princess wave). We wound up swimming the boat in all the way to the ramp ...

... bought the tow service the next day.

 

[JoLin]

I use TowBoat US. I paid premiums for seven years before anything bad happened. In the space of 14 months I had a hard grounding in the Carver, an in-water breakdown on a small outboard boat I owned, and a busted trailer axle on I-95 that required the entire rig to be flatbedded 30 miles to a repair shop. So, in 2015-16 I made back twice what I'd paid in premiums. The invoice on the Carver alone was over $800.

My ;02

 

[BWR1953]

Yes, Seatow and/or equivalents are worth it.

In 2000, I was living in Tampa and boating in Tampa Bay. I joined SeaTow with unlimited towing for $30 at the time and just 3 weeks later my outdrive blew up and left me stranded underneath the Howard Frankland Bridge, tied up to a piling.

I called SeaTow and they showed up an hour later. Meanwhile, a small thunderstorm blew through, slamming the boat against the piling while I had to stand outside in the storm. Ugh. But insurance covered the damage.

SeaTow hauled my boat back to my dock at no charge. If I'd not had the coverage it would have been a nearly $500 fee.

I don't currently have SeaTow because I'm fishing small freshwater areas in my Kingfisher. But once I get the Chieftain out in the Gulf I'll join again!

 

[jackrabbit66]

I think I've learned a few things. 1. Most fees will be between $500 - $2000 2. If you do a good job with maintenance you may never need the service. 3. Its possible to get another boater to tow you short distances 4. Progressive insurance can cover boat & towing. Good to know. thanks for all the comments.

 

[ajgraz]

Point 2 is funny, because sometimes you discover needed maintenance items after a breakdown on the water :lol:

Point number 3 seems to be less and less true these days (as I believe another poster pointed out). Besides, even your "only 19 foot" boat is gonna be big enough that a lot of citizen boaters wouldn't want to try to tow you.

(Points 1 and 4 seem fair, I guess)


More testimony: I have had SeaTow since 2004. With my old 70's boat, I used it once in 13 years, I think like the second time I took it out, which did have me wondering, "why bother?" With my newer boat which I've had only 4 months now, I've had to use it three times already for stuff that seemed just fine in the driveway...

 

[Scott Danforth]

I think I've learned a few things. 1. Most fees will be between $500 - $2000 2. If you do a good job with maintenance you may never need the service. 3. Its possible to get another boater to tow you short distances 4. Progressive insurance can cover boat & towing. Good to know. thanks for all the comments.

1 - True, and your in pecking order of importance when it comes to being towed. if your in danger or blocking traffic, you go to head of line.
2 - if it were only true. i have had new ignition module parts fail after only a few hours of use - resulting in a tow. I have had a gear box lock up upon first splash of year after having drive serviced. stuff fails as the most in-opportune moment
3 - good luck - most people wont stop, many will wave back. yet I have towed in at least 30 people since I moved to Florida. Been towed in myself twice prior to getting towboat US. one fishing boat charged me more than a towboat yearly membership.
4 - many insurances will reimburse you, not pay sea tow or tow boat immediately, so have a large wad of cash on hand or your credit card.. I also have progressive AND towboat US that extra $160 per year is worth it for peace of mind.

Boating is an expensive hobby. proper and safe boating is even more expensive. however that peace of mind sure makes it more enjoyable.

 

[ezmobee]

4 - many insurances will reimburse you, not pay sea tow or tow boat immediately, so have a large wad of cash on hand or your credit card.. I also have progressive AND towboat US that extra $160 per year is worth it for peace of mind.

Progressive used to be like that prior to Sign 'n Glide.

 

[jackrabbit66]

Well I've spent some time on the phone with Progressive & their 3rd party dispatch service Compass Marine services. Here's the rundown:

Basically If you go offshore more than 10 miles from your port or your worried the service charge will be more than $3000.00 go with Seatow. If not I'm thinking Sign & glide might be a better deal all round.

Progressives boating insurance without comprehensive coverage is cheaper than just having a Sea tow membership & it has more benefits.
Obviously its different depending on your situation, location, and boat size & value. For me, I have a small boat 19' and its not worth much $10,000.00 and I never go more than 10 miles away from my port. I have a clean driving record and I think that help a lot for getting cheaper vehicle insurance rates. For me its only $112 a year which includes a similar services sea-tow provides except theres a limit on the towing distance of 10 miles, fuel delivery, jump start, disentanglement, run aground service (in safe conditions only). They will also pay for the first hour of repair on your boat if towed to a repair shop. They will tow you to your choice of destination. The insurance also covers, bodily injury $50k - $100k , property damage $50k, medical expenses $10k, uninsured boater coverage $10k - $20k. There are other options you can choose but this is what I selected for a quote of $112.00 per year.

I called Compass Marine and they are the dispatch for Progressives sign & glide. Basically you call Compass and they call whoever is closest. In my area Compass has both Seatow & BoatsUS and other private towing companies they can call to get to you. The woman I spoke to said they would pick whoever is closest. The towing coverage is for charges up to $250 per hour & $3,000.00 per service request.

Progressive said I wouldn't have to pay any out of pocket expenses but I will still be bringing my credit card on the boat just in case.

If anyone has any input or can think of a reason that this isn't better than Sea-tow in my situation please speak up!

 

[ezmobee]

Thanks for doing that research. I feel even better about my sign 'n glide now

 

[dingbat]

Basically If you go offshore more than 10 miles from your port or your worried the service charge will be more than $3000.00 go with Seatow. If not I'm thinking Sign & glide might be a better deal all round.

Where did you find the mention of a 10 mile limitation? I read through the T&C and found no reference to a 10 mile limitation. Only that they will tow you to the closet place to get the boat repaired or removed from the water.

The thing that concerns me is the statement about "disablements that occur outside the normal boating season" Interested in their interpretation of "normal boating season"

 

[Scott Danforth]

10 miles for me doesnt even get me to the ICW. an average outing for me is 80-100 miles. its 13 miles alone just to the ICW.

 

[Old Ironmaker]

I don't even think there are any towing services here in Ontario Canada around Lake Erie and western Lake Ontario. Maybe up in the Muskoka's where there is heavy traffic and tons on money. I can say there is nothing around here. One of you Canucks can pipe up, Scott are there any tow services in Ontario? I have needed to be towed twice, once the Coast Guard came out and towed me in, maybe 2 miles to the gas station (oh yes I did) and they charged me zero as it was the first tow for the boat, the second time an oldtimer towed me in a few hundred yards as we were fishing a Marina channel. I didn't have it in Neutral (1st year with this boat). I'd rather feel stupid than sad with a big bill from a marine mechanic, that has happened twice now, oops 3 times. I forgot last year I installed a new fuel hose and had the arrow going in the wrong direction because I looped the long hose, believe it or not the boat actually ran for a while. I personally have towed in at least 6 broken down boaters. It is law in Canada that you are legally bound to "assist" boaters in need as long as the welfare of your passengers as well as yourself or your vessel will not risked. So towing is assisting whether you like it or not. Like most laws it isn't crystal clear.