Sea Tow

[Ram]

Heres a Photo of "us" in the Bahamas on a Spring tide- went to sleep with about 6 feet of water (normal tide was less than 3 ft.)and woke up when the boat fell over!about 20 years ago was a charter with 3 persons besides myself onboard- Next morning the boat lifted up and we were on our way to the next dive!- I was lucky it did not fill with water

[capngeo]

I owned an assistance towing company "back in the day" when it was profitable... There was only one towboat per 50 or 60 miles of coast, we got $125/hr.... Life was good. These days it seems there is a towboat every mile or so, all scratching out a living if you can call it that.

In today's market, the fastest way to have a million dollars from the assistance towing business is to start out with TWO MILLION!

[Ram]

Originally Posted by capngeo

I owned an assistance towing company "back in the day" when it was profitable... There was only one towboat per 50 or 60 miles of coast, we got $125/hr.... Life was good. These days it seems there is a towboat every mile or so, all scratching out a living if you can call it that.

In today's market, the fastest way to have a million dollars from the assistance towing business is to start out with TWO MILLION!

Hard for me to imagine there not making A GOOD PROFIT but I’m sure you know what your talking about!

[Rakuflames]

Originally Posted by Ram

Heres a Photo of "us" in the Bahamas on a Spring tide- went to sleep with about 6 feet of water (normal tide was less than 3 ft.)and woke up when the boat fell over!about 20 years ago was a charter with 3 persons besides myself onboard- Next morning the boat lifted up and we were on our way to the next dive!- I was lucky it did not fill with water

Yowsa! That's some photograph!

[Ironhorse74]

I am not going to defend Sea Tow. They should have given a quote before the tow. Also you should have asked for a quote.

I wonder what the Sea Tow's liability insurance costs per year. Would you have let them off the hook if they charged 100 dollars for the tow and did 600 dollars in damage?

20 years ago I worked breakdown for a couple of different major trucking companies. It cost 500 bucks to get a tow truck to hook up to a semi. Not tow it anywhere just hookup.

I don't believe in prepaying for tow services. I carry a tow rider on my insurance. It costs 23 bucks a year for 1500 in towing.

[sarafina]

Originally Posted by kthoennes

So in other words when I go to a supermarket to buy a one gallon of milk, they're completely justified charging me $500 for that gallon

Now keep in mind that in many places milk is a controlled substance and the government sets the prices on it. So we can buy milk for cheap.

And we all love to say we don't want the government sticking their noses into our business and being *Nanny States*. And we DON"T want them doing that.

But the flip side is the due diligence is on us. Sorry you got stuck holding the bag. That's the kinda lesson that really HURTS to learn.

[marc2012]

HE GOT STUCK ALRIGHT.

[boatman61]

Ok.... I've read through all these posts slagging down SeaTow and the others but basically they're copping the blame for the owner trying to be clever.. thinking he could maybe chisel a cheaper deal than from the yard..
I've only had one experience with them just outside Beaufort Inlet NC...
I was setting of to the Azores... no wind so under motor when the engine died.. clogged fuel filter... so I put in a new one.. 15 mins later... no fuel.. clogged again.. and so it continued till my last filter was gone and the tide was setting me close to the shallows on the Cape..
Knowing that there's a large CG base there I called on 16 (European tactic) but no one responded and I kept drifting closer... then 3 large ribs roared towards me round the Cape so I started waving my arms and they closed... full of guys in battle dress and masks... scarey... I thought 'Oh ****... I've entered a restricted zone..'
But no.. they were just returning from an exercise and said they send some one to help... refused to take a line...
About 15mins later another rib showed and after finding out I had no money he dissappeared... half an hour later another came out... with an offer to tow me back to Taylors Creek for $250... I said 'Sorry mate.. all I've got is £80 UK and I need that for when I get to the Azores...'
After a bit more dickering back and forth.. he was clearly finding the situation amusing... he said he'd do it for a trade for something on the boat... 'Sod Off' said I as I felt a breath of a breeze coming... 'I'll sail in.. there's a breeze coming'.. he fell over laughing and said 'No worries... I've got this new kid on board who needs some training so we'll treat it as an exercise.. throw me a line..'
I did try and get a fee from him from using my boat as a training tool... but was as unsuccessful as he was...
So he towed me the 10 odd miles back to the anchorage for free... Nice guy..
Whether he was SeaTow or the other one I don't recall now... but they're not all bad... give em a break.. they need to eat as well

[AussieGeoff]

I don't know what towing companies (if such things exist) charge here, but I doubt it's anything like that.

If it's purely rescue, then the Volunteer Coastguard, the Sea Rescue Squadron or the State Emergency Service will come out and pull you home or pull you out of the water if the boat decided to sink. Rescue is free. Period.

All the above organisations are volunteer run and get by on donations and some govt funding, as we don't have a coast guard or other paid marine rescue service.
If it's deep south (we've pulled a yachtie or two in from Antarctica its over to the Navy and the Air Force. And no, they don't fit them with a bill afterwards.

ISTR a Jessica Watson wannabee we retrieved from the Indian Ocean a year or so back as well. Again, Oz doesn't charge for purely rescue, that's contemptible.

AussieGeoff

[xymotic]

Originally Posted by AussieGeoff

Again, Oz doesn't charge for purely rescue, that's contemptible.

AussieGeoff

The US doesn't charge for rescue either. Being out of gas or stuck in the mud is not an emergency

In most local areas, the sheriff or harbormaster will pull you in. In an actual emergency the Coast guard and others will do everything possible. In one case a few years ago, the US navy stopped an exercise and steamed an entire Aircraft Carrier Battle group a couple hundred miles to get within helo range to pick up a girl off a cruise ship for emergency surgery. That involved a few THOUSAND people, what do you suppose that cost? Navy saves teen with surgery at sea - Health - Health care - More health news - msnbc.com

[Rakuflames]

Originally Posted by xymotic

The US doesn't charge for rescue either. Being out of gas or stuck in the mud is not an emergency

In most local areas, the sheriff or harbormaster will pull you in. In an actual emergency the Coast guard and others will do everything possible. In one case a few years ago, the US navy stopped an exercise and steamed an entire Aircraft Carrier Battle group a couple hundred miles to get within helo range to pick up a girl off a cruise ship for emergency surgery. That involved a few THOUSAND people, what do you suppose that cost? Navy saves teen with surgery at sea - Health - Health care - More health news - msnbc.com

Pardon the pun, but being stuck in the mud sucks.

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by AussieGeoff

I don't know what towing companies (if such things exist) charge here, but I doubt it's anything like that.

If it's purely rescue, then the Volunteer Coastguard, the Sea Rescue Squadron or the State Emergency Service will come out and pull you home or pull you out of the water if the boat decided to sink. Rescue is free. Period.

All the above organisations are volunteer run and get by on donations and some govt funding, as we don't have a coast guard or other paid marine rescue service.
If it's deep south (we've pulled a yachtie or two in from Antarctica its over to the Navy and the Air Force. And no, they don't fit them with a bill afterwards.

ISTR a Jessica Watson wannabee we retrieved from the Indian Ocean a year or so back as well. Again, Oz doesn't charge for purely rescue, that's contemptible.

AussieGeoff

AG, those VMR groups will indeed charge for a tow in non-emergency situations. Pal of ours was bringing a largish(50+ ft) woodie into Moreton Bay, jury rigged with a broken timber mast, engine died in a permanent sort of way, tide ebbing, southerly change nearby. Got out of the main ship channel, got a hook down, called the VMR. In due time, they came out and towed him the twenty or so miles into Manly. Nicely done, too. Then presented him with a bill for around a thousand bucks. He felt that it was on the steep side but not outta sight considering the potential for loosing the boat (just purchased in the USA).

I have no idea what a Sea Tow type of outfit would have charged for a non-member in such a case. I believe there is one started up in that area, so perhaps some real data will emerge.

I guess that the basic lesson here is to AWAYS negotiate a price before accepting commercial aid.

Cheers,

Jim

[2nd Dog Watch]

Originally Posted by xymotic

The US doesn't charge for rescue either. Being out of gas or stuck in the mud is not an emergency

Don't hold your breath!

The USCG advocate their funding to operate is getting tighter and tighter with every year passing. There are currently some candidates running for president that could consider trimming or even eliminate such considerations we Americans have come to take for granted. US Coast Guard rescues often times involves many air craft hours scanning thousands of miles for lost seaman, whether they find them or not. The US tax payer picks up the tab! Often times these types of rescue are because the boater was negligent and because of such shouldn't have been there in the first place, and who picks up the tab for hundred thousend dollar ops, we, the tax payer!

As far as being stuck in the mud, the US Coast Guard had to stop helping people a long time ago because the ratio of boaters needing help had jumped a thousand percent and they had to cut it! When I was born, there were approximately 2.5 billion world population, now we are at 7.3 billion and growing, multiplying, like rabbits! The world is getting crowded, waterways too!

[Wavewacker]

Originally Posted by Rakuflames

Probably because the West Marine turnbuckle is built to withstand the environment it will be in while the one from Home Depot is not. Given the importance of turnbuckles I would darned well want one designed for marine use.

If no one laughed at it, I'd get the Home Depot hardware and buy two, one to use and one to stow just in case. If it lasted only two years and replaced them, I'd break even in 30 years, not factoring inflation of each item. I think many items with "marine" or "aircraft" are over rated and over priced as well, wo when you can substitute, I owuld.

OTH, I'll be sure to get a bid for work before they show up. If it was that easy to get the boat moved I wonder why the buyer didn't just do it himself by land.....anyway....live and learn.

[Sailagain]

Originally Posted by Ironhorse74

I am not going to defend Sea Tow. They should have given a quote before the tow. Also you should have asked for a quote.

I wonder what the Sea Tow's liability insurance costs per year. Would you have let them off the hook if they charged 100 dollars for the tow and did 600 dollars in damage?

20 years ago I worked breakdown for a couple of different major trucking companies. It cost 500 bucks to get a tow truck to hook up to a semi. Not tow it anywhere just hookup.

I don't believe in prepaying for tow services. I carry a tow rider on my insurance. It costs 23 bucks a year for 1500 in towing.

They would only be liable for damages in the case of GROSS negligence. Such as if the captain was drunk, or on drugs. Otherwise since they are rendering assistance - you have released them from any damages that are a likely consequence of their attempting to render aid or complete the agreed upon task

Likely you would put in a claim with your insurance company - they would repair the damages and decide if it was possible to recoup anything from sea tow or their insurance company