Block Island Anchor Drag/Tow $$$

[foggysail]

Originally Posted by sabray

Someone identified the tow company and the rate was. 200 to 400 per hour. No way you could tow something in that harbor for more then a hour.

Is there a tow boat stationed at Block? More than likely, his base in Newport or Point Judith. And if its a salvage operation, forget about posted rates!

[sabray]

Safe sea has 6 boats at least one is stationed at block island. Maybe they sent one out of point Judith for this call but guess that both seatow and safe sea had boats ready at block for the. 4th. They charged to much in my mind but still not too far off. Given peak demand.

[psneeld]

Originally Posted by defjef

This is a nonsense discussion. Who cares what day of the week it is? Costs are the same no?

Why don't you run some of your numbers for Metro North railroad... Or the Cross Sound Ferry.

What this sounded like to me... forgetting the mistakes the OP made..the tow guys came out from the dock in 10 minutes... tied the boat to his in 10 more minutes and towed to a mooring in 10 more minutes... OK now add a 30 minutes for misc. $200 seems fair to me.

I am not wasting more time with this.

You know none of those numbers to make a guess at a price and my guess is you have never been in this kind of business to guess at the times...being so adamant about a guess just proves my axe to grind theory and that you haven't denied it. Who's calling this discussion nonsense?

Plus you didn't stop...you did post again....more emphasis on axe to grind. Hopefully your name calling and "guessed at info" will stop because it adds nothing to decent forum discussions.

PS...it does matter what day of the week and what time of day and what the weather was and what the difficulty was as some tow operators adjust their prices accordingly.

[psneeld]

Originally Posted by foggysail

Is there a tow boat stationed at Block? More than likely, his base in Newport or Point Judith. And if its a salvage operation, forget about posted rates!

Thank you...someone else who understands what is going on out there...

[psneeld]

Originally Posted by defjef

For a tow operator you did pretty well eh... a 40 yacht? I don't too many working stiff who have one like that.

If you are talking to me...go figure...look at my post #80 where this is a second career and fun job.....oh I forgot where you don't really read anyone else's post closely. Plus if you really knew much about boating that 1988 Taiwan trawlers are usually had for well under $100,000 (mine was half that) which to me seems less than a house would cost and how many threads have discussed how inexpensive boating can be if you want it to?

Also...some of us did pretty well in the market and real estate before the bubbles. As in post #80...this is my "fun job"...no need for a "white collar" to be looking down this way...some tow boat guys have pretty stellar first careers and more brains than internet name callers.

[Sandero]

Originally Posted by psneeld

If you are talking to me...

...no need for a "white collar" to be looking down this way...some tow boat guys have pretty stellar first careers and more brains than internet name callers.

Yea ... you can't judge a book by its cover.... right?

[psneeld]

Originally Posted by defjef

This is a nonsense discussion. Who cares what day of the week it is? Costs are the same no?

Why don't you run some of your numbers for Metro North railroad... Or the Cross Sound Ferry.

What this sounded like to me... forgetting the mistakes the OP made..the tow guys came out from the dock in 10 minutes... tied the boat to his in 10 more minutes and towed to a mooring in 10 more minutes... OK now add a 30 minutes for misc. $200 seems fair to me.

I am not wasting more time with this.

..................................no, not always, but some people do it for you

If you don't make it personal by name calling...these threads wouldn't have to take this turn....

[sailorboy1]

is there going to be a big kiss and make up coming in the next 6 posts

[JK n Smitty]

I'll start Don.


This weekend we are at Worlds End in Hingham. Anyone who was offended or put off by my posts is welcome to come by for a painkiller and some non-confrontational boat talk. Raft on up.

For that matter the invite goes to every CFer in the area.

Fair winds,

Jesse

[Opie91]

Block Island Mooring Info:

Town moorings $40/night.

If the anchorage is too crazy try the moorings, most likely they will be full, but give the Harbor Master a call on the radio and ask if any private moorings are available. More often than not they will be able to guide you to a mooring for the night, same charge $40.

$675 / $40 = almost 17 nights.

By the way, pay the man you should be grateful instead of annoyed.

http://www.blockislandri.net/harbor_guide.htm

[chrisjs]

Seems to me that $625 was a low price!! Last year 3 of our marinas boats were rafted in the Gt Salt Pond, and started moving around. TowBoat US moved 2 vessels to moorings (the third owner just got back in time) and claimed full salvage rights. One owner's insurance paid up $16K , the other owner is still arguing. Perhaps because the boat was not actually loose at the time of tow, the owner got a break!! Perhaps he should get towing insurance (from TowBoat US!!)

[Group9]

Originally Posted by Vasco

I would not complain. You were responsible for securing your boat properly. You're lucky you didn't damage another boat, then you might have been responsible for a lot more than the towing charge.

This. A cheap lesson was had.

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by tanksalot

Thanks for all the responses. Having done quite a bit of reading on both Block Island anchoring as well as towing/salvage charges, I'd like to point out some things that I've learned, as well as my point of view on the situation:

1. I don't have towing insurance, but even if I did, the charge was a SALVAGE charge. Towing insurance would have been meaningless.

2. Anchoring with a 7:1 or even 5:1 scope that week would have been impossible without endangering other boats. From seeing their anchor rode, none had that scope. Boats were evenly spaced in 25 - 45 ft. of water, distributed 100 ft. apart. The best anchor would have been a couple of engine blocks, chained together.

3. The reward for "saving a boat in peril" - salvage rights - belongs to the one that tied up my 27 ft. Ericson. Once he did that, the boat was no longer in peril and any subsequent work was regular towing. I offered the towing company $100 for their 25 minutes of towing and mooring, but they declined. They insisted that it was a salvage operation.

4. The idea that the $675 to relocate my boat, from the stern of the savior's boat to the emergency mooring is worth it because of the damage that my boat might have caused doesn't make sense to me.

First, the tow boat did nothing to prevent any damage or save my boat from peril. That's what the savior boat did.. The tow boat driver did make it possible for the savior boat to depart, but at 8PM that was unlikely for at least 12 hours.

Secondly, there was negligible risk to either the savior boat or the tow boat, so why the $675? Because of the value of my vessel? If I see an upturned charcoal barbeque on a porch of a $250,000 house, run over and put out the coals with a water hose, am I owed $20,000 because of the value of the house?

I'm not saying that having my boat's anchor drag is OK. Nor am I saying that both the tow boat driver and the savior vessel are not due some reasonable compensation. I do believe that $675 is unreasonable (and I believe unlawful and, I hope, unenforceable).

Thanks for the feedback.

Just dont pay them. worry about it if you ever sell the boat and IF they get their lien proper. The lien may cost them as much as you owe. I think your logic is correct, it's not a salvage... the boat was not at risk being held by another vessel.
Outrageous tow charges are common on land. Recently a company was caught charging a similar amount for un-needed car towing here in the Seattle area. Long story short two tow companies were owned by the local Judge! The state has shut down one of his companies and the other is on "probation". Unfortunately alot of people were ripped off for years prior though.

[Cotemar]

The Block Island harbor master gives out a $100 fine if you anchor in the mooring field. A few boats got those $100 tickets this past weekend. It sucks to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Paradise gets expensive when you believe everything you think, eventually even logic does not make since to some people.

[tanksalot]

Originally Posted by chrisjs

Seems to me that $625 was a low price!! Last year 3 of our marinas boats were rafted in the Gt Salt Pond, and started moving around. TowBoat US moved 2 vessels to moorings (the third owner just got back in time) and claimed full salvage rights. One owner's insurance paid up $16K , the other owner is still arguing. Perhaps because the boat was not actually loose at the time of tow, the owner got a break!! Perhaps he should get towing insurance (from TowBoat US!!)

A few points:

1. $16,000 for a tow on the Great Salt Pond!!!?? When will it stop? How about $160,000? Or 1.6 Million? If there's no connection between reality and the costs involved, who will set and when will there be some limit?

2. If you have a TowBoat U.S. policy, or SeaTow or whatever, and some towboat operator levies SALVAGE charges because of a situation, the policy you have is meaningless.

3. The invoice I received (after I requested one) said "Unmanned and running free (dragging anchor) in Great Salt Pond, Block Island". This HAD been the case when the good Samaritan saw and tied up my vessel. It was NOT the case when the tow boat operator came on the scene.

4. Regarding your statement "Perhaps because the boat was not actually loose at the time of tow, the owner got a break!!". If a boat is not actually loose, on what authority can the towboat operator tow it?? If I don't have the authority to take the contents of your wallet, and I only take half your money, am I "giving you a break?".

5. When you said " the other owner is still arguing", are you saying that after over 6 months he's still negotiating with the towing company? I will agree that that kind of commitment to a protracted battle is a significant commitment.