Block Island Anchor Drag/Tow $$$

[foggysail]

Originally Posted by Bash

+1!

Lets see: the OP left his boat with inadequate scope in a crowded anchorage with poor holding, and he's able to walk away for under $1,000, hopefully having learned an important lesson about being a responsible boat owner in the process.

He got lucky, I'd say.

YEAH, Bash has it right! Maybe this lesson will inspire the OP to invest in decent ground tackle along with practicing anchoring techniques before his boat puts other in harm's way again. Too many times I see no nothings anchoring "with a don't give a damn about the others" in an anchorage. Sorry, JMHO!

[lancelot9898]

Over 20 years ago I took my brand new boat into Block Island over a holiday weekend and anchored in around 30 ft of water. I too put out very little scope since it was crowded. Called the launch and took it to shore to spend the day during which the wind picked up to around 20 knots. As we went back to the boat after spending the entire day on the island, we were happy to see that we hadn't moved. No sooner than we got on the boat, we started to drag. Talk about luck. From then on I always put out more scope.

I would also have been upset with such a charge from a towing company that I had not contacted. However think about it.... if you were in the other boat that had saved your boat from drifting who knows where. They had you tied off, but how are they going to leave? They certainly were right in calling the tow company. Plus they should not be responsible for the resulting charges and as such I think you should just pay them and see if your insurance would reinburse you.

[Opie91]

A lesson I learned years ago....

Block Island + July 4 = Bad (for anchoring)

Way to crowded!!!

[DWJ]

Originally Posted by Opie91

A lesson I learned years ago....

Block Island + July 4 = Bad (for anchoring)

Way to crowded!!!

I'll second this!

[cranki]

Anchoring in Great Salt Pond is never a sure thing. I have dragged there myself. What often happens is your anchor will hook a big clump of weeds and can be fine for a few days until it finally rips the weed off the bottom and then your just dragging a clump of vegetation wrapped around your anchor across the bottom.

I tend to avoid the place until late August when the crowds have thinned out. For July 4th I would opt for Watch Hill instead.

[Mystic38]

While having great sympathies for anyone with a large towing bill, The combination of Holiday weekend, Block Island, short scope, wind anything over 15kts and anchored in <25ft depth is a recipe for disaster.

the following are my prudent rules of thumb for Block Island.

1. never anchor there on a holiday weekend or +/- 2 days thereof..
The place it too crowded, to many boaters and not enough experience between them to go around, to many large rafts of boats, to many drunks and to much noise.

2. never anchor in any shallow part of Great Salt Pond..
The E bay in particular, where depths are very attractive, is sludge. 80% of all dragging anchors are here. Plan to drop your anchor in places where it is 25ft & up.. The best holding spots are closest to the entrance in 35ft+ as this large deep area is scoured by the tide... short scope is imprudent.

3. When you see a forecast for >20kts wind.. leave.
It is of little consequence that your anchor may hold, when several other vessels will pile down upon you.

[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.

[Jim Cate]

Perhaps I am naive, but if the OP didn't contract for the tow, and the boat was not in peril, how can he be held responsible for the costs? Exactly who called the tow boat? Should not the person who requested the service be liable for the costs of fulfilling the request?

The fact that the OP was unwise in leaving the boat when it was not securely anchored does not seem relevant to me... but I am not a lawyer.

I'll be interested to see how this plays out.

Cheers,

Jim

[Vasco]

Originally Posted by tanksalot

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.

.

Your short scope and subsequent dragging endangered other boats. You're fortunate none were damaged. If you were so concerned about endangering other boats you should have stayed aboard.

As for the amount charged, in my view (and I have been towed a few times) it was not unreasonable.

[sailorboy1]

how much would the bill have been under "salvage" since the OP wants everyone to agree that this applies

[Cotemar]

1) If there is not room in the harbor to make a proper and safe anchor then the captain of the boat shall make to a harbor that allows for safe moorage or anchoring.

2) Once the Good Samaritan that saved your boat called the tow boat and then subsequently released your boat to the tow boat then the tow boat became the savior. That is maritime law and the tow boat knows all of them by heart.

3) Every business has over head. The tow boat needs fuel and maintenance. Those four yellow emergency moorings on Block Island cost thousands of dollars a year to permit and maintain.

4) Tow boat captains have to get paid an be on call 24/7 at considerable inconvenience to their family and friends. Remember you were having fun on July 4th while he was working.

5) Tow boat captains have to renew their captains license every 5 years at considerable time and expense to them

[Khagan1227]

Don't know who called the tow company, it might have been the guy that had your boat tied up to the stern of his. He might have asked for the boat that drug down on him be removed, so he did not have responsibility for the boat or he could leave the area.

This reminds me why I am always reluctant to leave my boat when anchored in an unfamiliar area. Then again, I always get up to use the head several times at night and take a quick peak about when at anchor, even in good holding grounds... just in case.

[transmitterdan]

The OP refuses to consult his insurance company which is ok since I don't really care. For new boaters reading this thread it will benefit you to read your regular boat policy. Many policies contain clauses regarding salvage towing. The insurance company will often cover this expense because it saves them money. Also, the insurance companies are much more experienced than many owners regarding what may seem to be arcane maritime laws of salvage. They can help you avoid being gouged.

In this case the $675 fee is probably established in advance by mutual agreement with local jurisdictions. So complaints about fair and reasonable are most likely going to fall on deaf ears.

This forum should not be used as a source of legal advice.

[Mimsy]

Sounds like you are very, very new to boating. Give yourself a couple of weeks and read up on maritime law. You got off very lucky as far as your financial liability goes. Yes, they can charge $675. I guarantee you the tow boat captain is very, very familiar with maritime law. Be glad that despite your negligence (and if your boat drags, you are negligent- no matter the reasons for it happening) you are only faced with a reasonable tow bill. You could have been faced with claims from other boats that were damaged by your boat, a hefty bill of repairs for damage on your boat and if you got really unlucky and spilled fuel a nice little environmental clean up bill which can be thousands of dollars.

There is a reason sailors spend the money for oversized ground tackle and shudder at the thought of dragging.

[tanksalot]

Cotemar:

You said "2) Once the Good Samaritan that saved your boat called the tow boat and then subsequently released your boat to the tow boat then the tow boat became the savior."

That is critical information, and if that is correct I don't have a case to complain or dispute the charge. Do you have a reference for that?