Sea Tow

[captainKJ]

own a boat buy sea tow insurance, own a car and buy triple aaa. Don't complain if you do not buy the insurance. If you think that price is out of line, buy a tow boat and go into business. From your thinking you will make millions quickly if you think that price is out of line

[zeta]

Caveat emptor!

[osirissail]

I think you got the discount deal - I was towed from the anchorage in Baltimore harbor to the local boatyard, about 1/4 nm and the bill came to $800 - and that was 10 years ago. Luckily I have TowBoatUS insurance.

[O.C.Diver]

Sorry, no sympathy. For less than $200 per year you can have unlimited Tow Boat US towing insurance. Probably one of the cheapest cost / best values if you are a boater in the USA. An offshore tow could run in the thousands of dollars.

Simple Question, now that you have a clue what towing services cost, will you be buying towing insurance in the future?

[rebel heart]

An hour of the captain's time, insurance, maintenance, fuel, marina fees, and some profit margin. It costs my sport fisher a grand to run for half a day, most of those costs would be the same if it was a 15 minute run.

You're definitely subsidizing against the folks who pay for their annual membership (myself included) but I think it's pretty common knowledge that assistance towing is ridiculously expensive if you don't have the service.

[Chief Engineer]

Never accept a line from a tower until you make the deal.

Accepting the line is like signing a contract.

[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 because after all, that giant supermarket has $1 million in overhead that has to be defrayed with every transaction, no matter how tiny the individual purchase.

I don't get why that bizarre pricing structure is tolerated and even defended with SeaTow and a few other services like that, but would never be tolerated in any other market. I should apparently be happy the marina is charging me $4.50 for $2.80 gas too, heck, by that rationale they should charge me $100 a gallon, because after all, they have all that overhead for the pumps, maintenance, electricity, fuel line plumbing whether I buy one gallon or 100 gallons.

[webejammin]

I didn't see how much Corpus was selling the boat far. I wonder if the price of moving the the non running boat was less than the charges ? OUCH

[callmecrazy]

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 because after all, that giant supermarket has $1 million in overhead that has to be defrayed with every transaction, no matter how tiny the individual purchase.

I don't get why that bizarre pricing structure is tolerated and even defended with SeaTow and a few other services like that, but would never be tolerated in any other market. I should apparently be happy the marina is charging me $4.50 for $2.80 gas too, heck, by that rationale they should charge me $100 a gallon, because after all, they have all that overhead for the pumps, maintenance, electricity, fuel line plumbing whether I buy one gallon or 100 gallons.

Supermakets sell alot more than just milk. rest assured that the combined profits from all the products they sell will cover their overhead, just like any other business.

[Rhapsody-NS27]

Between SEA TOW and Tow BoatUS, would there be any benefit having one over the other? Don't they cover the same areas? If, let's say, I have a home port of TX but traveling around FL or MD, do they ever try charging extra due to being away from "home" (assuming w/membership)?

[rebel heart]

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

Yeah pretty much; they can charge you whatever they want.

If you think assistance towing is some untapped market run by a few money grubbing crooks go ahead and start an operation of your own. Between vessels and staff and operating costs and liability you'll be charging $600 a tow as well.

A Vessel Assist captain almost smashed up my friend's boat the other day. I think it nicked the barbeque but it was definitely a few seconds away from big time damage to both vessels. I have no idea what the liability insurance is for an operation like that but it has to be astronomical.

[simonmd]

I'm not going to get into the argument about whether the price charged was reasonable or not, even though it does seem huge to me as well.

Im afraid the OP asked for it, to employ someone's services without agreeing the price first?? Madness!

To simply 'throw someone the keys' and say words to the effect of "move it over there and send me the bill" is just ASKING to be ripped off.

[captain465]

Dan 78,
Membership in either organization is nationwide, (with SEA//TOW, it is international). Being a member allows for benifits wherever they have operators. They also have "out of area coverages" that provide for a reimbursement of a certain amount to a commercial provider.

[O.C.Diver]

Originally Posted by Dan_78

Between SEA TOW and Tow BoatUS, would there be any benefit having one over the other? Don't they cover the same areas? If, let's say, I have a home port of TX but traveling around FL or MD, do they ever try charging extra due to being away from "home" (assuming w/membership)?

I would guess they are pretty similar. I chose Tow Boat US because they were much more prevelent in my area. It is my understanding from friends who have used it out of their area, that they treat you pretty fairly regardless of where you are. There is also a reimbursement provision if there isn't an agent in your area and you need a tow.

[Efraim]

I was in a marine chandlery last summer, when I overheard a conversation between the store manager, and what appeared to be a new tradesman buying some paint for a clients boat. The tradesman wasn't sure what hourly rate he should be charging his client, the answer from the store manager - "As much as you can". That pretty much sums up the whole "marine" business for you right there.