Seatow vs tow boat US

F

fireboat46

Cadet
Joined
Nov 8, 2012
Messages
18
Hey everyone, what's everyone opinion on which is a better boat towing company, price, and service.
 
A

acarter92

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Dec 25, 2011
Messages
198
Re: Seatow vs tow boat US

The only "real" difference, IMHO, is that the seatow owners don't get paid to tow you...

Seatow is set up so that a portion of your yearly membership goes to your local seatow owner, so when you need help he doesn't get anything extra, he is just working off of the yearly memberships...

A towboat owner doesn't get anything from your yearly membership (as far as I know), when you need help, he sends a bill to the Towboat corporation and they pay him. So he ONLY gets paid when you need help...

Some will say that seatow people aren't as nice (because your costing them money), from what I have heard and read that isn't really an issue. I think they are both around the same price, so I would personally just pick the one that is closer to where you boat.

I have a Towboat membership. I pay around $200/ year for liability insurance and the towing package is included. So the insurance really only costs me $50 because I would have the towing package either way. I can't say how service is because I've never needed either one... (knock on wood).

Also.... if you do a google search "sea tow vs towboat iboats" you will get a ton of good info comparing the two.


Austin
 
NYBo

NYBo

Admiral
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Oct 23, 2008
Messages
7,107
Re: Seatow vs tow boat US

Are both available where you boat? That is often the determining factor.
 
tpenfield

tpenfield

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Re: Seatow vs tow boat US

SeaTow came and got us out in the bay when we ran out of gas . . . .

. . . took about 15-20 minutes to get to us and maybe an hour to tow us in. Brought us right to the dock . . . good experience.

But I hope not to have to use them again :)
 
B

Bamaman1

Lieutenant Commander
Joined
May 15, 2011
Messages
1,895
Re: Seatow vs tow boat US

We don't have any tow boats or service boats on our lake. When we break down, we'll either hitchhike home or call a neighbor on the cell phone to come and rescue us. There again, the farthest you can get from home is 16 miles, but we seldom get more than 10 miles away.
 
H

Home Cookin'

Fleet Admiral
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May 26, 2009
Messages
9,715
Re: Seatow vs tow boat US

first, since both have different operators, you have to ask locals about the operations in your area. one might be helpful and the other slack.

If all things are equal, look for the one that is closest to where you plan to break down. They charge for time when they leave their dock. Here, we have a couple of each franchise, so I keep numbers in my boat for each, and would call the one closest to my break down.

Check your boat insurance; it may already cover towing. Even if it's limited, in some situations it makes more sense economically not to pay annual installments toward the tow, but suck it up and pay the whole bill less your insurance coverage*. Either company will tow you even if you aren't a member; the only difference is the charge. It's all about your own circumstances.

*My most likely tow would be $800. My insurance pays $500, so a tow costs $300. I've had my big boat 3 years, and by not paying $150/year to a company, I have $450 "in the bank" to pay the $300 difference.
 
Bob's Garage

Bob's Garage

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Apr 10, 2008
Messages
590
Re: Seatow vs tow boat US

A friend of ours and our boating club went on a caravan cruise from Moore Haven Fl. to Ft Meyers for a weekend. When we were leaving he got about 4 miles and threw a bearing through the lower unit.

Boat US towed him back to Moore Haven and got him onto his trailer, took over 9 hours due to slow speed and locks. Total bill was $1975 but no charge to him. He had the Gold Plan, cost $150 for the year.

He figures he's got 10 years "free" membership coming to him, and it includes on the road towing.

Moral of the story: Insurance is a PIA until you need/use it, then it's all good. And since we, people, are more like grasshoppers and live for today, seldom is there an "extra" $2000 to access at a moments notice to pay for that emergency tow. Even running out of gas and needing it brought to you can cost $300 or more, right there and then!

You have to decide if peace of mind is worth the $150 or is it better in the virtual "bank" of perceived savings.

I opted for the peace of mind.
 
jayhanig

jayhanig

Master Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Jun 27, 2010
Messages
836
Re: Seatow vs tow boat US

Home Cookin' said:
If all things are equal, look for the one that is closest to where you plan to break down. They charge for time when they leave their dock. Here, we have a couple of each franchise, so I keep numbers in my boat for each, and would call the one closest to my break down.

Check your boat insurance; it may already cover towing. Even if it's limited, in some situations it makes more sense economically not to pay annual installments toward the tow, but suck it up and pay the whole bill less your insurance coverage*. Either company will tow you even if you aren't a member; the only difference is the charge. It's all about your own circumstances.

*My most likely tow would be $800. My insurance pays $500, so a tow costs $300. I've had my big boat 3 years, and by not paying $150/year to a company, I have $450 "in the bank" to pay the $300 difference.
Click to expand...


First, if you're a member, Sea Tow does not charge you based on time or distance. I pay $169 a year membership which then covers every boat I own (no matter who's operating them) and every boat I operate (whether borrowed, rented, chartered, whatever). There is no dollar or distance limit. What you stated is only true if applied to nonmembers.

Second, a tow runs $800 in your area? Even with your insurance you're out $300 out of pocket? My $169 covers me for a year, no matter how many times I call them. Never a penny out of pocket. No cash, prepayments or reimbursements involved at all. Just show the card, sign the sheet of paper, and put your boat back on the trailer so you can take it to a repair facility.

I can't speak credibly about any other service other than Sea Tow because it's the only one I've dealt with. So compare to others but start out with an understanding of what Sea Tow brings to the table. Our local guys seem to be pretty good.
 
Bob's Garage

Bob's Garage

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Apr 10, 2008
Messages
590
Re: Seatow vs tow boat US

Same goes for Boat US.

And as stated before, ask the people in the area you will be boating the most for opinions as too the professionalism of the operators and know in advance all the rules and definitions of their policies. There is a lot of discussion and confusion surrounding a "tow" and a "salvage" and how it can affect the boat owner.

Informed is fore armed.
 
H

Home Cookin'

Fleet Admiral
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Messages
9,715
Re: Seatow vs tow boat US

well, Jay, since I don't get towed annually, I saved 3x$169 by not being a member ($507). If I got towed annually, I'd get it, but I'd also look into fixing my boats (I run three). I'm afraid to say out loud how many decades I have been boating and never once used or needed a commercial tow, but I live on the water and boat practically year round in old boats and salt conditions.

Now if I was faced with a $2000 tow like the other guy, I'd get it. But the only way to be logical is to look at it as (a) you already have and paid for some coverage and (b) additional coverage is simply an installment payment toward a cost you may or may not need. After that, you have to look at individual conditions and circumstances.
 
jayhanig

jayhanig

Master Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Jun 27, 2010
Messages
836
Re: Seatow vs tow boat US

I've never been towed. All it would take is for me to require a tow once to wipe out the expense of three years worth of dues. Now, have I wasted my money? You may think so but I've had the confidence of knowing that should I run out of gas, break down or otherwise have a problem out on the water, it's not going to cost me anything that day.

Do you have insurance on your house? Does it burn down every year? Probably not. Yet having the sense of security that you're covered if something goes wrong has value.

Finally, there's the Hanig Corollary of Murphy's Law: if I didn't have coverage, I'd surely need it the next time I went out. That's the way my luck goes most of the time. I've learned to accept it as one of the Truths Of Life, and deal with it accordingly. If I had let my flood insurance expire, ground zero for Hurricane Sandy surely would have been Topsail Beach, NC. But because I spent the money and only because I spent the money, I was granted a dispensation from the weather gods.
 
P

pevaguy

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
Nov 28, 2010
Messages
84
Re: Seatow vs tow boat US

After having used SeaTow twice (dead battery once and failed outdrive once) I couldn't be more satisfied. It was in Brunswick Ga., the captains booth times were great.
 
snowman48047

snowman48047

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Jul 24, 2008
Messages
371
Re: Seatow vs tow boat US

I had to get a tow from Boat US about 3 miles. I had gone through everything on the boat and it worked great. I drove out and shut down. When I went to fire it up I got nothing at all. Turns out the throttle wasn't completely in neutral (sloppy) so no cranking over. $36 for insurance save me a $400 tow.
 
F

frfly172

Seaman
Joined
Mar 4, 2012
Messages
68
Re: Seatow vs tow boat US

Have use d boat us can't say enough good things about their service.However I would make my choice on who is located closest to my boating area.
 
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