Towing Coverage (Coastal Waters & Offshore)

[rodbolt]

Re: Towing Coverage (Coastal Waters & Offshore)

hello<br /> if its a simple tow, jumpstart, forgot to bring enough gas or outboard oil maybe bumped the bottom its a standard tow. no worries.If on the otherhand you run your 28 ft albermarle with twin 8.1 GM jackshafted to volvo DP drives out of the channel at low tide at wot and run up in 6 inches of water then its a hard grounding and the boat will spend 5 to 9 hours digging you a channel to pull you out with its a salvage. the tow boat operator here is one of the most honest I know and will explain all the charges and asses the situation before any towing attempts. the above example is still in litigation. the tow boat capt also takes many many pictures of such groundings and never loses in court. not all are honest but if your not hard on the beach or upside doen in the creek its not a salvage.<br /> good luck and keep posting<br />ps in the above case a 22 shamrock dug for 7 hours using prop wash to dig a channel <br /> he got charged a by the hour per ft charge also known as salvage.

 

[BillP]

Re: Towing Coverage (Coastal Waters & Offshore)

The boat owner can get by the salvage situation by having the tow operator sign a form saying it is not a salvage prior to the tow. If you don't get this signed it is your choice to refuse tow or take the chance. Am I really worried about this with my small outboard boats, not really. But I won't do business with a certain tow company when I know several of their tow captains have done salvage by going in the "back door". <br /><br />When you hire a salvage company by the hour is when you get charged that way. Otherwise, when a tow boat captain deems it a salvage (and no fees are predetermined or agreed upon)he CAN claim a percentage of the boat value...which far exceeds (I read 50%)any per hour charge. All the tow boat captain has to do is prove your vessel was in eminent danger for his case to win. You don't have to be informed first either. Bottom line is there is a huge incentive for a tow boat captain to claim salvage when he can make half of what your boat is worth. Ask a marine insurer and he will tell you exactly the same. <br /><br />Here's a brief description on a court case I remember reading about. A large yacht owner ran out of fuel and anchored his boat in a channel with current. He felt there was no danger, in any way, anchored in this position. He called SxxTxx. SxxTxx arrived, the yacht owner offered to show the tow captain his membership card and do the paperwork first. The captain said they could do the paperwork at the dock (what this really did was keep the window of opportunity for salvage open). The SxxTxx captain towed the cruiser back for fuel and claimed salvage. The owner took it to court and lost. The tow captain won (50% of boat value)because the cruiser COULD have backed his anchor out when the current changed and gone on the beach. It didn't matter that the owner had other anchors and could have set another to prevent beaching. Salvage isn't as simple as getting hard aground and spending hours being pulled off. The laws are greatly in favor of the salvors for safety reasons. The insurance companies actually defend this law saying they would lose more money if it didn't exist. The laws were written for the merchant ship fleet where salvage takes on a whole different meaning and communication loop. Few, if any merchant ships get towed without full and prior understanding of what is legally happening. <br /><br />Unlike their competition...BoatUS has a written policy that their operators will not perform a "surprise" salvage. Read their policy material, it explains how there is no way you will be salvaged without your permission. <br /><br />Like I already posted, do your homework. Take everything you read on message boards with a grain of salt. Call a reputable insurance agent. Read the maritime salvage laws. I did and got scared. <br /><br />Bill P.

 

[Fly Rod]

Re: Towing Coverage (Coastal Waters & Offshore)

BillP:<br />seems you did your home work.<br />Thanks for the input ! ! !

 

[CTD]

Re: Towing Coverage (Coastal Waters & Offshore)

I always thought you had to abandon your ship (boat) before anyone could claim a salvage on it. Thats why the captain was supposed to go down with the ship.

 

[Knightgang]

Re: Towing Coverage (Coastal Waters & Offshore)

FlyRod,<br /><br />Did the BillP post change your mind, or are you still going to change to SeaTow since they are in your harbor?<br /><br />I do not have a harbor, I trailer to different ramps to launch, but we have both boats in our area. In fact, in one creek they dock about 300 yrds from each other.<br /><br />Thanks

 

[Fly Rod]

Re: Towing Coverage (Coastal Waters & Offshore)

Knightgang<br /><br />BillP didn't change my mind. To me they are both the same. Haven't heard anything bad about Sea Tow and like I said they operate out of the harbor that I'm in. You would think that they would compete with each other. We have plenty of marinas in our area for both to operate in the same harbor.<br /> I have no qualms with BoatUS. Used them last year for a 6 mile tow,did some fishing while i waited caught some bluefish. they were very proficient.