Who ya gona call!!??

[muskie hunter]

I am new to boating and will be on lake Erie. I have added a $1000.00 rider on my insurance for boat towing, or assistance with gas or jumpstart. Dont be confused, This is not thrue Sea Tow. It is thrue my insurance company.
Here is the problem. If i have boat trouble I dont know who on lake erie to contact for help. Any advice? I will be mostly on the western basin (kellys island,Middle Bass, ect..)

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Who ya gona call!!??

your insurance company, they will get you help or they should give you a list of who to call. i use seatow myself.

 

[BillP]

Re: Who ya gona call!!??

Call SeaTow or TowboatUS. They charge about $200 hr if you're not a member and time starts when they leave the dock. I use TowboatUS...they don't do surprise salvages...SeaTow has a well documented history of it but you can protect yourself by knowing what to say before taking the tow.

bp

 

[muskie hunter]

Re: Who ya gona call!!??

Thanks, I will contact my insurance company and will also I will record sea tows #.
Any other suggestions. Anyone have a particular marina that they have used? Any phone #s would be great.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Who ya gona call!!??

get a vhf, don't depend on a cell phone. http://www.iboats.com/Marine_Store/...02480--submit.Search--submit.x.45--submit.y.6

 

[SS MAYFLOAT]

Re: Who ya gona call!!??

I've been on Erie quiet a bit in my past. I don't go up there much anymore. It gets nerve racking when you have people on board when the weather turns nasty. If your from the area, you know the horror stories.

To me the closest marinas to the islands would be either Marble Head or Port Clinton. I use to be a member of the Erie Island Resorts on the Portage River. That was about 10 years ago.

Get some charts, GPS, VHF, and keep up on the weather. Some of my friends that go up there go as a group of boaters. That way they don't worry about the tow bill if someones boat dies in the water.

A good VHF will be water resistant/proof. Unlike a cell phone, they will ususally work if a bit of water gets on them, plus I'm not sure how the signals will be.

Also, keep in mind that a Passport maybe needed,,,especially if you wonder into Canadian waters now. .

 

[BillP]

Re: Who ya gona call!!??

Full blown towing insurance from TowboatUS is only about $120 a yr. It gives 30-50 miles of coverage depending on location and covers any boat the policy owner rides in. For $10 more they cover trailering breakdown tows. It's cheap insurance. I think SeaTow has about the same cost breakdown.

bp