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BY BOB ARRINGTON Boat Towing Services regional companies — make up a network of towing operators ready to help you on the water during a boating mishap. Knowwhat you’re getting—before you need it
The best advice I ever received about boating was from a salty old captain years ago. He said, “Safe boating is simple: keep the water out of the boat, keep the boat off the bottom, and everything else can be worked out.”Truer words were never spoken, but despite their best efforts, boaters fail at one or both on a regular basis. For this reason, we are fortunate to have access to professional towing services, covering most recreational boating waters in this country. Whether boating in the ocean near shore, or in most large inland lakes and rivers, assistance on the water is just a VHF radio or phone call away. Two national entities — Sea Tow and TowBoatU.S., along with a few smaller
covers, and maybe more importantly, what it doesn’t cover. Although commonly referred to as such, a membership with a towing service is not insurance. Towing services offer no coverage for loss of your boat or boating equipment, nor do they cover personal injury or any sort of liability. Within the terms of their membership agreement, both national companies provide similar services to their members. While each differs slightly in what they provide, the basics they both offer are towing, fuel, jump starts for dead batteries and delivery of easily accessed basic parts for a mechanical breakdown. It is important to understand having a membership is not a promise of rescue and
Towing service is not inexpensive, with the cost of a response averaging $1,000.That’s why most boaters take advantage of the annual membership programs these companies offer, where the cost of service is covered by their membership plan. I absolutely recommend membership in one or both national companies. While Sea Tow and TowBoatU.S. have boats in most popular boating destinations, neither covers all areas. Having a membership with both assures you can access help in most locations. In joining, it is important to know what you’re getting in return for your membership fee, what the service
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