BoatTow, SeaTow, membership - worth it??

mattie

Wondering if this is worthwhile. Been thinking about it.

We have the same up here in Canada called C-Tow. Only $100 for an annual membership.
Think it's $160 to cover both Canada & U.S. waterways.

Got a rider on my marine insurance already for $500 coverage for towing. But you have to submit bills, get approval, etc.

C-Tow has an app & GPS coordinates to come get you with fuel, or tow, emergency, or ?? Pretty cool.

$160 pretty much disappears in the annual boating budget.

Willhound

I've been a member for a few years now, more for the Admiral's peace of mind. Have never used it, and although membership supposedly allows certain other discounts I've never had an opportunity to use them. I view it as cheap insurance.
If you are a member of the Canadian Power Squadron there is a discount for C-Tow.
EDIT: Should also mention to check with your marina or where you dock/store your boat. A lot of places have promotional agreements for better rates. I think my first year was only $100 as a new member and still only $130 for renewal with our marina deal.

billy737

I’ have boatus membership and use their tow insurance.  Never used it in 12 years but with my luck if I dropped it today I will beak down tomorrow 

skennelly

If you ever need a tow it can be $500 or more.  I have boatus towing and the only time I used it was when I had battery issues and they came out and gave me a jump.

I think it's a no brainer.

aero3113

Worth every penny.

andyd

aero3113 is correct. One of the few aspects of boating that is a bargain. I only called TowBoat U.S. for help once for a busted raw water hose. The Harbor Patrol (OC Sheriff) monitored the call and they were close by and towed me in instead.
Andy

Dream_Inn

Definitely worth every penny!!!  I've even been able to limp on one motor and also have it thru my insurance, but I still pay for the towing (& used it).  The guys are very professional (well, almost all the time - not worth discussing here) and worth it!  

Liberty44140

Agree that its worth it. I also have $1500 in coverage with my insurance but always wondered if there was a catch. Like, will they only cover a tow in the event of an accident/claimable event, or if both engines died would they still cover it? Dont know. 

reneechris14

Yup worth every penny been a member for 8 years now used it twice. 1st tow was $550 and 2nd tow was $615 . Push the butyon on the app and they come get you. Thats a no brainer.

rasbury

I have used it 2x in four years...and if you trailer make sure you get that too.....one tow from a trailer break down would have been 500 bucks...one tow from a coupler failure on the water would have been 600 bucks. Now I do not know the limits on how many times you can do that during a year but I spent 160 x 4 is what 640 vs. 1100 that I would have spent...Kind of like a extended warranty.....your betting it's going to break, they are betting it won't. I know boats however...and trailers!

LaRea

You'll never earn money by buying insurance, so you should never buy insurance you don't need.  Think of it like this ... a tow can cost $500 to $5000.  If you have the means to absorb an expense of $5000 at a moment's notice, don't buy towing insurance.  The rest of us buy it.

Story.  I overheated, killed the batteries, called a tow -- paid for by BoatUS.  When the captain arrived, he asked me to raise the outdrives, which were actually touching the soft mud bottom when he arrived.  Because we were "grounded," he was legally able to charge BoatUS an extra $1000 for the service.

Yeah, get the insurance.

04FV270riverrat

I have BoatUS and had to use it twice for my trailer tires the day I bought my boat. Tires were old and dry rotted. 4 hour drive took about 13 hours after the second tire blew on a Saturday night in the middle of Indiana on 65. Had to wait like 5 hours for the guy to show up.

rasbury

Pretty cheap insurance..

Dude_Himself

I used mine in January: took the boat out, had a cell phone charger short and it caused a small electrical fire and drained the starting battery while we were anchored for lunch. We had the generator, battery charger, voltmeter, and tools, but school was getting out in an hour and our 6 year old would need met at the bus stop, so we called TowBoat US. They arrived 40 minutes later - just as I finished triaging the wiring and getting the engine started. Ran back under our own power - no charge - but that would have been a $500 tow otherwise.