Vessel Assist

D

DaveS

New member
A new member on the site just asked about "levels of vessel assist", so I cursered through the search site and didn't find a necessarily specific reference to the subject, so here's a "thread" for addressing the subject.

Personally, I have vessel assist through Boat US. (The plan I chose allows $350 "on-water-towing" per incident). When I recently changed my boat insurance to Progressive, I ended up with "Emergency Watercraft Towing and Labor" up to $2,500 each incident.

Therefore with (fairly new) twin '04 Johnson engines, the above coverage plus Channel 16 on the VHF and plenty of helpful C-Dory's :lol: out on the water 365 days a year here in the Pacific Northwest, I'd say I'm reasonably well covered. (Heck, if I'm fortunate someone may even bring a keg of beer out to me if I get thirsty... :wink ).

Maybe Tyboo, can set up a new "poll" on vessel assist?
 
Well...I can't say enough good things about BoatUS tow package. Over my boating history, I have been towed in by fellow boaters around 20 times. I am not that bad a boater but I was boating on a shoestring in my more youthful days. Therefore the motors were wore out, the battery I most likely stole off the farm tractor , etc.

Well when I arrived on the Gulf Coast of Florida, my wife said she wasn't going out with me unless I got some sort of tow package. I purchased BoatUS for full unlimited coverage for $119.00 per year. I have had it now for 4 years. Like most insurance, I just pay them money each year and to this day I have never had to call their marker in. I was considering giving them a call for a little gas, just to see if they would show up, then I started thinking about the price per gallon they would most likely charge me and I decided it wasn't a very good idea.

Can anyone who has BoatUS tow package tell me if you or anyone you know has had to call upon them, and did they show up?

Of course I hope I never need them...but in the event I do...I would like to know what to expect.
 
Yeah, well Rev Dave, you can of course dream about delivery of the keg of beer! But you can dang betcha that if we hear your call for assistance, we are on it like white on rice...
 
Actually, on our first trip through Deception Pass last summer we set off with pretty heavy flood through the pass. Our motor was working pretty hard and just after we got through the narrowest part of the pass it through a code and started powering down. Unfortunately we hadn't started our kicker before leaving so when Don tried to start it it wouldn't start. There we were drifting back through Deception Pass without a motor and pretty freaked out because everyone had told us to be really careful there.

We got on the radio and called a distress call and made contact with the Coast Guard. Vessel Assist in Cornet Bay also contacted us and there was an operator working on his boat when the call went out. He jumped in his boat and came right out and even though we weren't members, he offered us a tow. He told us he was already on his boat so he would do it for free. He did give us an application and encouraged us to join, which we did as soon as we got the motor going again. The man who responded was very nice to us and we have seen him mentioned in a boating magazine since then.

In January when we were at the Portland Boat Show we stopped by the Vessel Assist booth and talked with the local operators here and they were very nice too. We extended our membership and plan to keep doing that because Vessel Assist is here in Portland and up in the San Juans. When we bought our first boat, we joined SeaTow, but noticed the coverage wasn't that great. Since then, they have gotten a really bad reputation here in the Portland area.

I would definitely recommend Vessel Assist. We were very glad they were able to respond as quickly as they did.

Dee
 
TyBoo":ifgx1jlb said:
Sea Tow's reputation got a little worse after this recent article in the Oregonian.
Click to expand...

Sounds to me like the above incident would certainly sink (pun intended) Sea Tow's reputation. Hopefully the "home office" became involved and rectified that issue....otherwise, I would suspect they wouldn't have many subscribers.

(For some reason, I'm thinking that Sea Tow and Vessel Assist recently merged.......Does anyone know?)
 
Dave,

BoatUS bought both TowBoatUS (east coast) and Vessel Assist (west coast).

Sea Tow is a separate business.

I have the Gold Vessel Assist coverage. It provides unlimited towing within 50 miles of the tower's location. Its about $140 per year. I haven't had to use it yet, but if a tow is needed it will be worth it.
 
I have that new tow service "WE B THERE"
its really cheap...10 bucks a year and a bottle of ripple.
down side is there is only one boat in the entire US.
so if I ever need them may take a while...:)

James
 
Nancy H (Larry H) said:

"BoatUS bought both TowBoatUS (east coast) and Vessel Assist (west coast).

Sea Tow is a separate business."

And West Marine bought Boat U.S. a few years back, right?

So now TowBoat US and Vessel Assist are part of West Marine?

Joe.
 
Something else to check - your insurance policy. I'm already covered through Progressive.

The coverage may not be as comprehensive, but it's sufficient for the areas I boat in. The standard towing coverage is $500 for $29/year, but can be increased for much less than the cost of a Vessel Assist membership/towing package.

On the downside, it is a reimbursable expense - if I ever need it, I'll have to pay for the tow, then deal with the insurance company.
 
West Marine purchased the stores "Boat US", but not the organization or the tow service. West marine apparently promotes Boat US the organization, the insurance, the finance service and the Boat U S towing services.

However I believe that each of the towing services is a franchise operation. Each operator is some what independant. All of the services have recieved bad reputations from a single incident at one time or another. Most of the time it is over "salvage", or if a boat was not attended.
 
Hi Folks,

When I re-engined from a 70 HP 2 Stroke to a 75 HP 4 stroke, I got rid of my second engine, a 7 HP because it never worked when I needed it. I joined the BoatUS Unlimited Towing at a discount price because I am a member of USPS/USCGAux. Cost for membership, trailer service, and boat towing was a little more than $100.00. This was a good investment. I hope to never use any of the towing or trailer servicing. Just a little insurance.

These guys that are in the boat towing business are sometimes a little agressive. A friend of mine who works as a Assistant Harbormaster in the Boston area watched SeaTow and BoatUS Tow, race to get a tow, cutting each other off.

A towing company's lawyer in the Merrimack River Area shows up to the local Coat Guard Station every Monday morning complaining about the tows that a USCGAux might of taken in tow during the weekend. The USCGAux boat is not suppose to tow anybody unless the people or the boat is in danger. What if the disabled boat is an open boat, and has young kids aboard, or the weather is closing in and the boat can't get ashore? If the Tow Company Boat is not near, the USCG will have the boat towed by the USCGAux. Once under tow, the tow is not given up.. It is a judgement call.

By the way, if you don't like the towing companies, you can volunteer to tow somebody's boat for no charge. The tow company can not force you to give up the tow. This was the way it use to be, and should still be.

Fred
 
When we were in contact with the Coast Guard and told them that Vessel Assist was there, they (the Coast Guard) asked us twice if we were going to have Vessel Assist tow us. They led me to believe that we did not have to do that. We also had another private boat come by and offer us a tow, so we had some options.

Our reasons for going with Vessel Assist is 1) because of the assistance they gave us in Cornet Bay, and 2) because we boat in both the Columbia River and San Juans. We had noticed that there wasn't very good coverage for Sea Tow in the Puget Sound and San Juans.
 
I have been towing boats a long time--and it is not an effort without its dangers. I have no hesitation about towing a boat if no professional tow is in the area or not been called. However if a professional service has been called, I will standby the vessel until to professional arrives. Some times I could have towed the vessel to port in the time I waited.

The reason is that if anything goes wrong, you, a non professional may be liable. Yes, there are good samitarian clauses. However does your vessel insurance cover you, your vessel and the other vessel if you are towing? Do you have proper tow lines and bits for towing? Does the other boat have proper bits for being towed--or do you know how to properly bridle the boat to tow it? Will you take the people, except the skipper on your boat when towing? The list goes on.....
 
DaveS,

What are the small print provisions are of your Progressive Insurance "Emergency Watercraft Towing and Labor"? Is it applicable when you run out of gas, for instance, or is it only applicable if your boat suffers damage such as being hit by another boat or submerged object?

Hoop
 
Hoop":2mokskxs said:
DaveS,
What are the small print provisions are of your Progressive Insurance "Emergency Watercraft Towing and Labor"? Is it applicable when you run out of gas, for instance, or is it only applicable if your boat suffers damage such as being hit by another boat or submerged object?
Hoop
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Hoop, here is the "wording" from the policy......"we will reimburse you for towing and labor costs, and delivery costs for parts and supplies, incurred by you as a result of the disablement of a covered watercraft while afloat, provided that:
1. the labor is performed at the place of disablement; and
2. the disablement does not occur where the covered watercraft is usually kept.
We will not reimburse you for the cost of the parts and supplies. A deductible does not apply to this coverage."

Given the above information, I'd venture to say that running out of gas would be considered disablement and therefore they would cover the cost to deliver fuel to you, but you'd pay for the actual fuel. (I ain't no attorney.. :disgust ...and I don't intend to run out of fuel to "test" the "wording" of the policy....but given the situation, I'm sure I'd try).
(I would expect, if somehow my fuel tank got "holed" and I lost fuel as a result, that it would be covered).

P.S. Hoop, I sent you a PM.
 
Thanks for bringing up this issue (Vessel Assist) I brought up as a new member. Also those who let in on the anchor issue. I didn't know about the insurance possibility. I have a Hartford policy but haven't seen the policy yet. I'm not sure I'm gonna go for any level of it yet. But I know I have to get a radio first.
 
I also have the BoatUS/Vessel Assist unlimited gold coverage with trailer assist. I have the higher coverage due to boating in the Channel Islands and fishing out beyond the 35 miles of the lesser coverage
Haven't had to use it, hope I never do.
 
Fishtales":264nbv7d said:
I also have the BoatUS/Vessel Assist unlimited gold coverage with trailer assist.
Click to expand...

I don't have the trailer assist with Boat US, but I do have the RV Tow 100 miles with AAA and have used it once. (What would have cost me $500. cost me only an additional $27. when I added it on one week before the trip that I needed the assistance on).
 
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