I remember two years ago, walking the docks and seeing someone get towed in. Of course I helped them tie up, and once tied, I got the pleasure of listening to the boat owner complain about the cost of the tow. It seems this tow cost him around $800, which naturally he thought was rather high. I mentioned that he should get a BoatUS membership which included free towing. I told him the membership (at the time) was only $75 and this tow would have cost him nothing. He thought that was a good idea, and said he planned to do just that. Great, right?
One month later, I’m walking around and notice that he’s getting towed in again. I go down and help him tie up, and in the process I learned that he had broken down in just about the same spot as before. The cost of this tow this time? Another $800. It was at this point that I just walked away – you can’t fix stupid.
Josh Hill, one of the TowBoatUS operators on the Potomac River, informed me that a tow can cost around $350/hour, and it seems more and most people these days are leaving the docks without any coverage for towing. Perhaps people think that they will just be safe and careful, hoping for the best?
Here’s the thing:
No matter how new your boat is, no matter how great a captain you are, no matter how careful you think you are being, if you boat enough, just about everyone will eventually get towed at some point. If you aren’t planning for this eventuality, you probably shouldn’t be leaving the dock.
Today’s BoatUS membership is only $130 per year. That’s less than last night’s bar tab! Some might say, “well my insurance already covers towing,” and this may be true. But, how will that be handled while the TowBoatUS boat is hooking up to you? You may end up having to pay for the tow in advance, and then trying to squeeze that money out of your insurance company after the fact. That’s a drag. Seriously, this is the cheapest thing you can do for your boat, and eventually it will pay off.
So, if you don’t already have it, click HERE and get your Freshwater Towing membership now. It’s only $130 and you’ll be glad you did.