Is it important to have seatow if you have a boat?

Question

My husband says it is very important to have seatow. I say it is a waste of money. You can call the coast guard if anything should happen.

Answer 1

Sea-tow is a life saver. and using the coast guard as a towing company is wrong. The coast guard is for real emergencies. they will try and help but wasting there time is ridiculous. now if someone is having a heart attack then yes. the coast guard is a reasonable choice. but Sea-tow is a wonderful thing to have. if you need a jump or anything, they will try and help. they saved our 1981 33ft Hunter sail boat after running aground in the gulf of Mexico during a bad storm. so all i have to say is Sea-tow is defiantly not a waste of money. Boat-us is also a good choice!

Answer 2

The coast guard will charge you for a call, even if they don't tow you. They charge more for a tow that a regular company and they won't fix the problem. Most tow companies can also do repair work. Sometimes even at sea if the problem isn't severe. I use BOAT US for my insurance and my tow. The cost isn't that much extra and though I've never had to use it, like AAA for my car, it is nice to know it's there if I need it!

Answer 3

COAST GUARD, They'll ONLY tow if you're in distress, other than that, they call a marine salvage co. for you, THEN YOU'LL PAY HUGE !!!!!!, If you are a member of "Sea Tow", you get unlimited tows for a yearly fee of $149 (MEMBERSHIP), and they are there in less that an hour, (call by cell phone, or "VHF" radio) even when busy, Your husband is right ! YOU NEED SEA TOW ! if you call them for a tow, and you are NOT a member, it's like $600-700 depending on how far you need to get towed, "Sea Tow" is CHEAP insurance ! they have trailer protection programs as well, if you break an axle, they'll send someone to fix the trailer wherever it is on the road, or perhap's YOU would like to deal with changing out an axel on the road side !

Answer 4

the first time your stranded on the water you'll find out how important  a row is.(first hand knowledge).the coast guard does not tow normally(the axillary does if they are around) a prepaid seatow policy is a money saver when this happens.

Answer 5

Sea tow or Towboat US is worth every penny. Don't scrimp. Get the unlimited policy, because the first time you use it (and it's when, not if), it will more than pay for itself. It takes very little to leave you dead in the water.  I lost the water pump in my sailboat with absolutely no wind. Outer harbor of boston to my dock, 7 miles. Towboat US bill - $650.00. My cost - $zip.

First, the Coast Guard will not tow you, period. If you are not in life-threatening conditions, they won't even come see you. Second, you don't want the Coast Guard to tow you, because since it's not their primary responsibility, they're notoriously bad at it. And if they break your boat, they're the government so it's difficult to sue for damages.

Answer 6

I not think the coast guard is in the business of towing. Kinda like a police officer. You break down on the side of the road the cop not going to give you a push, but, call a wrecker. Seatow is good if you not familiar with the water depths or not sure of the boat's dependability. It be far cheaper, like insurance, to have Seatow than not have and they come tow you.

Answer 7

had to edit this due to some answers. alot of answers are wrong. I am with the uscgaux , a past ops officer, and have had plenty of hours on patrol. the coast guard will never charge you for services rendered. (thats what your taxes are for) and they are not in the towing buisness!!! however if you need a tow or are stranded they will refer you to a commercial company since that is how they make there living. they will keep radio or phone contact with you every 15 min to make sure you are safe. if you do not get a radio response from a commercial co within a resonable time they will tow you to the nearest safe haven. if someone is sick they will take the person off the boat. if u are run aground they will take the people and leave the boat. so in answer to ur question, yes it is a good idea to have it. for the 100 dollars it is a sure way to get u home safe!!!!!

Answer 8

Depends what your boat is worth to you.  The Coast Guard will ensure your survival, but they don't care about your boat unless it is a hazard to other ships.