Single vs twin engine experience this week

I know there have been a number of discussions about the single vs twin engines debate. I own a twin engine Grand Banks 36 but this past week I was out with friends fishing from a Willard 30 with a single Perkins 4-108 and a v-drive. We were fishing the West side of San Juan Island near Open Bay and the transmission just went out on us. No propulsion at all. We luckily were in an area where currents were not an issue for a little while but had rock cliffs on two sides and a mud Bay 1/4 mile further in and the shipping lanes with lots of current between us and Canada. We were slowly drifting towards the rocks or Canada depending on what the currents decided to do with us. Cell coverage was spotty and we hailed the Coast Guard to get assistance. Finally I was able to get cell coverage and contacted BoatUS where I had their Gold Umlimited towing for my GB. I thought I remembered that it covered me in any boat I was on and it turns out it did. The Coast Guard said they got hold of them as well and a tow was on its way to us. One hour later the tow boat arrived and we began the long 11 hour tow back to La Conner where the boat is normally moored. Towing cost-$2275.00 The out of pocket cost to me was $0.00! Great coverage and service.

We tried using our dinghy with its 3.5 hp outboard to move the 16,000lb Willard but it was not very effective, 1 knot in calm flat water was all we could manage. Had it been windy, choppy, in current or any other conditions, it would have gotten dicey. Yes, it made me glad I had twins just for something like this happening. I know we would have deployed the anchor if we needed to but we all thought that this would have been a lot different had we been somewhere further up north out of range of many services or reception. Overall a very interesting experience that had a happy ending, except now the repair bill will begin.....anyone know much about v-drive repairs???

Glad it all worked out well for you. [emoji846] Good that you had the Gold TowBoatUS package. Cheap insurance.

If the owner of the Willard was aboard, you werent supposed to be covered under the usual national BoatUS agreement.....

Unless......

They just changed their policy and I cant find it or the local franchise guy is giving coverage not agreed upon by the national headquarters.

We gave had this discussion before and BoatUS has repeatedly told me the membership is not like AAA and only follows the member if the owner of a borrowed boat is NOT aboard.

So unless I didnt understand the post, the tow should have been chargeable.

From BoatUS website....

" Paid Services apply to any recreational boat owned, borrowed or chartered by the Member and includes 24 Hour Towing ".....

Note the term "borrowed" by definition means owner not aboard.

But to the point of the post, a single does occasionally leave you stranded....maybe not forever, but for longer.

Psneeld, when I spoke with BoatUS on the phone they knew I was not the owner and said it was covered. I don't know what else to say. Maybe they will come back to me with a bill, we'll see.

The problem may be a drive plate/torsional coupling that has failed. Should be a much cheaper fix than the transmission itself.

David

A single might not push me to unlimited towing membership, but a single with a V drive or an outdrive would.

I owned a TowBoatUS franchise for 12 years (sold it January last year). Not once in 12 years did they reject coverage when a person on board had an account. Saw it numerous times where a covered member was out fishing with his buddy and problem occurred. The approval was usually issued before we were even off the dock.

kolive said:

Psneeld, when I spoke with BoatUS on the phone they knew I was not the owner and said it was covered. I don't know what else to say. Maybe they will come back to me with a bill, we'll see.

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We had the same problem where I am....really sometimes with both companies not knowing their own rules.

The worst is at boat shows where they are pushing sales and the personnel are clueless.

If you read the agreement, and I have read Sea Tows and BoatUS agreements so many times I quote it better than the franchise owners sometimes.

But I do allow that things change or I have made a mistake.

I dont think so in this case...lets see if BandB who also knows these agreements well chomes in.

We have BoatUS "Unlimited Gold." I hope it means "unlimited towing."

kolive said:

Psneeld, when I spoke with BoatUS on the phone they knew I was not the owner and said it was covered. I don't know what else to say. Maybe they will come back to me with a bill, we'll see.

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To play devils advocate.... I don't think that Psneeld's point is that coverage doesn't extend to you beyond your boat, but rather whether it applies to a borrowed boat vs you being a guest on another boat.

When you informed BoatUS that you did not own the boat, did you also mention that the owner was on-board?

BoatUS only has 4 levels:

Basic
Unlimited Freshwater Towing
Unlimited Saltwater Towing
Unlimited Gold Towing

Gold includes the following additional feature:

BoatUS Pays 100% on Home Dock Tows

Provides 100% of the cost to tow your boat from its home dock or mooring for the purpose of repairs. Please review our Towing Services Agreement for all provided services and exclusions.

Boat Towing Plans and Prices - BoatUS

kolive said:

Psneeld, when I spoke with BoatUS on the phone they knew I was not the owner and said it was covered. I don't know what else to say. Maybe they will come back to me with a bill, we'll see.

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The question isn't whether you were the owner, but whether the owner was aboard the boat and you just a guest.

As Psneeld said, I chomed in.

By comparison, this is how Seatow reads.

Any boat the member charters, rents, leases or borrows​

Here's how Seatow answers the question in their FAQ.

Does my membership cover me if I am a guest on a friend's boat?

If the owner of the boat is onboard your membership privileges do not apply. However, if your friend joins and references your member number you earn a $25 credit toward your next renewal through our Refer-a-Friend program.​

And from Boat US FAQ

Does BoatUS Towing Service apply if I am a guest on a friend's boat?

If the owner of the boat is present, regardless of who is at the helm, the owner would be responsible for having the appropriate towing service, not the guest Member on board. BoatUS towing provides for any instance the Member is considered the Captain and responsible for the care and control of the boat (owns, borrows, or charters).​

The operator on the phone clearly didn't ask the key question, but you weren't eligible to use your membership.

Not to pile on, but coincidentally BoatUS told me this on the phone this morning as well. If owner of the boat is on board they will only cover tow if he has his own policy.

What ever the rules are, Boat US towing has gone out of their way to be kind to me.

I was once on a friends boat that broke down near a dock. We managed to drift to the dock and were safe but we needed a tow to a marina that could do the work. Technically they didn't have to tow us for free but they did.

I suspect if you abuse the privilege they may get stricter about the rules. Both of us aboard were members and neither of us had ever used the tow service.

Whether they tow or not is usually up to the captain and or franchise member. Sometimes they will tow, no questions asked untill the end when they want you to join so they get a membership comission.

But the national policies are clear, as I have personally verified that it does not cover a friends boat if tbey are aboard on your membership. But like I said, things can change in a moment.

Before you believe and count on what "may" have happened to others in the past, I would either just believe the wording of the membership or call and be perfectly clear.

Rest assured, many tow companies are compasionate and helpful well beyond strict membership rules....not all are the highly publicized pirates that sem to populate the boating magazine stories.

Just the other week I was called out of retirement to cover an area while the boss and several csptains were involved with a search, then body recovery of a teenager in my local waters. I am not positive, but I doubt there was any charge. A situation like dozens I have been involved with through tbe years.

So for those of us that don't have this insurance what does it cost?

The rate on my receipt was $175/hr in our area

Thats dirt cheap.

Back East it starts around $250 to $300 per hr and $15 to $20 and up per foot to unground you.

Sea Tow now is $450 for the first hr if not a member, but includes a membership for a year ($179 value). After that I think it drops to $300 or so.

IMO, its the easiest boat check I write all year. I have used both, but like Sea Tow better for the SD area. The guys who run the boats are solid, and care. No one is getting rich running these operations, and as noted, they are a valuable service.

Fletcher500 said:

IMO, its the easiest boat check I write all year. I have used both, but like Sea Tow better for the SD area. The guys who run the boats are solid, and care. No one is getting rich running these operations, and as noted, they are a valuable service.

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We have both and have never used either one for a tow. However, we still don't mind paying as we do use them regularly for local knowledge. Now, you don't have to be a member to do that but it feels better that we are and one day we might need a tow.

Nomad Willy said:

So for those of us that don't have this insurance what does it cost?

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Eric, my Boat US Gold Towing is $175.00/year. Even though I have twins, it sure feels good down here where most cruising is done in the open sea.

Hmmm wonder if the tow company trolls the forums....

Thank's Codger,
That's what I was looking for.
At my (our) age one thinks of things never thought of before.

Gmarr said:

Hmmm wonder if the tow company trolls the forums....

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The company owners are busy enough not to waste their time here.

They may enjoy it for what it is ....but care what pops up in a towing thread unless related to their franchise.....is dust n the wind.

Both major companies have business nodels that work, even though different in some respects.

djmarchand said:

The problem may be a drive plate/torsional coupling that has failed. Should be a much cheaper fix than the transmission itself.

David

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I was helping on a delivery this past June when we lost the starboard transmission. It was the drive plate/dampener plate. The plate was less than $250. The labor, a couple of boat bucks. We changed ours on Hobo. Being a single with good access it took less than 4 hours.

If owner does not want to pay, he can hide in the hot engine room!

Insurers love my business. Never had a claim unless it was someone else's fault. (Knock on wood/head.)

+1 they are also good for local knowledge. This summer I called them to get some very specific channel advice (hell gate in georgia, maybe 20' wide channel?). Even though I had been through before trying to use charts, it was dicey and I had to get thru mid ebb this time..

Since they tow someone off the mud twice a week there and can tell you exactly how to get thru.

And by the way that's the definition of a win win right there.