Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
 
Old 09-25-2017, 11:10 AM   #1
Guru
 
kolive's Avatar
 
City: Cowiche, WA
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 662
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???
Attached Thumbnails
FullSizeRender 2.jpg   FullSizeRender.jpg  
__________________
Keith Olive
1974 Grand Banks 36-427
Vashon Island, WA
kolive is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-25-2017, 11:19 AM   #2
Guru
 
City: New Orleans
Vessel Name: Scot Free
Vessel Model: Cheoy Lee 53' Efficient
Join Date: Dec 2015
Posts: 754
Glad it all worked out well for you. [emoji846] Good that you had the Gold TowBoatUS package. Cheap insurance.
McGillicuddy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-25-2017, 11:56 AM   #3
Guru
 
psneeld's Avatar
 
City: Ft Pierce
Vessel Name: Sold
Vessel Model: Was an Albin/PSN 40
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 28,149
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 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-25-2017, 12:04 PM   #4
Guru
 
kolive's Avatar
 
City: Cowiche, WA
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 662
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.
__________________
Keith Olive
1974 Grand Banks 36-427
Vashon Island, WA
kolive is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-25-2017, 12:15 PM   #5
Valued Technical Contributor
 
DavidM's Avatar
 
City: Litchfield, Ct
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 6,786
The problem may be a drive plate/torsional coupling that has failed. Should be a much cheaper fix than the transmission itself.

David
DavidM is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-25-2017, 12:16 PM   #6
Guru
 
diver dave's Avatar
 
City: Palm Coast, FL
Vessel Name: Coquina
Vessel Model: Lagoon 380
Join Date: Jan 2017
Posts: 2,570
A single might not push me to unlimited towing membership, but a single with a V drive or an outdrive would.
diver dave is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-25-2017, 12:19 PM   #7
Guru
 
City: New Orleans
Vessel Name: Scot Free
Vessel Model: Cheoy Lee 53' Efficient
Join Date: Dec 2015
Posts: 754
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.
McGillicuddy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-25-2017, 12:20 PM   #8
Guru
 
psneeld's Avatar
 
City: Ft Pierce
Vessel Name: Sold
Vessel Model: Was an Albin/PSN 40
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 28,149
Quote:
Originally Posted by kolive View Post
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.
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.
psneeld is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-25-2017, 01:58 PM   #9
Guru
 
ancora's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 4,021
We have BoatUS "Unlimited Gold." I hope it means "unlimited towing."
ancora is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-25-2017, 02:05 PM   #10
TF Site Team
 
Shrew's Avatar
 
City: Westerly, RI
Vessel Name: N/A
Vessel Model: 1999 Mainship 350 Trawler
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 4,162
Quote:
Originally Posted by kolive View Post
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.
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?
Shrew is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-25-2017, 02:10 PM   #11
TF Site Team
 
Shrew's Avatar
 
City: Westerly, RI
Vessel Name: N/A
Vessel Model: 1999 Mainship 350 Trawler
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 4,162
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
Shrew is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-25-2017, 02:11 PM   #12
Guru
 
BandB's Avatar
 
City: Fort Lauderdale. Florida, USA
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 21,449
Quote:
Originally Posted by kolive View Post
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 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.
BandB is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-25-2017, 02:19 PM   #13
Guru
 
BandB's Avatar
 
City: Fort Lauderdale. Florida, USA
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 21,449
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.
BandB is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-25-2017, 02:22 PM   #14
Guru
 
BandB's Avatar
 
City: Fort Lauderdale. Florida, USA
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 21,449
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.
BandB is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-25-2017, 03:49 PM   #15
Veteran Member
 
BrotherDave's Avatar
 
City: Ak
Vessel Name: Nadezdha
Vessel Model: 1972 Beaver 36
Join Date: Feb 2017
Posts: 53
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.
BrotherDave is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-25-2017, 04:29 PM   #16
Guru
 
HopCar's Avatar
 
City: Miami Florida
Vessel Name: Possum
Vessel Model: Ellis 28
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 5,308
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.
__________________
Parks Masterson
Retired from Hopkins-Carter Marine Supply
HopCar is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-25-2017, 04:40 PM   #17
Guru
 
psneeld's Avatar
 
City: Ft Pierce
Vessel Name: Sold
Vessel Model: Was an Albin/PSN 40
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 28,149
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.
psneeld is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-25-2017, 04:40 PM   #18
Guru
 
Nomad Willy's Avatar
 
City: Concrete Washington State
Vessel Name: Willy
Vessel Model: Willard Nomad 30'
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 18,743
So for those of us that don't have this insurance what does it cost?
__________________
Eric

North Western Washington State USA
Nomad Willy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-25-2017, 04:50 PM   #19
Guru
 
kolive's Avatar
 
City: Cowiche, WA
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 662
The rate on my receipt was $175/hr in our area
__________________
Keith Olive
1974 Grand Banks 36-427
Vashon Island, WA
kolive is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-25-2017, 04:54 PM   #20
Guru
 
psneeld's Avatar
 
City: Ft Pierce
Vessel Name: Sold
Vessel Model: Was an Albin/PSN 40
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 28,149
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.
psneeld is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


» Trawler Port Captains
Port Captains are TF volunteers who can serve as local guides or assist with local arrangements and information. Search below to locate Port Captains near your destination. To learn more about this program read here: TF Port Captain Program





All times are GMT -5. The time now is 04:12 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Search Engine Optimization by vBSEO 3.6.0
Copyright 2006 - 2012