I forwarded an email and a copy of this thread to both inside edition and 60 minutes. Not that thy will pick it up, but who knows.

[QUOTE]][QUOTE=Chris Sunkin;2602680]No, it does not. SeaTow loses money sending a boat out to pull people in who merely forgot to buy gas or ran their stereo to the point that the boat wouldn't crank. They bank on someone nudging a sandbar and calling for help and the next thing they know, they owe a ten thousand dollar salvage fee and their boat has been impounded until it's paid.[QUOTE]


Chris technically "anybody" thats towing/salvaging your boat can call it a salvage and charge you a salvage fee,Doesn't have to be a Tow company

Rob, the thing is, anyone can act as a salvor. That's you and mee too. I could come upon you in distress, toss you a pump and a line, tow you to port and present you with a bill based on a formula of different facets of service rendered weighed agains the value of your boat and I would get paid- by you or your insurer. I would have the right to have your boat seized and a lien placed agains ti. That sucks but that's maritime law.

As far as going onto the racecourse, if it's public water, you'd be hard-pressed to stop them. SeaTow has a contractual relationship with USCG and they get the calls for tows and salvage when the GC deems it necessary. You may find an individual Coastie with a hard-on for the ST guys but most are going to look the other way- sort of like tow truck drivers doing u-turns on the interstate.

I'll tell you this much, I'd no more operate my boat unarmed than I would without life preservers and a lanyard. I'd make my point real clear with the SeaTow boys had they attempted to tow my Lambo-powered cat away.

OK heres the plan..we send someone out in a POS boat... then call sea tow...have the sea tow guy climb onto the POS boat to help "secure " it, then we have another boat swoop in, board the sea tow boat and claim salvage because its abandon, and cut the seatow operator adift in the POS....piracy at it's best.

A: A very rich dude because every Sea Tower that rips someone off funnels franchise fees up to him
B. VP Operations for Sea Tow Services International
C: All of the above


SEE if you can guess which answer is right in this SEA Tow thread...

Sea Tow isn't all that much different that the land-tow guys.

My son goes to a college in a small town. I stopped one evening to see him and took him shopping. We stopped in one store and bought a few things, then put them in the car. Then we walked across the street and into another store. The first store closed at 8PM, the second at 9. We came out of store #2 to find my Excursion gone. Right above the spot was a tow sign. I called the number- yep, they had it. I had to call a cab, wait 45 minutes, then drive to the other side of nowhere to retrieve it. $45 for the cab, $140 for the tow. I couldn't believe it- the Excursion was dragged about 20 feet IN PARK across the parking lot- I have the pic of the black stripes on my wife's camera. Obviously not $8 grand but I'm glad I didn't walk out of the store while they were doing it. I'd still be awaiting a bail-reduction hearing. I wonder if their county jail has WiFi?

Here is the irony, I was hooked up to the boat and had the driver and t-man on my boat. I passed the line to a volunteer boat because driver and tman were covered in fuel and needed to get to shore asap. Sea tow agreed to help out as a partial race sponsor and were to tow all boats to crane. Logos on race shirts, thank you plaques etc for there help.
Volunteer boat towed boat in circles until course was cleared. Passed off to Sea tow who then pirated the vessel.
As part of the deal, racers were to buy yearly Sea Tow membership[ at the drivers meeting wich Is what he did to support the OSS sponsor. They turn around and screw him royaly and Joe VP sees nothing wrong, what a tool, how do you sleep at night being the captain of a fleet of pirates

I would have NEVER released the boat had there not been a sponsorship agreement because I had a previous deal at a race in Camden when my buddy flipped, sat on his boat and chased the sea tow guys away. I hooked his upside down boat to my raceboat and towed him to the crane and the Sea tow guys were pissed

Oh and it gets even better, after the owner coffed up the 8k, Sea Tow released the boat in the middle of the intracoastal and I ended up towing to the crane anyhow. Sorry for the rants, but I am pissed and I know some of you had some good experiences with them, but in my book they are guilty by association. I'm so pissed, I may take our safety boat out and following him around all weekend and offer ever boat he comes on scene with a free tow compliments of GEICO and Mercury

Think about it, we buy the memberships at the race as part of the deal. Then they pull this crap. I am so pissed they got my $150!

I think it's time to boycout SeaTow. I have no problem with tow copanies with integrity like LJ said.. but paople who are just in business and waiting for a salvage screw job.. well it's just not worth the yearly fee. ...They brake even with the membership fees for the weekend out of gas guys..
How many members pay and never use the service.???