I will tell all the people I run into at my friends marina's thats about 3:D about there actions and to stay away. so if your out on the water and need a tow and they try this chit can you shoot them:D and tell the CG that they tried to pirate your boat.

Let me reiterate some points already made...

The maritime salvage laws work.
The overwhelming percentage of craft-tonnage on the water is commercial. They are serviced by commercial salvors. These people are quite happy with the current system. As a fraction of a percentage point overall and a relatively unimportant facet of the marine world, recreational powerboaters don't even show up on the radar screens of the people who have influence over these things. And it's way beyond just US Federal laws- it's international maritime law. Most commercial registrations are non-US anyway.

Sea Tow operates in the margins.
They use the ignorance of these laws as a way to prey upon recreational boaters. They use the fact that the courts have ruled that the time pressures of a sinking boat do not present duress to the operator of a vessel when determinining whether or not to accept aid from a salvor.

Cutting up your SeaTow card is a futile exercise.
SeaTow monitors VHF for distress calls and Coast Guard communication. They come whether you have the card or not. It'll always be "we'll work it out at the docks, let's get you saved first".



Beating these guys is a matter of education. Knowing how they operate and knowing the law is the single most important way to keep from getting hosed. Knowing how your insurance handles these situations and what your coverage allows is very important.

Boater education is the key. Everyone reading this thread now knows about this- but how many others don't? If you want to help them and stick it to the SeaTow's, tell them.

1 more point marine police will tow you in for free not 10% of the value of your boat :(Also some boat insurance companys cover the tow call them while your sinking:evilb:

Chris, in my short time here I've learned to listen and learn from your posts. With all due respect, then, I agree it is futile and possibly foolish to cut up your active SeaTow card, but don't you think it's MUCH more foolish to give them any FUTURE business? I say boycott them to, at least, attempt to get them back in line. As I've said, I'm aware (now) that all of their competition have like worded salvage information, but this particular situation seems outlandish.

Will my money hurt them? Probably not, but if this spreads...if OSO stuck together it might hurt a little. Isn't that the "power of OSO?"

Lastly, is it futile to attempt to get the maritime laws clarified or reasonably updated so the uniformed do not get bit in the arse? Is that a lost cause? Looking at how things are run, I guess so, but idealistically I hope it can change.

I mean this with all due respect, I know I'm the new guy here and have not come to troll or blather.

-James

Not in our area...unless you are in danger. Sea Tow and Tow Boats US, got in their butts about stealing money out of their pockets. Marine Police, Dept. Of Natural Resources, not sure about Coast Guard, will call one of the towing services before they throw you a line.

I was talking about the contract, agreement for the race? Leaving a boat to drift and someone else having to finish the tow? Having a person already being towed handed to you and then claiming salvage expenses? All of these seem to border on fraud or breach of contract. In maritime law, if the Coast Guard is towing a commercial fishing vessel back to port that was in danger of crashing on the rocks, but half way back a SeaTow vessel shows up and they let him finish the tow, SeaTow can claim salvage?

Chris,

You are correct in all you have said.

However, this issue is not about salvage law. This is about bringing Sea Tow to this event.

Having them stand up at the meeting and offer services and then not follow through with anything they said they would do for us. I/We trusted and defened them in the face of a bad situation and then they rolled us under the bus.

Yes the other guys offer the same serivce but after over 20 years of Coast Guard Service there is a reason I have and will continue to carry a Boat US card and do this based upon what I have witnessed around the country. We gave Sea Tow an opportunity to build a relationship and they stommped all over us.

Again this was not about salvage law it was about truth, honor, respect, and integrity. Saying what you are going to do and then doing what you said.

Do they really think we had thousands of T-shirts printed, plaques made at the last minute, we did this based upon the belief of thier word to us. Shame on us for trusting this company and its representatives.

So dropping your SEA TOW membership and aligning with another group is an action to gain awareness to this situation.

Our laws follow the reasonable standard and it is unreasonable to have a tow membership and have them screw you on the back end. The membership legal notes make it sound like you are covered unless it's a major problem. Not any reasonable person would read that statement and think twice. So, even if they are legally salvaging then they are committing fraud on the membership side of things.

I think they would go down in flames in court with a half way decent attorney.

In regards to a comment you made earlier about losing money on basic tows:

Sea Tow makes money in the mass number of members. I agree they might lose money if they have to tow you, but they make up for it in the rest of the members that never call. Just like AAA does.

Another reason to love MGR

That's ROCKIN' THE F ON BROTHER!!!

:ernaehrung004: