TowBoatUS Shelter Island runs 80 miles south of San Diego to assist boater

Vessel Assist “Shelter Island” , the most powerful commercial assistance vessel in the area, took off with its crew at 0400 today to tow a disabled 42′ yacht stranded 80 nautical miles south of Point Loma. This leads us to the big question: how much will an 80 mile tow cost? The answer in this case is very simple: this boater bought a Vessel Assist Gold Card so the tow is free for him.

How much would it cost if he was not a member? That’s a little tougher. There are some companies that Charge $300.00/hour or more for assistanc towing. Vessel Assist San Diego charges $200.00/hour. This charge is “portal to portal” which means that the “meter” is running from the time that the captain turns the key on in the towboat until he turns it off.
 
(To simplify the math I will be rounding to the nearest 15 minutes) From our facility to Bouy SD1 takes about 30 minutes, the 80 mile run (at 17 knots) is roughly a 5 hour run. Once on scene, the assist crew has to hook up a bridle to the boat and secure the situation for the long tow home, this takes about 15 minutes on average. Coast Guard towing guides indicate that 5 knots is a safe towing speed. We have found that 5.5 to 6 knots is easy on the boater. At 5.5 knots that’s 14.5 hours back to bouy SD1 then another 1.5 hours to get the disabled boat to either harbor Island or Shelter Island (Chula Vista is much longer), side-tie the boat, and put them away in their slip. Once secure, the captain takes the towboat back to it’s slip (another 30 minutes). For a total time of 21.75 hours, this does not include rough seas, fog, or a customs stop. Because of the 900 horsepower and 15 tons, the Vessel Assist Shelter Island can push through rough seas while towing and keep the speed up. So 21.75 @ $300.00/hour equals a $6525.00 tow, though Vessel Assist San Diego would charge $4350.00 if this were a non-member case. Fortunately, this boater took the time (5 minutes) to purchase a Vessel Assist Gold Card for $176.00 and he will not have to pay for the tow.

Why would anyone go out without a Vessel Assist membership? In 20 years of towing boats, that is one question I have never been able to answer. You might ask, “how can a company stay in business doing $4400.00 tows for free?” The answer is simple: Boat US provides member towing for just about every type of power or sailing vessel, in fact, Boat US has 600,000 members nationwide. Vessel Assist San Diego is contracted by Boat US to tow Boat US and Vessel Assist members. Vessel Assist San Diego is compensated by Boat US (not the member) for the towing that they provide to Boat US and Vessel Assist members.

Vessel Assist San Diego keeps a fleet of 8 towboats available for disabled boaters in San Diego bay and Mission bay. You may wonder what happens when both a non-member and a member break down: what would keep Vessel Assist from going to the non-member first to make more money? That is a simple two part answer. First, Vessel Assist San Diego is obligated to assist members FIRST. Second, when a valid Boat US/Vessel Assist member needs a tow, we don’t have to worry about issues that may arise involving payment (for example, whether or not the boater has several hundred dollars, or a valid credit card to pay for the service). With a non-member, getting the job is the easy part. Getting paid, on the other hand, can be very tough occasionally.

So if you plan on boating even just a few times per year make sure that you have a Vessel Assist membership. You can purchase a membership several different ways: online at BoatUS.com, call Vessel Assist locally (in the San Diego area) at 619-235-8273, or go to the nearest West Marine store and purchase a membership there.