Location, location, location. We had a trailerable Seaward 25 down here in SC that cost me almost as much to insure as our Catalina 350 up on the Great Lakes, even though the Seaward was worth less than 1/4 of the Catalina, and it lived at my house on a trailer. Same company insuring both.
Is BoatUS membership worth it?
- Thread starter cymeyer
- Start date
I used mine once while on a friend's boat as they had cancelled his subscription for over use.
A few years back I awoke with an episode of vestibular neuritis while anchored in an exposed cove at Catalina Island. It produces vertigo-like symptoms by way of severe double vision. I was effectively disabled as a skipper/boat operator. I felt I needed to get home (24 n. mi. distant to Long Beach) so I called my BOATUS towing membership number to request a tow home, explaining my situation. Not to fault the dispatcher, but she wanted to send an EM crew out from Avalon 5 n.mi. away to evaluate me. They arrived and took me off the boat where I eventually arrived in Emergency Care in the Avalon hospital via ambulance. But what I learned from the dispatcher was that my BOATUS towing insurance did not cover a tow to Long Beach. It covered towing a disabled vessel but not towing the vessel of a disabled skipper! My vessel lying to anchor was itself not disabled.
After treatment which mitigated the symptoms somewhat the hospital offered to admit me for the night. But getting fully capable again required a 7-day steroid treatment and a visit to a neurologist. I declined to be admitted but it was Saturday in Avalon. In the whole city only one room could be had for $500. There was no available transportation back to the boat and I would not be able to pilot it if even I could return.
I called BOATUS again on Sunday morning to accept the towing charge but when I informed of the boat’s location the dispatcher told me that they could get the boat from only a mooring or a slip; i.e., were not allowed to get an anchored boat! Too many variables. So I managed to get the Catalina Express home on Sunday leaving my boat at Catalina. Monday morning I called BOATUS again to insist they fetch my boat home. I got the same answer as before so I asked to speak to a supervisor. (I was talking to a dispatcher.)
I told the supervisor that in compliance with my insurance policy through BOATUS to make all attempt to lessen a loss and to notify, I’m going on record here to notify you that the boat is lying unattended at anchor near a rocky shore for 3 days now and I cannot attend it due to my incapacity as skipper for several days hence. Further, I have no practical means now to get back aboard soon. If a strong easterly wind gets up (Santa Ana) and drives her ashore onto the rocks then that would be a covered loss in my view, etc., of which I’ve forewarned. She excused herself for a few minutes to confer with someone, then returned to tell me that BOATUS would get the boat, not charge, and bring her to my slip in Long Beach which was accomplished on Tuesday.
So, even though I had the unlimited BOATUS towing membership, I do not believe that is what got the boat home! My feeling is that my yacht policy kicked in. So, when I needed a tow under that membership I probably did not get it with that. I likely would have gotten the boat home without the membership, etc., via my yacht policy.
KG
After treatment which mitigated the symptoms somewhat the hospital offered to admit me for the night. But getting fully capable again required a 7-day steroid treatment and a visit to a neurologist. I declined to be admitted but it was Saturday in Avalon. In the whole city only one room could be had for $500. There was no available transportation back to the boat and I would not be able to pilot it if even I could return.
I called BOATUS again on Sunday morning to accept the towing charge but when I informed of the boat’s location the dispatcher told me that they could get the boat from only a mooring or a slip; i.e., were not allowed to get an anchored boat! Too many variables. So I managed to get the Catalina Express home on Sunday leaving my boat at Catalina. Monday morning I called BOATUS again to insist they fetch my boat home. I got the same answer as before so I asked to speak to a supervisor. (I was talking to a dispatcher.)
I told the supervisor that in compliance with my insurance policy through BOATUS to make all attempt to lessen a loss and to notify, I’m going on record here to notify you that the boat is lying unattended at anchor near a rocky shore for 3 days now and I cannot attend it due to my incapacity as skipper for several days hence. Further, I have no practical means now to get back aboard soon. If a strong easterly wind gets up (Santa Ana) and drives her ashore onto the rocks then that would be a covered loss in my view, etc., of which I’ve forewarned. She excused herself for a few minutes to confer with someone, then returned to tell me that BOATUS would get the boat, not charge, and bring her to my slip in Long Beach which was accomplished on Tuesday.
So, even though I had the unlimited BOATUS towing membership, I do not believe that is what got the boat home! My feeling is that my yacht policy kicked in. So, when I needed a tow under that membership I probably did not get it with that. I likely would have gotten the boat home without the membership, etc., via my yacht policy.
KG
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Seems like there's nothing to fault on this point. She would have been negligent to do otherwise I think.
Thanks for sharing this, KG. Very interesting. And so glad it all worked out in the end.
Thanks so much for sharing this story. It must have been so anxiety-provoking, I fell for you. It has informed me: now that I will be sailing alone, for the most part, I'm going to prepare in advance for the chance that I may become incapacitated in some way while away from my home port.
Thank you, and God bless!
jv
Right. I know exactly where that is. I was thrown off by the "5.1 n. miles." I believe you were more like 4 nm. from Avalon.
This is standard for those who have insurance and towing under a Boat/US insurance policy. It is not necessary to have Unlimited Towing on the Boat/US membership.
TowBoat does have limitations on distance and region. When we were towed from Key Largo to Marathon (~50 miles) the tow was split between 2 TowBoat operators. I think the limit is about 25 miles.
jviss,
Thank you for your kind remarks. At the risk of causing thread drift, I have a few tips. It was lumpy when the EM crew arrived and had been since dawn that morning. Even though I explained my location they wanted a hard position. I could not read my GPS position numbers through my vision distortion. They tried to send me a cell text link that would give my position, but I had no cell service at that location. Finally, they had me count over the VHF and used RDF to come directly to the boat.
Once there they wanted to get me off right away. I was unprepared to leave the boat not knowing when or how I would get back. I grabbed my cell phone and iPad, wallet, reading and sunglasses. I neglected to get the charging adapter for the phone and iPad, but it might not have helped b/c on the boat I have only the 12v plug in. Ashore I needed the 110v. Could not buy one at the Vons store there as they stock only 12v.
Now I carry the combination 12v, 110v adapters aboard. And, a power pack for back up charging. The phone battery ran down ashore (doing a lot of calling) but I met a Good Samaritan who let me use his power pack to recharge for a couple of hours. Very hard to get things done these days w/o a cell phone. I also did not have my jacket so had to buy a warm pull-over at one of the tourist shops.
So, short advice is prepare a “ditch bag” for going ashore unexpectedly. Cell phone, charger, power pack, hat, jacket, pint of water, glasses, analgesic, credit card or cash, ID, & medical insurance cards or facsimiles.
KG
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Yes, as you say. I think Long Point is 5 miles from Avalon; Goat Hbr a bit further; Hen Rock closer.
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Thanks, but the question is does the yacht policy normally permit dispatch to recover a boat at anchor that itself is not disabled on behalf of an incapacitated skipper? EM will rescue the skipper; who rescues the boat? It seems that management had to issue special permission here to tow in order to avoid a potentially substantial covered loss, not b/c I NEEDED a tow home.
Very curious.
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I suspect at the dispatch and/or frontline call center there are very strict and tight rules about who can approve what. For example when asking for coverage for the Bahamas, the frontline underwriters can approve a boat up to 30 years old. Over 30 years and an underwriting supervisor has to approve it.Thanks, but the question is does the yacht policy normally permit dispatch to recover a boat at anchor that itself is not disabled on behalf of a incapacitated skipper? EM will rescue the skipper; who rescues the boat? It seems that management had to issue special permission here to potentially prevent a substantial covered loss, not b/c I NEEDED a tow.
Having left the boat for a verified medical issue is quite different from getting drunk and passing out in a back alley and wanting the boat back to you.
BoatUs did cover a tow for us for our dinghy. I was in Key West with our boat about 1.5 miles away across a busy channel when the outboard wouldn't start. There was no way for me to get back to the boat, so they came and got me.
Another thing. At 60 ft depth I had not anchored the boat with potentially sufficient scope to hold facing a Santa Ana blow with seas arriving. It was mid-October and whereas the weather was basically good, it was on the border of the Santa Ana season which begins officially in November. I felt I had left the boat vulnerable not knowing when I might return. That bothered me. As most here know, it’s best practice to anchor securely at all times. Another tip.