My father owns the TowBoatUS out of New Bedford (we have two boats out of NB, one out of Dartmouth, and one out of Westport) and I've been towing for him 6 years now. Let me enlighten you guys.
First off, there are two membership levels. The unlimited membership, which the majority of our customers use, costs $149 annually, and essentially grants you 12 consecutive hours of towing per incident, which is basically like being towed from Montauk to New Bedford. In other words, more than most boaters will ever need. The unlimited GOLD package costs $181 and grants more coverage per incident and includes 100% coverage of home slip tows. Know that the $149-dollar membership covers only 50% of home slip tows, which is a tow from your HOME slip to any ramp, repair, or haul-out facility. Being towed from any other dock or transient slip is always 100% covered. I would like to clarify that included in the cost of either of these tow packages is the $24 BoatUS/ West Marine membership fee. Also, for you trailer guys, you can add 100 miles of vehicle/trailer coverage for a mere $14.
In regards to coverage, if you're boating in the Buzzards Bay/ Cape Cod/ Vineyard Sound/ Boston area, you're best bet is with TowBoatUS. If the cheaper price point doesn't appeal to you, know that we have more boats in the same geographic area. Many more. To put it simply, you're getting more for less.
Paul, you mentioned SafeSea, and I want to touch upon that topic. They have their own membership base exclusive to Rhode Island waters, but they're also the TowBoatUS contractor for Rhody. In other words, if you're a TowBoatUS member from MA and break down in Rhode Island, they come get you and you're completely covered. If you're a Rhode Island boater that frequently travels out of Rhode Island waters, you may want to consider a TowBoatUS membership, since you'd be covered no matter where you are in the US, including Rhode Island. If you boat only in Rhode Island, get a SafeSea membership. They have one of the best assistance towing operations in the country, so you're absolutely in good hands.
If any of you guys have questions or need further info, please PM me.
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