Boating is fun most of the time, but once in a while the seagull hits the fan and even the most experienced skippers need a little help. With luck, that’s just a tow back to the marina or boatyard or launch ramp. In days past, the tow was often courtesy of the U.S. Coast Guard, or a Good Samaritan fellow boater who asked nothing but a thank you and a friendly wave as he motored away. That was then—nowadays, you’ll more likely end up in the hands of a professional tow captain looking for more than just gratitude. Sometimes a lot more, depending on the circumstances: If a tow becomes a salvage job, the costs can skyrocket.
Marine salvage isn’t piracy, but it can seem like it to skippers unfamiliar with the rules of the game: Salvage can cost a lot of money. Why? While towing someone home is usually a simple procedure, and one covered by membership with Sea Tow, TowBoatUS or another commercial towing company, saving a boat that’s on the rocks, or sinking, or otherwise in peril takes training, expertise, experience, specialized equipment and, sometimes, courage. Heading out into a storm in a rugged RIB to fetch someone’s broken-loose cruiser, or deploying a crash pump in heavy seas to dewater
