Sea Tow is organized into three tiers with each having a different function.

Sea Tow International: The corporate office, located in New York, is responsible for the administration of the Sea Tow world wide membership program and the administration of the Network of professional towers who will assist the members.

Sea Tow Franchisee: Each Sea Tow Franchisee is charged with regional operation of a large geographic area of responsibility (AOR). The Franchisee determines the number of vessels and the level of staffing necessary to properly cover the members in his AOR. Depending on the membership demands each Franchisee may have anywhere from 2-20 Captains and vessels operating out of multiple ports within that AOR. Each Sea Tow member when they join is assigned to a specific Franchisee's AOR. The Franchisees AOR thus becomes the member's home area.

Sea Tow Captains: All Sea Tow Captains are highly trained professionals with years of boating experience. Sea Tow captains are all United States Coast Guard Licensed Merchant Marine Officers. Our captains, not only meet the high standards of the Coast Guard, they also meet the professional standards set by Sea Tow International. In the event the covered vessel becomes disabled and needs assistance towing, our Sea Tow captain will be the person that responds to you on the water.

Sea Tow Gold Card: This is the world famous card that 95% of our members select. It is “Your Road Service at Sea”® providing on-the-water assistance to recreational boaters 24 hours a day, 365 days a year in accordance with this Member Guide. The Sea Tow Gold card covers any recreational vessel that has an engine and is registered to or owned by the member (covered vessels). Any person operating a covered vessel is entitled to recieve membership benefits for that vessel. The Gold Card member may also use his/her privileges on any vessel he/she Charters, Rents, Leases, or Borrows. One of the members's vessels must be identified as the primary vessel.

Sea Tow Lake Card: This card provides Gold Card benefits on the specific inland body of water where the members home port for their primary vessel is located. The Lake Card is designed for those members who boat solely on a single specific inland body of water 100 percent of the time. For a listing of Sea Tow locations that offer the Lake Card option, as well as the specific inland body of water each of those participatin locations serve, please refer to www.seatow.com.

Sea Tow Corporate Card: This card is designed for members who have their recreational vessel registered under a corporate name. The Corporate Card covers the primary vessel only. Any person operation the primary vessel is entitled to recieve membership benefits for that vessel.

Sea Tow Commercial Card: This card provides service for commercial vessels. The Commercial Card covers the primary vessel only. Any person operating the primary vessel is entitled to recieve all membership benefits for that vessel at $100 per hour.

Sea Tow Professional Mariner Card: If you make your living on the water, this card is for you. The professional Mariner Card is a service package for individuals who regularly use multiple vessels in the performance of their maritime duties such as yacht delivery captains, yacht brokers, on-water instructors, etc Any vessel the member is operating and is the master of, is entitled to recieve membership benefits for that vessel, except for Dock-to-Dock tows.

Sea Tow Trailer Care™ Upgrades:

Trailer Care™ Marine:The program provides roadside assistance services for the boat trailer and towing vehicle when the trailer or towing vehicle becomes disabled on the road while trailering the boat*. The Trailer Care™ Marine membership applies to all marine trailers owned by or registered to the member. Vehicles and trailers used for commercial purposes are not covered.

Trailer Care™ Universal: The program privides roadside assistance services for the trailer and towing vehicle when the trailer or towing vehicle become disabled on the road while hauling the trailer. The Trailer Care Universal membership applies to all trailers owned by or registered to the member. Vehicles and trailers used for commercial purposes as well as mobile homes are not covered.

Services for the trailer for both programs include roadside assistance for flat tires** and the towing of the trailer when the towing vehicle becomes disabled. The program also includes roadside assistance for wheel bearing, axle and brake problems. Services for the towing vehicle include roadside assistance for flat tires**, jump starts, lockout service and fuel delivery.

Services are covered up to $150 per incident and do not cover the cost of parts (i.e. tires) or fuel that is delivered. Service is sign-and-drive when available. All other member request will be reimbursed up to the coverage limits.

*Trailering the boat is defined as follows: towing the boat’s trailer to and from the boat as well as trailering the boat itself.

**Flat Tires: Trailer care will cover replacement of the defective tire with the vehicle's spare or delivery of a new tire (at the owner's expense for the cost of the tire) if necessary, and reasonably possible.

Home Area Tows: All members are entitled to unlimited assistance towing services on the covered vessel and may be towed by Sea Tow to the dock of their choice within their selected home area at no charge. No time limits, distance limits or dollar limits apply within your home area.

Multiple Area Tows: All members out of their home area will be towed by Sea Tow to the dock or area that will most facilitate their boats repair or transportation, or to the adjacent Sea Tow Franchise area if it is the members home area.

Universal Towing Coverage: In areas where Sea Tow is not yet operating, Sea Tow will arrange and pay for your assistance towing up to $150 per hour, no to exceed $5,000 per incident to the dock or facility that will best facilitate the boat's repair or transportation, with no annual aggregate limits. You must use a Coast Guard licensed professional tower, pay the bill and submit a copy of the invoice to Sea Tow International for reimbursement. Tows and hourly rates in excess of $150/hr will not be paid without prior autherization.

Towing Services: Sea Tow will provide assistance towing service to your covered vessel if it becomes disabled while away from home port.

Alternatives To Towing: When conditions permit, the Sea Tow captain as an alternative to towing the covered vessel, may elect to provide a jump-start, fuel transfer, disentanglement (NO DIVER) or other service on scene at no additional charge to the member except for fuel, parts or non-covered services used (i.e. diver, salvage, special unusual requests). If the problem can not be resolved on scene, Sea Tow will tow the covered vessel.

Ungrounding: Sea Tow will provide ungrounding assistance to covered vessels when all six of the following conditions apply; The vessel is not in the surf or surf line. The vessel is in a stable, safe position. The vessel is surrounding by water on all sides. The vessel has some movement (i.e. rocking). The vessel can be refloated in 15 minutes or less by one Sea Tow boat. The vessel can continue its voyage safely once it has been refloated. If all six conditions do not apply it is not a covered service.

Dock to Dock Tows: If the primary vessel is disabled at a safe port in your home area, Sea Tow will tow you to your home port at no charge.  If the primary vessel is disabled at your home port, Sea Tow will arrange a tow, at no charge, provided that the tow is scheduled during off peak hours and the member is aboard the vessel.  Dock to Dock tows are not normally covered within the first thirty days of member activation.  Hauling vessels out for the season and due to impending bad weather are not covered.  

Definitions

The following terms are defined in order to help members understand the privileges that a Sea Tow membership offers.

AOR: Area of responsibility, the geographic area assigned each Sea Tow Franchisee.

Assistance Towing: Non-emergency assistance provided to a disabled vessel. (Definition from the Federal Register 1988)

Charter/Rent/Lease/Borrow: Use of a recreational vessel by the member with the permission of the vessel's registered owner, wheras the member is the master of the vessel(has care, custody, and control) and the registered owner of the vessel is not on board(i.e. membership priviledges do not apply if the member is only a guest on the vessel.)

Covered Vessel: Any vessel covered by a Sea Tow membership card, providing the vessel is 65-feet in length or under.

Dock-to-Dock Tow: A tow from one safe port or marina to another safe port or marina.

Disabled Vessel: A vessel which while being operated, has been rendered incapable of proceeding under its own power and is in need of assistance. (Definition from the USCG SAR Policy)

Disentanglement: Removal of a line, rope or other foreign objects from the underwater running gear of a disabled vessel.

Fuel Transfer: Delivery of gasoline or diesel fuel to a disabled vessel.

Home Area: The large geographic area of responsibility (AOR) that a Sea Tow franchise covers that will include your Home Port.

Home Port: A member's specified marina, yacht club, pier, launching ramp, dock or mooring.

Hard Aground: A vessel grounded on rocks, ledge, shoal or otherwise in a perilous marine situation. Assistance to a vessel hard aground constitutes a salvage operation and will usually be covered under a vessels hull insurance or liability policy.

Home Area: The large geographic area of responsibility (AOR) that a Sea Tow Franchisee covers which includes your home port.

Home Port: A member's specified marina, yacht club, pier, launching ramp or mooring.

Incident:Any event or series of events arising from the same occurrence.

Jump-start: Starting a disabled vessels engine by attaching an outside power source to the starting circuit by means of cables.

Member: The specific person named on the Sea Tow membership card, to whom the primary vessel is registered, or owned by.

Primary Vessel: The named or otherwise identified, specific vessel that membership privileges applied to.

Recreational Vessel:Any vessel, with an engine, that is not commercially registered or being used in a commercial manner.

Safe Port: Is one that can accommodate the safe mooring of your vessel and has available a means of communication. (Definition from the USCG SAR Policy).

Salvage Operations: Any act or activity undertaken to assist a vessel or any other property in danger in navigable waters or in any other waters whatsoever. (Definition from the IMO International Salvage Conference 1989).

Soft Aground: For the purposes of the Sea Tow membership program a vessel is considered soft aground when the vessel's hull is touching the bottom and the vessel is not in peril, not beached, has water surrounding on all sides, has some movement, is not in contact with rocks, coral, reefs, or any other obstruction that may damage the vessel, is in calm water, free from wakes, surf, and waves greater than 1' and the vessel can be removed from aground with one towboat in less than 15 minutes.

Limitations And Reservations

Mayday Situations: As professional mariners, Sea Tow and Sea Tow captains reserve the right to delay response to members in order to provide assistance to vessels in grave or eminent danger.

Severe Weather: Sea Tow reserves the right to decline or delay service due to severe or dangerous weather conditions. The Coast Guard may be notified in such cases by Sea Tow and requested to respond.

Multiple Area Towing (M.A.T.): During high volume periods (weekends, holidays, etc.) arrangements for multiple area tows may be scheduled during off-peak hours.

Jump-starts: For safety reasons, Sea Tow will not provide jump-starts at home ports.  On water jump-starts are at the discretion of the Sea Tow captain and only if it can be performed safely.

Non-Assistance Towing Items: Items such as: fuel, parts, de-watering pumps, SCUBA divers, haul outs etc., are not covered in the membership program.

Heavy Traffic: Sea Tow members always receive priority service. However, on days of heavy boating traffic, calls will be handled on a first member called - first member assisted basis.

Salvage Operations: Salvage Operations are not member privileges covered by the membership. Vessels wrecked, beached, on fire, taking on water or sinking are not covered by the membership.

Disentanglement: Disentanglement is at the discretion of the Sea Tow captain and will be completed to their best ability. In some cases a tow may be safer. If a diver is used there will be a charge for his time.

Pre-Existing Problems: A membership applicant warrants that the covered vessel will be reasonably maintained and free of any condition that renders the covered vessel inoperable or unsafe when they join. Vessels with pre-existing problems, therefore, are not covered under this program. This applies to new applications and any change in primary vessel information.

Insurance: Towing charges as part of an insurance claim such as: a salvage operation, wreck removal or the towing portion of the damage claims covered by a hull insurance policy are not covered membership privileges. Any insurance recovery for towing charges provided by Sea Tow is payable to Sea Tow.

Refunds: Refunds will only be provided within thirty days of membership activation provided no membership services have been rendered within that time.

Other Towing Services: Towing invoices from non-Sea Tow providers are not covered when there is a Sea Tow provider in the area. A non-licensed Good Samaritan, marina, or other may not charge for services as it is in violation of Federal Law. Sea Tow will not offer reimbursement for this type of service, as it should be given free of charge.

Changes to Primary Vessel: It is the members responsibility to immediately contact Sea Tow and inform them of any changes to the primary vessel.

Second Sea Tow Boat: if the use of a second tow boat is required, the member may be charged for the services rendered by the second towboat.

Proof of Ownership: Evidence of ownership by registration, documentation or bill of sale must be provided at the time of service.If such evidence is unavailable, and not provided to Sea Tow within 24 hours, you may be charged for services rendered.

Boats over 65 Feet: Service is not available in all areas. If a second tow boat is required the member may be charged for services rendered by the second tow boat.

Lake Card Membership: Multiple Area Towing and Universal Towing Coverage benefits do not apply.

If your vessel is aground in a marine sanctuary or other protected area, you may be responsible for additional charges.

Members are limited to one tow (or alternative to tow) per incident.

Services provided by Sea Tow are not part of an insurance policy and do not provide for any liability or damages arising out of injury to persons, boats or property.

Sea Tow encourages safe boating. Towing services for vessels after operator has been arrested for intoxicated operation is not covered under the membership program. "DON'T DRINK AND BOAT!"

Sea Tow reserves the right to withdraw any membership for abuse. This includes misrepresentation of vessels condition, fraud, intoxicated operation or lack of upkeep and care of the vessel. For liability reasons Sea Tow reserves the right to refuse to tow an unmanned vessel.

IN CASE OF EMERGENCY, CALL THE U. S. COAST GUARD FIRST ON CHANNEL 16 VHF!