Upper Chesapeake Towing Companies

[CrazyDave]

Hi Guys/Gals,

I did a search on this, but the topic was pretty stale.

I have a trailered 21' Bowrider and typically frequent the Middle River, Hart Miller Island, Bush River, Havre De Grace, etc (Upper Bay) areas. I do enjoy the Annapolis area a few times a year as well. You never pay attention to this until you need it, but I think a towing membership would be prudent for my situation. I have seen the tow boats around my area, but i guess I should have paid closer attention to the Company names.

According to the web sites, it would appear that TowBoatUS has the most operators however, Sea Tow appears to have the slight edge in benefits, most notably double the coverage if an alternate towing company is utilized if their Captains are unavailable. Not sure if that really matters, as I do not ever get more than 20-25 miles away from the launch, and never out of protected Bay waters.

Are the 2 Companies equally reputable in this area, so it simply comes down to the number of operators? Or, are there advantages to one over the other for my specific needs as a trailer boater. The main concern for me is that I want quick response time, as I boat with my wife, and our 5 and 8 year old kids, and I want to be towed back to where I launched as opposed to the closest shop. So far, never an issue, and my insurance policy covers up to a $500 tow, but I would rather produce a membership card and be on my way than deal with the unknown.

Thanks for you advice on this.

Dave

 

[FortunateSun]

Sea Tow is located on Frog Mortar Creek, Their boat is very visable in the Middle River area. Very friendly people

 

[MikeeH]

In the Upper Bay SeaTow is located in the Bohemia River and TowBoatUS is located on the Sassafras River. Both are reputable. I have had TowBoatUS for years and used them once... service was outstanding. The Upper Bay SeaTow franchise was started about 2 years ago by a dockmate (Gary O'Reilly) and is equally as good. If I still had a boat on the Upper Bay I'd probably switch to SeaTow simply because I know Gary.

 

[ChesBayCruiser]

For the areas you frequent with your boat, you have three choices, SeaTow, TowBoatUs and Deckelman's BayAssist (http://www.chesapeakebayassist.com/).

I'd recommend BayAssist as they are a small, privately owned commercial towing operation built on customer service.

Their website details their service levels. For a fee comparable to SeaTow and TowBoatUS, Bay Assist will provide you unlimited freedom to boat the Maryland waters of the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. Members who become disabled and require assistance are guaranteed towing of their vessel back to their homeport or their port of choice, whichever is closer. Excludes the Potomac River.

Anyone who's ever been towed by TugBoat Teddy knows the service that Deckelman's Bay Assist provides.