Q. How do I contact you when I’m on the water?
A. The preferred method for contacting the on-duty Captain at Sea Tow®
Eastern Connecticut is to call our local 24-hour dispatch number for assistance (860-572-9090).
We also monitor the VHF 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. A call for "Sea Tow®" on VHF-16 will
get you a prompt response from a Sea Tow® Captain who is on patrol in your area. If you cannot
reach us by either of these means you should call the U.S. Coast Guard, give them your
geographical position and ask them to contact the local Sea Tow® for you. Do not accept
services from any other towing provider.
Q. How many times will you tow me in a year?
A. Sea Tow® does not have a limit on the amount of free towing you can
receive in one year.
Q. What is my annual dollar limit?
A. Sea Tow® does not have an annual dollar limit.
Q. What if I break down at my home dock? Will you still tow me for free?
A. Dock-to-dock tows are covered FREE from your homeport or mooring.
They are not, however, covered in the first thirty days of new membership activation.
Please see the Member Guide for full details.
Q. How do I arrange for a dock-to-dock tow?
A. Dock-to-dock tows are subject to the discretion of the local franchise.
They are scheduled in advance, for a time during off-peak hours. The owner of the vessel
must be present before we begin the tow and is required to travel onboard during the tow.
Dock-to-dock tows are only covered on the member’s primary vessel. Keep in mind that
haul-outs for the end of season and impending bad weather are not covered under dock-to-dock
privileges.
Q. If my friend uses my boat, are they covered?
A. Sea Tow® covers any boat owned by and registered to the member. It
doesn't matter who is operating the boat. IT'S FREE!
Q. What if I run out of fuel?
A. We will bring you up to 10 gallons of fuel (gas or diesel). If you need
more than 10 gallons of fuel, be sure you let us know before get underway. We will make
every effort to accommodate you. Members will only be charged for the fuel but not for the
run time.
Q. Will you give me a jumpstart at my dock?
A. Normally we do not provide jump starts to begin your journey but rather
to complete it, if you have a problem while on the water. We recommend if you have a dead
battery at the beginning of your journey you have the battery tested and charged before you
leave. The decision to jumpstart is always at the discretion of the on-duty captain.
Q. What is a covered ungrounding?
A. Sea Tow® will provide free ungrounding assistance to covered vessels when
all five of the following conditions apply:
- The vessel is not in dangerous surf or inside a dangerous surf line
- The vessel is in a stable, safe condition
- The vessel is surrounded by water on all sides
- The vessel has some movement (i.e. rocking)
- The vessel can be re-floated upon initial arrival or at the next high tide, in 15 minutes or less, by one Sea Tow® boat
Ungroundings that do not meet the foregoing criteria are considered salvage services and are invoiced to the member as such. If you have any doubt, ask your Sea Tow® Captain at the scene.
Q. What is NOT covered?
A. Fuel, parts, diver services, and any salvage, including hard
ungroundings, are not included in your membership. It is important that you maintain a
hull insurance policy to cover you in the event of damage to your vessel.
Q. What does "port-to-port" mean?
A. As with most service organizations, Sea Tow® charges for the use of our
vessel from the time we leave our docks until the time we get back, i.e., "port-to-port."
Q. How many and what kinds of boats do you operate?
A. We have 4 Sea Tow® boats operating within our local Area of Responsibility.
Please see the Crew & Equipment page for more information.
Q. What is your average response time?
A. In the last seven years, 99% of our members have been serviced in less
than 1 hour.
Q. What if I'm not a member?
A. All Sea Tow® services are available to non-members. Our fee-for-service
rates may be in excess of $275 per hour. Because our members receive priority service, on
busy weekends non-member service may be declined. Non-members are charged at our regular,
posted rates which are subject to change at any time. All our charges are port-to-port.
Q. How do I become a member?
A. Join online now!
SeaTow® Eastern Connecticut
145 Pearl Street, Noank Shipyard, Noank, CT 06340
Phone: (860) 572-9090 Email: info@seatoweasternct.com