“Your Road Service at Sea”®
2007 Member Guide
Welcome Aboard!
It is our pleasure to have you as a member of Sea Tow®, the world's largest marine assistance network. We
will do our best to provide you with the highest level of PRO®fessional service possible in order to ensure your "Peace
of Mind on the Water."™
Sea Tow has over 150,000 members and services more than 48,000 boaters
each year. We continually look for strategic ways to improve member benefits in order to enhance the value of your membership.
Our Sea Tow Advantage Network™ now has over 1,700 participating businesses, offering discounts to Sea Tow members for
fuel, dockage, supplies, repairs, parts and more! If you trailer your boat, our Sea Tow Trailer Care™ program, which
protects your boat while trailering to and from the water, is something you can't do without.
Fair winds
and following seas,
Thank you for choosing © Sea Tow Services International, Inc.
Chairman
& CEO
Capt. Joe & Georgia Frohnhoefer
Capt. Joe Frohnhoefer
Organization Membership Program
Sea Tow is organized into three tiers with each having a different function. Sea Tow Services International Inc.: The
corporate office, located in Southold, N.Y., is responsible for the administration of the Sea Tow worldwide membership program
and the development of the network of professional towers who assist its members.
Sea Tow Franchisee:
Each Sea Tow franchisee is charged with the 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 upon
the membership demands, each franchisee may employ multiple captains and vessels and operate out of multiple ports within
that AOR. When a Sea Tow member joins our program, that member is generally assigned to a specific franchisee's AOR.
Sea Tow Captains: All Sea Tow captains are highly trained professionals with years of boating experience. All
Sea Tow PRO®s meet the high standards of the United States Coast Guard and are licensed Merchant Marine Officers. In the
event that the covered vessel becomes disabled and needs assistance towing in an AOR, a Sea Tow captain will respond to you
on the water.
Look for the Sea Tow family of products and services as represented by our marks:
Sea Tow, Sea Care, Sea Styles, Sea Spill, Your Road Service at Sea, and PRO are registered trademarks. Sea Smart, Sea Insure,
Sea Loans, Sea Security, Trailer Care, Sea Store, Peace of Mind on the Water and Envirocare are trademarks of Sea Tow Services
International Inc. ©2007 Sea Tow Services International Inc.
Benefits
and regulations in this Member Guide supersede all prior versions.
Areas of
Service Limitations & 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 dollarlimits apply within your home area.
Multiple Area Towing: All members out of
their home area will be towed by Sea Tow to the dock or facility that will best facilitate the repair or transportation of
their boat, or to their home port if it is the adjacent Sea Tow area.
Universal Towing Coverage: In areas
where Sea Tow is not yet operating, Sea Tow will assist in arranging, and will reimburse for, assistance towing up to $150
per hour, not to exceed $5000 PER INCIDENT, to the dock or facility that will best facilitate the boat's repair or transportation,
with no annual aggregate limit. You must use a USCG licensed professional tower, pay the bill and submit a copy of the invoice
to Sea Tow Services International for reimbursement. Tows and hourly rates in excess of $150/hr will not be paid without
prior authorization.
Service Contract Privileges Towing Services: Sea Tow will provide one vessel for
assistance towing, or other covered service, to your covered vessel if it becomes disabled while away from your 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 on scene service at no additional
charge to the member except for fuel, parts or non-covered services used (e.g. diver, salvage, special unusual requests).
If the problem can not be resolved on scene, Sea Tow will tow the covered vessel.
Ungroundings: Sea Tow
will provide free ungrounding assistance to covered vessels when all five of the following conditions apply, namely that the
vessel: is in a stable, safe condition, is not in dangerous surf or inside a dangerous surf line, is surrounded by water on
all sides, has some movement (i.e. rocking), and can be refloated 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.
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 within your home area, 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 30 days after membership activation.
Hauling vessels out for the season and due to impending bad weather are not covered.
Mayday Situation:
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 imminent danger.
Severe Weather: Sea Tow reserves the right to decline
or delay service due to severe or dangerous weather conditions. In such cases, the Coast Guard may be notified by Sea Tow
and requested to respond.
Jump Start: For safety reasons, Sea Tow will not provide jump starts at home
ports. On-water jump starts are at the discretion of the captain and only if they can be performed safely.
Non-Towing
Assistance Items: Items such as: fuel, parts, de-watering pumps, SCUBA divers, haul-outs, etc., are not covered by 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 covered by the membership. Vessels wrecked, beached, on fire, taking on water, in the surf or surf
line, or sinking are not covered by the membership.
Disentanglements: Disentanglements are at the discretion
of the captain and will be completed to the best of his/her ability. In some cases a tow may be safer. If a diver is used,
there will be a charge for their time.
Pre-existing Problems: A membership applicant guarantees
that the covered vessel(s) will be reasonably maintained and in reasonable working order when he/she joins. Therefore, pre-existing
problems are not covered under one’s membership. This applies to new memberships and any changes in primary vessel information.
Refunds: Refunds, less a processing fee, will only be provided within 30 days of membership activation
provided no membership services have been rendered.
Insurance: Towing charges as part of an insurance
claim such as a salvage operation, wreck removal or the towing portion of a damage claim covered by a hull insurance policy
are not covered member privileges. Towing charges for any insurance recovery services provided by Sea Tow is payable to Sea
Tow.
Benefits and regulations in this Member Guide supersede all prior versions.
Reservations Definitions Activation: All memberships activate 24 hours from receipt of
payment. Any expired membership will have a reactivation period of 24 hours once payment is received. Membership
benefits expire with membership expiration.
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. Sea Tow is not responsible for the actions of providers who have no pre-existing written contractual
relationship with Sea Tow.
Changes to Primary Vessel: It is the member’s 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 towboat 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 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 towboat.
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 reserves the
right to withdraw any membership for abuse of privileges without reimbursement. This includes misrepresentation of vessel
condition, excessive towing, fraud, intoxicated operation or lack of upkeep and care of the vessel.
The
following terms are defined in order to help members understand the privileges that aSea Tow membership offers.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,
where 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 privileges do not apply if the member is only a guest on the vessel).
Commercial
Vessel: Any vessel, with an engine, that is commercially registered or being used in a commercial manner, including, but not
limited to: charter, rental, boat club, fishing, dive, survey, law enforcement, crewboats, water taxis, professional race
boats, or other working vessels.
Covered Vessel: Any vessel covered by a Sea Tow membership type: Gold
Card, Lake Card, Corporate Card, Commercial Card or Professional Mariner Card.
Dangerous Surf: Breaking
waves on shore, on a shoal or in an inlet (typically due to adverse current) that threaten the safety of either the member's
vessel or the Sea Tow vessel.
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 object 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.
Incident: Any event
or series of events arising from the same occurrence.
Jump Start: Starting a disabled vessel’s 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 to which select membership privileges apply. Proof of ownership
by the member is required.
Recreational Vessel: Any vessel, with an engine, that is not commercially registered
or being used in a commercial manner.
Safe Port: One that can accommodate the safe mooring of your vessel
and has available a means of communication (definition from USCG SAR Policy).
Salvage Operation: 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).
