Quick Facts
| BoatUS Membership | From $99/year — includes unlimited towing, jump starts, fuel delivery, soft grounding |
| Sea Tow Membership | From $185/year — towing-focused, captain-owned franchises, strong local knowledge in many regions |
| USCG Towing Policy | Coast Guard responds only to life-safety emergencies — not disabled vessels with no one at risk |
| Commercial Tow Companies | Cover engine failure, grounding, out of fuel, disabled propulsion — the routine breakdown situations |
| VHF Contact | Channel 16 (hailing only); switch to working channel as directed by dispatcher |
| Offshore Coverage | Most policies limited to a defined distance from shore — check your policy for exact limits |
The question comes up every spring: BoatUS or Sea Tow? Both provide commercial towing assistance to recreational boaters, both operate dispatch systems that respond on VHF Channel 16, and both will come to you when your engine quits three miles off the inlet. The differences are real but narrower than the marketing suggests. What matters more is understanding what either membership covers, where it stops, and what fills the gap offshore.
More importantly: neither of these services is the Coast Guard. The USCG is a search and rescue agency that responds to life-safety emergencies. A dead engine with calm seas and no one at risk is not a USCG call. It is a commercial tow call — and that distinction shapes everything about how you plan for it.
BoatUS: The Largest Network
Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) is the largest recreational boating membership organization in the United States, now owned by GEICO. The towing membership — called Gold Anchor — starts around $99 per year for basic coverage and includes unlimited towing, jump starts, fuel delivery (you pay for the fuel itself), soft grounding assistance, and 24/7 dispatch. The network operates through contracted towing companies at marinas across the US, which means coverage density varies by region — it is strong in Florida, the Chesapeake, the Great Lakes, and coastal New England, and thinner in more remote areas.
The BoatUS membership also bundles with their insurance products. Many boaters who use BoatUS for insurance will add the towing membership for a discounted combined rate. This integration means your claim and towing histories are in one place, which can simplify renewal discussions but also means your towing use could theoretically influence your insurance picture.
BoatUS coverage ends at the US border. If you are taking the boat to Canada, the Bahamas, or anywhere outside US waters, standard BoatUS towing does not apply. For offshore passages or extended cruising, EPIRB registration and the expectation of USCG or Coast Guard coordination at the destination country is the relevant framework — not a commercial towing membership.
Sea Tow: The Dedicated Towing Company
Sea Tow is a franchise system of captain-owned towing operations covering the US coast and many inland waterways. Memberships start around $185 per year — higher than BoatUS basic — but the company's argument is that its captains are typically more deeply local: owning and operating in a defined territory rather than working through a contractor network. In some areas this holds up; a Sea Tow captain who has worked the same inlet for ten years often has local knowledge that makes him genuinely faster and more capable than a dispatched contractor.
Sea Tow's model is towing-first. Where BoatUS is a broad membership organization that also provides towing, Sea Tow is primarily a towing company. For boaters who want one thing from a membership — someone who will come to the boat quickly and get it to a marina — Sea Tow is a direct comparison to BoatUS towing coverage at higher cost, offset by the franchise depth argument.
Like BoatUS, Sea Tow operates a 24/7 dispatch system. Hail on VHF Channel 16 with your vessel name, position (GPS coordinates in decimal degrees or degrees and decimal minutes, not degrees-minutes-seconds), and the nature of the problem. The dispatcher will confirm your membership, assign a tow captain, and give you an estimated arrival time. Keep the VHF on and listening — the tow captain will contact you directly as he approaches.
The USCG Dividing Line
The Coast Guard's authority to render assistance is framed around imminent danger to life. An engine-out vessel in calm conditions with a functioning anchor, sufficient fuel, and no crew medical issues is not a USCG case. The Guard has limited assets and concentrates them on situations where lives are actually at risk: a vessel taking on water, a fire aboard, a crew member with a medical emergency, a boat in a storm without power. Calling the USCG for a straightforward mechanical breakdown ties up resources that may be needed elsewhere.
The USCG will come to a disabled vessel if there is any credible safety concern — if you are drifting toward a hazard, if weather is deteriorating and anchoring is not possible, or if the situation is genuinely unclear. They will assess and, if appropriate, stand by until commercial assistance arrives. But they will not tow a disabled vessel simply because it is disabled. That is what Sea Tow and BoatUS are for.
The dividing line matters when you are planning your communications strategy. A Pan-Pan call (urgent but not life-threatening) may be appropriate if your situation is ambiguous — you are drifting in a shipping lane, for example. A Mayday call is for imminent danger to life. A call to your towing service's 800 number or a VHF hail on Channel 16 is for the engine that quit in the channel on a Sunday afternoon.
Offshore Coverage Limits
Both BoatUS and Sea Tow define their coverage area. Most standard memberships cover towing within a specific number of miles from shore — the exact limit varies by membership tier, and upgraded offshore coverage is available as an add-on for both services. Before any passage that takes you beyond the standard limit, read the policy language carefully.
Beyond the policy limits, you are in the territory of USCG SAR coordination, EPIRB response, and potentially commercial vessel diversion. This is not a gap you fill with a slightly better towing membership — it is a different system entirely, governed by international SAR conventions and operated through the USCG's Maritime Rescue Coordination Centers. The correct preparation for offshore passages is a registered 406 MHz EPIRB, a registered MMSI for your DSC VHF, and a passage plan that someone ashore knows about.
Making the Call: VHF Protocol
When you need a tow, the process is straightforward: hail on VHF Channel 16. For Sea Tow, say "Sea Tow, Sea Tow, this is [vessel name]." For BoatUS, the same format — "BoatUS, BoatUS, this is [vessel name]." Give your position in GPS coordinates the moment the dispatcher picks up. Your membership number is helpful but not required to initiate response — they can look you up by vessel name and documentation number.
Once contact is established, the dispatcher will ask you to switch to a working channel (typically 68 or 9) to keep Channel 16 clear for distress traffic. Provide the nature of the problem, the number of people aboard, sea conditions, and whether you are at anchor, drifting, or in any immediate danger. If you have a specific marina preference for the tow destination, say so — the dispatcher will coordinate accordingly.
Related Guides
If the situation is more serious: USCG Distress Procedures: Mayday, Pan-Pan, and EPIRB →
If you need to tow someone else: How to Tow Another Vessel →
← Towing & Sea Rescue | Safety Guides →
Frequently Asked Questions
What does BoatUS towing membership cover and what does it cost? BoatUS Gold Anchor towing membership starts around $99 per year and includes unlimited towing, jump starts, fuel delivery (member pays for the fuel), soft grounding assistance, and 24/7 dispatch. The network operates through contracted towing companies at marinas across the US, with strong coverage in Florida, the Chesapeake, the Great Lakes, and coastal New England and thinner coverage in remote areas. BoatUS coverage ends at the US border — if taking the boat to Canada, the Bahamas, or anywhere outside US waters, standard BoatUS towing does not apply.
How does Sea Tow's franchise model differ from BoatUS and when does it provide an advantage? Sea Tow is a franchise system of captain-owned towing operations, with memberships starting around $185 per year — higher than BoatUS basic. The company's argument is that its captains are more deeply local, owning and operating in a defined territory rather than working through a contractor network. In some areas this holds: a Sea Tow captain who has worked the same inlet for ten years has local knowledge that makes him faster and more capable than a dispatched contractor. For boaters who want primarily one thing from a membership — quick response and dock delivery — Sea Tow and BoatUS are direct comparisons at different price points.
When does the USCG respond to a disabled vessel and when must you call a commercial tow service? The Coast Guard responds only to life-safety emergencies — a vessel taking on water, a fire aboard, a crew medical emergency, or a boat in a storm without power and in immediate danger. An engine-out vessel in calm conditions with a functioning anchor and no crew at risk is not a USCG case. Calling the USCG for a straightforward mechanical breakdown ties up resources needed elsewhere. The dividing line matters for communications: a Pan-Pan call is appropriate if the situation is ambiguous, such as drifting in a shipping lane; a call to the towing service is for the engine that quit on a Sunday afternoon.
What is the correct VHF protocol for calling a towing service? Hail on VHF Channel 16 with vessel name and the service name — 'Sea Tow, Sea Tow, this is [vessel name]' or the equivalent for BoatUS. Give your GPS position in decimal degrees or degrees and decimal minutes the moment the dispatcher picks up. Your membership number is helpful but not required — dispatchers can look you up by vessel name and documentation number. Once contact is established, the dispatcher will direct you to switch to a working channel (typically 68 or 9) to keep Channel 16 clear for distress traffic.
What coverage system applies when you are beyond commercial towing range offshore? Beyond the policy limits — which both BoatUS and Sea Tow define, with offshore add-on coverage available for both — you are in the territory of USCG SAR coordination, EPIRB response, and potentially commercial vessel diversion. This is a different system entirely governed by international SAR conventions and operated through USCG Maritime Rescue Coordination Centers. The correct preparation for offshore passages is a registered 406 MHz EPIRB, a registered MMSI for your DSC VHF, and a passage plan that someone ashore knows about — not simply a better towing membership tier.
How does membership integration with BoatUS insurance affect the towing membership? BoatUS bundles towing with their insurance products — boaters who use BoatUS for insurance can add the towing membership at a discounted combined rate. This integration means claim and towing histories are in one place, which can simplify renewal discussions. The potential downside is that towing use history is part of the same record as insurance history, which could theoretically influence renewal terms. The company is now owned by GEICO, making it one of the largest insurer-towing combinations in US recreational boating.