TOWING/SALVAGE SERVICES | OFFICE/DISPATCH | DIFFERENCES TOW/SALVAGE | SALVAGE COMPENSATION
GENERAL RATES

TOWING / SALVAGE SERVICES

Cap’n Dave's Tow boat service provides 24/7 towing and salvage services for Lake Whitney during the boating season.  Cap’n Dave's Tow Boat is an authorized TowBoatU.S. tower which is the provider for Boat U.S. towing services. Check out TowBoatU.S. towing insurance to preclude those costly tows.

OFFICE AND DISPATCH CENTER

We are a designated BoatU.S. Tower and take Boat U.S. Tow insurance. The company has one 1996 Prusuit 26’ Center Console vessel  the "Challenger" with appropriate rigging and required equipment to successfully complete minor and complex vessel towing.  The vessel is rigged with Communications and Navigation systems so that the distressed vessel can be located in the shortest amount of elapsed time.  In addition to our professional towing we provide ungrounding, salvage, Jump-starting, de-watering, diving service, fuel transfers and other emergency services. We can also provide access to limited dockside repair services and have access additional services when necessary.   We also utilize one SeaDoo LRV "Little One" which is a 13 foot long PWC to get into shallows, make fuel runs and general light weight towing work. 

Cap’n Dave suggests that all boaters maintain some type of towing insurance through their insurance companies as emergency towing services are expensive.  Tow boat companies typically charge time from dispatch at their home port to the time they return [See below for charts]. Costs range from 140.00 to 175.00 an hour for normal services. Un-grounding Soft grounded vessels runs from 20.00 to 30.00 a running foot plus running time to and from the site. 

We provide services to anyone in need and are a certified TowBoatU.S. operational “Tower” for Boat US. Boat US which provides insurance coverage for Towing Assistance and maintains a 24/7 call center to support their members.  As a designated tower for Boat US, Members “ Cap'n Dave's” is a part of the largest fleet of public assistance towers in the U.S., Providing fast, efficient towing services for disable boaters among more than 650,00 Boat US members.

There is a difference between towing services and salvage services, Salvage operations are generally handled by insurance companies and of course can be costly to recover a sunken or damages vessel to include the required EPA clean up of fuel and oil spills on all waters of the United States. 

Our tow boat can be hailed on VHF Marine radio Channel 16 by calling Cap’n Dave's Tow or by calling 254-694-0808 or the Boat US dispatch number  1-800-391-4869. Our service includes Towing, Fuel delivery, jump starts, minor repair services and water taxi. For more information on BoatUs go to:

http://www.boatus.com/towing

TYPICAL TOWING CHARGE [EXAMPLE]
TIME (PORTAL TO PORTAL)	RATE	COST
1.0 HOUR TO SCENE	$175.00	$175.00
10 MINUTE UNGROUNDING	24FT. @ 20.00 PER FT.	$480.00
1.0 HOUR RETURN TIME	$195.00 PER HOUR (NIGHT)	$195.00
	TOTALS	$850.00

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN TOW AND SALVAGE

 

The service of towing is the employment of one vessel to expedite the voyage or delivery of another vessel when there is no immediate danger to life or the property apprehended. Towage is sometimes done for convenience purposes only, for example; when a pleasure craft has become disabled and needs delivery to safe harbor.

Salvage of a vessel is in order when there is an immediate need for service due to perilous conditions that require assistance by a salvor. Although a marine peril to the salved property is necessary to be considered a "valid claim" imminent or absolute danger of the vessel are not required. Context is normally the determining factor when deciding the nature of the services and the amount of compensation. This is why most salvors provide a "fixed price" or hourly rate for their services.

"The admiralty and maritime law of the United States has long recognized that the law of salvage rewards the voluntary salvor for his successful rescue of life or property".

If the salvor wants to do the job but does not know what the cost will be but will make claim afterwards, the final amount will be decided one of three ways -- negotiation with the owners insurance company; binding arbitration or, rarely, through litigation in federal admiralty courts.  

SALVAGE COMPENSATION

Salvage is the compensation allowed to persons by whose voluntary assistance of a vessel at sea or her cargo or both have been saved in whole or in part from impending maritime perils.

The salvor shall owe a duty to the vessel and/or property owner to carry out the salvage operations with due care as to prevent or minimize damage to personal property and the environment.

The owner or operator of the vessel shall owe a duty to the salvor to co-operate fully with him during the salvage operations as to prevent or minimize damage to the environment.

The U.S. District Court in Washington summarized what constitutes a maritime peril in the case of McNabb vs O. S. Bowfin, as follows:
"to constitute a maritime peril, it is not necessary that the danger be actual or imminent, it is sufficient if, at the time assistance was rendered, the vessel was stranded so that it was subject to the potential danger of damage or destruction".

A vessel driven aground on a beach, or similar gravel or shell, for example, in the area involved must be considered as in a state of peril, exposed to wind, weather, and waves, it does not require extensive reflection to come to the conclusion as to being in immediate maritime peril.

GENERAL RATE STRUCTURE

GENERAL TOWING/SALVAGE RATES NORMAL SEA STATE
COST	SERVICE DESCRIPTION
$175.00 PER HOUR	TIME STARTS FROM DEPARTURE FROM HOME PORT AND ENDS WHEN TOW BOAT RETURNS TO HOME PORT “ PORTAL TO PORTAL”
$20.00 PER FOOT *	ADDITONAL COST FOR SOFT-UNGROUNDINGS. IN AN ADDITION TO “PORTAL TO PORTAL” CHARGES A $20.00 PER FOOT OF BOAT CHARGE
$175.00 PER HOUR	PORTAL TO PORTAL TIME PLUS COST OF FUEL DELIVERED DELIVERY
$40.00 PER HOUR **	SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY /  HIGH WIND / RAIN-THUNDER/LIGHTENING ADDITIVE CHARGE
$20.00 PER HOUR	NIGHT OPERATION CHARGE
$90.00 PER HOUR	WATER TAXI / DELIVERY OF VESSEL “PORTAL TO PORTAL”
$50.00 PER HOUR	NEW VESSEL CHECK OUT / INSPECTION / OPERATOR FAMILEARIZATION
PER CASE BASIS	VESSEL SALVAGE / DIVER SERVICES

*Soft Grounding – In addition to “Portal to Portal” an hourly towing charges, boater will be charged $20.00 per foot of the vessels length to be pulled free. The ungrounding fee is NOT based on the time it takes to pull you free, but rather the Length of the boat.

** When Small Craft Advisories are in effect our rates will have an additional charge of $40.00 per hour. This is done because of the significant increase in risk to our crews and equipment.

OTHER CAPTAIN SERVICE RATES
COST	SERVICE DESCRIPTION
$90.00 PER HOUR	WATER TAXI / DELIVERY OF VESSEL “PORTAL TO PORTAL”
$50.00 PER HOUR	NEW VESSEL CHECK OUT / INSPECTION / OPERATOR FAMILIARZATION