Tow services · prices checked 3 Oct 2026

Sea Tow vs TowBoatUS: what each membership covers

SHORT ANSWER

Both run 24-hour dispatch, answer on VHF Channel 16 and have an app. TowBoatUS (BoatUS) towing costs $130 a year for freshwater or $215 for saltwater; Sea Tow costs $169 for the Lake Card or $249 for the Gold Card. Without a membership you pay per tow: BoatUS puts the average tow at $750 per incident, and Sea Tow says non-members pay roughly $950. The better choice is usually whichever has a boat based near where you go out.

VesselSOS has no deal with either company. We list both because the app’s US tow screen offers both dispatch lines.

Side by side

From each company’s own website, checked October 3, 2026. Read their service agreements for the full terms.

Saltwater + freshwater plan

TowBoatUS (BoatUS)Saltwater Towing: $215/year (coastal waters of the U.S., including all of Florida)

Sea TowGold Card: $249/year (salt and freshwater)

Freshwater-only plan

TowBoatUS (BoatUS)Freshwater Towing: $130/year (inland waters of the continental U.S., excluding Florida; not available in Florida or Hawaii)

Sea TowLake Card: $169/year (fresh, non-tidal waters; not available in Florida)

Without towing coverage

TowBoatUS (BoatUS)Basic Membership: $25/year includes 24/7 dispatch assistance, not towing

Sea TowNon-members can call; average cost of service roughly $950

What a tow costs without a plan

TowBoatUS (BoatUS)“The average cost of a tow is $750 per incident”

Sea Tow“The average cost of service for non-members is roughly $950”

Covered services

TowBoatUS (BoatUS)Pays 100% for on-the-water towing, jump starts, fuel delivery, soft ungroundings and dock-to-dock towing (towing plans)

Sea TowUnlimited towing in your home area, no distance or dollar limits; dock-to-dock tow up to 25 miles to a repair facility

Service area

TowBoatUS (BoatUS)Every TowBoatUS company covers at least 25 miles from its homeport; 300+ port locations

Sea TowNo specific offshore distance limit (sea conditions, fuel and communication permitting)

No local provider

TowBoatUS (BoatUS)Reimburses the first $3,000 if no TowBoatUS provider serves your area

Sea TowOut-of-area reimbursement up to $5,000 per incident

Whose boats

TowBoatUS (BoatUS)Follows you and your boat; friends or family using your boat are covered up to your level

Sea TowEvery boat the member owns, rents or bareboat charters

As a guest on someone else’s boat

TowBoatUS (BoatUS)Not covered when the owner is aboard: the owner’s coverage applies

Sea TowNot covered as a guest or on a borrowed boat

Members vs non-members

TowBoatUS (BoatUS)Not stated on the pages we checked

Sea TowMembers are always served before non-members

Salvage (sinking, hard grounding)

TowBoatUS (BoatUS)Not covered by towing service; that’s for boat insurance

Sea TowNot stated on the pages we checked

24-hour dispatch

TowBoatUS (BoatUS)800-391-4869

Sea Tow800-4-SEATOW (800-473-2869)

On the radio

TowBoatUS (BoatUS)Hail “TowBoatUS” on VHF Channel 16

Sea TowHail “Sea Tow, Sea Tow, Sea Tow” on VHF Channel 16

App

TowBoatUS (BoatUS)BoatUS app: Call for a Tow, shares your location

Sea TowSea Tow app: one-touch call

Trailer cover

TowBoatUS (BoatUS)TRAILER ASSIST®: $15/year

Sea TowTrailer Care / Trailer Care+ (up to $300 / $600 per incident)

How to choose

Check who’s near you. A membership is only as fast as the nearest towboat, so look up each company’s local service area before you buy.
Freshwater only and outside Florida? Compare TowBoatUS Freshwater ($130) with the Sea Tow Lake Card ($169).
In Florida, or on salt water anywhere: TowBoatUS Saltwater ($215) or the Sea Tow Gold Card ($249). Neither freshwater-only plan is sold in Florida.
Read the agreements for waiting periods and exclusions. BoatUS, for example, doesn’t cover pre-existing conditions or tows from your home dock in the first 30 days of membership.

911

When it’s a 911 call, not a tow

A tow company is for a boat that won’t go: dead battery, out of gas, soft aground. If anyone is hurt, in the water, or the boat is sinking or on fire, that’s an emergency: MAYDAY on VHF Channel 16 on Coast Guard waters, or 911 from a cell phone, and on inland lakes and rivers 911.

How to call the Coast Guard: VHF 16 or 911

Both lines in the VesselSOS app

Answer “No” to “Is a life in danger?” and the app’s US tow screen shows TowBoatUS and Sea Tow, each with a Call button for its public 24-hour dispatch line, or the member number you saved in your profile. Answer “Yes” and it dials 911.

iPhone only, in invite-only TestFlight beta. US support, including the TowBoatUS and Sea Tow call buttons, is in beta version 1.4 and later.

Quick answers

Can I call Sea Tow without a membership?

Yes. Sea Tow’s FAQ says non-members can call, and that the average cost of service for non-members is roughly $950. Members are served before non-members.

How much is a BoatUS towing membership?

Freshwater Towing is $130 a year (inland waters of the continental U.S., excluding Florida) and Saltwater Towing is $215 a year. Basic Membership without towing coverage is $25 a year (boatus.com, checked Oct 3, 2026).

How much is a Sea Tow membership?

The Gold Card is $249 a year for salt and freshwater; the Lake Card is $169 a year for fresh, non-tidal waters and isn’t available in Florida (seatow.com, checked Oct 3, 2026).

Sources (checked October 3, 2026)

Prices and terms change. Confirm on boatus.com and seatow.com before you buy.