Top five reasons why boaters need a tow - and the rise of the battery
by Sail-World Cruising on 12 Mar 2010
This time it’s the UK’s RNLI towing the yacht SW
BoatU.S., the Boat Owners' Associatioin of the United States, keep a great count of what they do. The result is statistics which tell a story that probably applies to the rest of the boating world. This time it's about why boaters - yachts and powerboats, need a tow. As many yachts cannot reach their mooring or dock without the help of their engine, yachts are well included in these numbers.
The BoatU.S. Towing Services, which operates a nationwide on-the-water recreational boat-towing program reports that over 65,000 requests for non-emergency assistance were received by its TowBoatU.S. and Vessel Assist towing fleet in 2009 -- an 8% increase over the previous year. 'The economy has led many boaters to skimp on routine maintenance, which always means more on-the-water breakdowns,' said BoatU.S. Vice President of Towing Services Jerry Cardarelli.
Formerly ranked fourth out of the top five reasons why boaters needed a tow, battery problems jumped to the #2 spot last year and totaled over 10,000 individual requests. The top five reasons why boaters called for on-the-water assistance in 2009 were:
#1 General engine failures
#2 Battery problems
#3 Groundings
#4 Out of fuel or fuel related problems
#5 Propulsion system failures
'Boaters told us that they forgot to monitor their battery's charge level, delayed replacing a poorly-performing battery, or substituted a less expensive starting battery when a deep-cycle was needed,' said Cardarelli. 'And some boaters simply drained their batteries by running sound systems, refrigerators, and fans,' he added.
Advice? Watch your Battery This Summer.
(See recent http://www.sail-world.com/Cruising/international/My-acid-battery---will-it-be-any-good-after-long-storage?/66900!Sail-World_Cruising_story
'For the 2010 season, we suggest boaters should be vigilant about battery charge levels and basic maintenance such as cleaning or replacing corroded wiring,' said Cardarelli. 'Spending a little now could save you from an expensive tow, not to mention the aggravation,' he added. Boaters face costs that nationally average about $600 per towing incident. However, BoatU.S. offers boaters 'Unlimited' on-the-water towing plans, much like an roadside auto club for boaters and anglers, starting at $58 a year (for freshwaters). For more information, go to www.BoatUS.com/towing .
About BoatU.S. Towing Services:
Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatU.S.) is the nation's leading advocate for recreational boaters providing over half a million members with a wide array of consumer services, including on-the-water towing assistance provided by TowBoatU.S. and Vessel Assist Pacific. Combined, these two towing fleets offer North American boaters the largest network of U.S., Canadian and Bahamian towing ports with over 290 locations and over 600 towing assistance vessels
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