Vessel assist

[WARRIORMIKE]

Just curious with boat owners or friends of boat owners, if any one has ever had to use them at our local lakes or out in the Pacific. If so please post your stories good or bad, funny or scary.


Reason I ask is cause we just had to use them over the holiday weekend and even though it was expensive, the guys out in Avalon were really cool. We were back on the water within an hour :Twisted:

[Agro]

They dont offer Vessel Assist on our lakes. It's limited to ocean only.

I've used them a few times and have saved me bigtime. I would suggest not leaving the harbor without a membership.

[Hometown]

great info yearly membership is cheap compaired to no membership just like towi for your car aaa

They dont offer Vessel Assist on our lakes. It's limited to ocean only.

I've used them a few times and have saved me bigtime. I would suggest not leaving the harbor without a membership.

[jerryG]

If you are a saltwater boater Vessel Assist is a MUST HAVE... I don't have a boat myself but I have private boater friends who fish every saturday weather pending and have been doing so since the mid 80's. Over the years they built a network of private boater friends and I have fished with them from Santa Barbara down Baja and everywhere in between. Although they keep their boats his boat very well maintained there have been several times when we had to relly on Vessel Assist to get us in.

One time we were tuna fishing out in front of Ensanada. We got in to a wide open bite at greylight and we were done by 8 am with full limits so we started heading back. About 15 minutes in to the journey the motor died and it would not start back up. We called Vessel Assist on the radio and they said that would send a boat on it's way to us. It was about 9:00 am by that time and the ETA was 5:00 pm. We put out the sea anchor and started filleting fish and cleaning up the boat. The tow boat arrived about 5:30pm and we got back to the Ramp in San Diego 1:30am. Got the boat on the trailer and hit the road headed back to LA. LOOOOONG day on the water. My buddy was covered for up to a 100 mile tow and we ended up being towed 99.5 miles. My buddy had to get towed from Santa Barbara Island last season... These are just a couple examples but there were many others. It doesn't matter if your right outside the harbor or offshore when you need help vessel Assist is there.. Don't leave the dock with out it.. Sooner or later you will need it and you will be glad you had it.

JerryG

[smokehound]

hah that's neat. It's like triple-A for boats.

[TUNAVIC]

I've been a member for over 20yrs,in that time I have used them at least 6-7times,never any problem with quick response,and even putting me on the trailer,I've used them for boats from 18ft-28ft wouldn't leave the dock without them.
You know that feeling you get when your 15miles away from the slip or harbor and you hear a strange sound,or you feel a lack of power?if you've owned a boat for any length of time I'm sure you know the feeling,well it's quite a different feeling to say the least when you have vessel assist,compared to when you don't.
Trust me.

[LGHT]

One time we were tuna fishing out in front of Ensanada. We got in to a wide open bite at greylight and we were done by 8 am with full limits so we started heading back. About 15 minutes in to the journey the motor died and it would not start back up. We called Vessel Assist on the radio and they said that would send a boat on it's way to us.


Almost the same situation fishin patties out in Ensenada and at the end of a long day motor died from a bad ring and the kicker wouldn't turn over. Got them around dusk and they had a tow boat out by 2:30am. Although it took a while we where a long way out and in mexican waters. It is expensive until you get stranded. Then all the money in the world means nothing if you can't get help.

[DockRat]

If you are a saltwater boater Vessel Assist is a MUST HAVE...
JerryG

Not really a must have depending on your boat size and the type of fishing you do.

Fish at night or go outside the harbor on weekdays, Catalina ect, it's a good idea.

If you have a small boat and fish the weekends in or near the harbor or have oars or a back up trolling/kicker motor you don't need it. I got a tow from Angels Gate to 22nd st from the lifegaurds for free.

It is a law that you must assist a boater in need of help.

VA cost's depend on the mileage range you want to pay for and the size of the boat.

A 10 mile radius plan is all you need for 13' Valco but if you have a bigger boat and hit Catalina or Clemente then you should pay for more range.

Vessel Assist will do you NO GOOD if your motor dies mid channel iwith wind and swells swamping your boat. Sometimes you will have only minutes before your boat sinks.

A good VHF with a 10' Antenna and a ditch bag can save your asss.
A Handheld VHF with a 3" antenna is worthless mid channel with 5' seas.
Having a wetsuit on board and booties in your ditch bag could save your life.

Hypothermia # 1 killer

http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r74/RRW55/Adrift/Adrift_R15.jpg DR

[tacklejunkie]

http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff280/tacklejunkie/vesselassistance.jpg

umph sorry couldn't resist!

[tracker16]

my impeller went out in engine and was towed back to ramp, the othertime coming babk from Channel Islands i thought all gas cans where full, I was wrong iI radioed them and informed them of the situation and was towed to the fuel dock, i put in a few gallons and went home.
What you need is a good VHF, a GPS to tell them where you are at . Both times they where GREAT very nice people

[KID CREOLE]

They dont offer Vessel Assist on our lakes. It's limited to ocean only.

I've used them a few times and have saved me bigtime. I would suggest not leaving the harbor without a membership.

They offer it on Havasu