There was a time when I eschewed auto service clubs. Why put out the money to insure against a breakdown? That was before I had the joy of paying for a tow.

But the cost of roadside assistance for your car is a pittance compared to the marine equivalent, where an uninsured incident can ruin your entire year. You see, the average charge for a commercial towing service is somewhere in the vicinity of $150 to $250 an hour. The meter actually starts clicking when the rescue boat leaves port and doesn't stop until it returns, so unless that service is located mighty close to where you break down, the transit charge alone is going to be hefty. Other charges are added depending upon your boat's situation. Ungrounding fees, for instance, are based on the length of your boat and can run a hefty $20 or more per foot.

The point is, even the most minor incident–like running out of gas–can set you back several hundred dollars, with bills in the several thousands of dollars not uncommon. Weigh that amount against the of cost towing insurance (most plans cover such things as jump starts, fuel delivery and prop disentanglements and soft ungroundings, too), and the less–than–$150–per–year price tag of Sea Tow, BoatUS and Vessel Assist is an obvious bargain.

– Linda Hoff