H2O Boat Tow Call

24/7 dispatch(844) 262-8869

For carriers, adjusters and surveyors

Salvage and recovery.

A file you can assign, scope and close: licensed captains, divers and purpose-built towboats out of five ports, with the paperwork an insurance file needs.

  • Fixed-price or time-and-materials
  • Most carriers billed directly
  • Certificates of insurance on request
  • A crane lifts a boat onto a truck bed during a marine salvage operation on a sandy beach, with operators managing the equipment.

    Crane rigged, boat coming up off the sand.

  • H2O Boat Tow's crane and crew hoisting a boat onto a transport truck at a beach location.

    Crew working the load onto the transport truck.

  • H2O Boat Tow's crane and crew hoisting a boat onto a transport truck at a beach location.

    Hull clear of the ground, under the crane.

  • H2O Boat Tow's crane and crew hoisting a boat onto a transport truck at a beach location.

    Setting the boat down on the truck bed.

  • H2O Boat Tow's crane and crew hoisting a boat onto a transport truck at a beach location.

    Recovery complete, boat loaded out.

01

The call

Licensed captains, on call every hour of the year.

Licensed captains and purpose-built towboats are on call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Our team consists of licensed captains with extensive experience in marine towing and salvage.

Loss mitigation gear goes out with them: divers, salvage pumps, lift bags and high-capacity dewatering pumps, with fuel-spill containment.

02

The determination

Salvage, or a soft ungrounding — decided before a line goes on.

A soft ungrounding is a boat that is upright, undamaged, surrounded by water and freeable in about fifteen minutes with one boat and one line. Anything else is salvage, and the captain says which it is before a line goes on.

Salvage is not covered by any towing membership. It is normally paid by the boat owner's insurance, and H2O Boat Tow works directly with carriers and adjusters on authorization, scope and billing.

03

On scene

Equipment that refloats a boat and keeps the loss from growing.

  • DiversIn the water for the work a hull needs before it can be moved, and for prop and line clearing, underwater inspection and recovery of lost items.
  • PumpsSalvage pumps and high-capacity dewatering pumps.
  • Lift bagsFor raising and refloating.
  • ContainmentFuel-spill containment on scene.
  • TowboatsPurpose-built, out of five ports, for the move once the boat is up.
H2O Boat Tow's crane taking the weight of a boat while the crew steadies it beside a transport truck on a beach.
The crane taking the weight of the hull.
H2O Boat Tow's crew guiding a hoisted boat down onto the bed of a transport truck at a beach.
Crew guiding the boat onto the truck bed.

Straps, cables and fixtures, ready on deck.

Rigging made fast on the winch.

Photographs from the work

Lift bags on the job

  • Lift bags and hoses rigged beside a partially submerged boat seat at the dock, ready for the lift.

    Bags rigged and hoses run, ready to lift.

  • A boat coming back up to the surface alongside a lift bag, with a crew member at the helm and H2O Boat Tow's towboat alongside.

    Coming back up, the bag holding the bow.

  • TowBoatUS crew running a pump from the towboat while a lift bag works alongside a recovered boat on the water.

    Pump running, the bag doing its work.

  • A diver working among lift bags set around a submerged boat, viewed from the towboat, with the waterfront in the background.

    Diver in the water, bags set around the hull.

  • A crane hoisting a boat out of the water with lift bags still lashed to the deck, marina boats in the background.

    Up and out, bags still lashed on deck.

  • A crane lifting a boat clear of the water with lift bags floating in the water below.

    Clear of the water, bags floating below.

  • Lift bags set on the deck of a partially submerged sailboat at the dock, with H2O Boat Tow's towboat standing by.

    Bags set on deck, holding the hull at the dock.

  • A diver working beside a partially submerged sailboat held up by lift bags, with pumps and hoses running on the dock.

    Diver alongside, pumps running on the dock.

Divers, lift bags and pumps working a recovery together.

04

The file

Photo documentation and condition reports for insurance files.

Every job is documented for the file it belongs to: photographs of the work, and condition reports written for insurance use.

05

Terms

06

Where

Nine lakes, and about 120 miles by road from any port.

H2O Boat Tow LLC operates the TowBoatUS ports on Sam Rayburn (which also covers Toledo Bend), Lake Fork (which also covers Lake Tawakoni), Possum Kingdom Lake, Lake Livingston and Sabine Lake, and serves Lake Tawakoni, Lake Ray Hubbard and Lake Lavon. Crews travel to any lake in the eastern side of Texas, from the Gulf coast to Arkansas.

A boat under tow goes to the destination chosen for it: a trailer, a slip, or any marina, ramp or repair yard.

The ports, lake by lake

Assignments and emergencies

24/7 dispatch

(844) 262-8869

Get Help Now

Before the assignment

Certificates of insurance and references are provided on request, and scope can be set fixed-price or time-and-materials.

Contact H2O Boat Tow

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