At Marine Towing and Salvage of Southwest Florida we are proud to serve the boating community, as the Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) licensed marine assistance provider in Southwest Florida. Serving boaters as
TowBoatUS Cape Coral, Marine Towing and Salvage of S.W. Florida, offers marine assistance towing, fuel delivery, part delivery, jump starts, contract towing, marine salvage, diving services, and contract oil pollution clean-up services.


As a Tow BoatUS licensee, we charge BoatUS for the work we do. As an “Unlimited Member” of Tow BoatUS you have no out of pocket expense, unless you need parts or supplies (all you pay, is what we pay). Non-members pay competitive market rates that are the lowest, in the area that Marine Towing & Salvage of S.W. Fl. covers. In the accompanying box, some of those rates are listed for both Tow BoatUS members and non-members. In addition to the hourly towing charges, there are separate rates for operations at night and additional charges for operations in inclement weather. For those who need a “soft ungrounding”, an additional fee (based on the length of your vessel) is charged for that service. For the delivery of needed supplies, the cost of the supplies, are added to the invoice.


Salvage operations are billed on the basis of the length of the boat to be salvaged and the complexity of the salvage operation, the kinds of equipment needed, and the number of personnel involved. A pollution clean up is billed on the basis of time, materials, and personnel.

TowBoatUS Cape Coral Rates "Unlimited Coverage" TowBoatUS Members Non-Members Membership $135.00 *includes $19 membership to Boat US $0.00 Sunrise to Sunset $0 Out Of Pocket Expense $200 per hour Nighttime - Sunset to Sunrise $0 Out Of Pocket Expense $225 per hour Small Craft Advisory posted $0 Out Of Pocket Expense $30 per hour additional Gale Force Winds $0 Out Of Pocket Expense $50 per hour additional Additional ungrounding fee $0 Out Of Pocket Expense $11-$15 per foot Diving rates in lieu of tow $0 Out Of Pocket Expense $50-$100 per dive Dock 2 Dock **   $0  Out of Pocket Expense                             $200 per hour ** Must be a member for 30 days.  Dock 2 Docks are scheduled through our office, rates apply only in TowboatUS Cape Coral's coverage area. Call for assistance No Additional Fee For Vessels Over 50' Supplies:   Parts: Price of Parts Diesel or Gasoline In five gallon containers Fuel: Market price 2 Cycle 4 Stroke Coolant Transmission Fluid Oil: $20 per gallon $5 per quart/$20 per gallon $25 per gallon $5 per quart/$20 per gallon Salvage: Billed at $25-$200 per foot of vessel length, depending on the equipment needed and complexity of the salvage. Additional hourly charges for any vessel(s) involved in the salvage may also apply. Oil spill clean up: Billed at time and materials. Personnel charges are $75 - $150 per hour per person involved in the clean up and the disposal of clean-up material.

Clearly the cost of towing assistance can mount quickly. The average cost of a tow is between $500 and $600, billed on a portal-to-portal basis. Portal-to-portal means from the time the TowBoatUS boat leaves its home dock to assist you, until it returns to its home dock. Thus, a one-hour actual time in tow “service call” could be billed at five hours if the round trip transit time is four hours. The average “ungrounding,” including round trip transit charges, plus the additional grounding fee (based on the length of your vessel) averages between $800 and $1,000. The “Unlimited” policy with TowBoatUS eliminates the costs of marine assistance. While TowBoatUS On-the-Water Towing plans are available at a variety of service levels, we at TowBoatUS Cape Coral strongly encourage prospective members to purchase the “Unlimited” On-the-Water Towing plan.

The Unlimited On-the-Water Towing plan is the best value should you require TowBoatUS assistance. With the Unlimited On-the-Water Towing plan, TowBoatUS covers the full cost of marine assistance for vessels disabled “at sea,” “ungroundings,” and jumpstarts. If you need supplies such as fuel, oil, transmission fluid, parts, or coolant delivered, the Unlimited On-the-Water Towing plan covers all the hourly charges, while you pay only for the actual supplies delivered. The cost of the Unlimited On-the-Water Towing plan is $139 per year. That price includes $19 for a membership to BoatUS and $120 for the Unlimited On-the-Water Towing plan.

In addition to covering the cost of any assistance towing conducted, the Unlimited On-the-Water Towing plan covers the full costs of any “ungrounding.” That means Towboat U.S. will work on your grounded boat as long as it takes to “unground” it. If necessary, Towboat U.S. will either stand-by, or return at the next high tide in order to ensure your vessel is safely “ungrounded,” at no cost to you. TowBoatUS does not have any time limits for a grounding. If you are covered by the Unlimited On-the-Water Towing plan there is no cost to you. The Unlimited On-the-Water Towing plan covers diving charges, if that will fix the problem instead of towing your boat. The Unlimited On-the-Water Towing plan also covers the additional charges assessed for inclement weather.

The Towboat U.S. On-the-Water Towing plans do not cover the member for salvage or pollution clean up costs. Many boat insurance policies do; however, cover these costs. Check with your insurance agent to determine if these types of costs are covered by your policy. If your boat insurance policy is underwritten by BoatUS and you need salvage services, TowBoatUS Cape Coral will work with BoatUS Insurance to directly bill them for the salvage costs. If you are insured with another insurance underwriter, you will likely have to pay the salvage costs upfront and seek reimbursement from your underwriter.

A TowBoatUS On-the-Water Towing plan provides you with coverage on any boat you own, rent, or borrow. In addition, your boat is covered as an entity. In other words, if a friend borrows your boat, the boat is covered up to your service level for On-the-Water Towing, even though you aren’t on board. Lastly, if you own a boat with a friend, both of you can have your names on the On-the-Water Towing plan. Each of you will a get personal membership card making both of you eligible for the same benefits.

Marine Towing & Salvage of S.W. Fl. doesn’t receive any money from BoatUS, unless we provide a service to BoatUS members. As you can see by now, unlike other companies whose main focus is signing up members, Marine Towing & Salvage of S.W. Fl. focuses on service. That is why it’s called:

Towing You Can Trust.