As a matter of fact, I talked to him today and he has up to $1000 for towing on his insurance coverage. I would not have thought to look into that. So, it looks like he can get at least part of the bill (or all) of it covered depending on the deductible. Thanks for the suggestion.

Cool deal.

Towboat US does not exactly cover you on any boat. I was on a friend's boat with him a month or so ago and the engine quit and we could not get it going. I called Towboat US (I have unlimited) and was told I am covered on a boat I chartered or borrowed. I did not learn this until after they asked me if the owner of the boat was onboard. I unwittingly said yes. I suppose you could claim it was borrowed....not sure how much research they would do to validate that claim. If the owner of the boat is on the boat and it is not a charter, it is not covered. We ended up getting a passing boat to pull us back in.