Vessel Assist - Top notch operation

C

Chaos

Member
exMember
Joined
Aug 16, 2006
RO Number
22862
Messages
22
Hi all,

Thought I'd share a great experience I had today with Vessel Assist.

This morning as I was preparing to leave the anchorage my wife and I had been in for 5 days, I lost the port engine while it was warming up. After an hour or so of failed troubleshooting, my wife has the great idea to call Vessel Assist since it's now obvious to her that I'm not going to get it figured out and fixed anytime soon.

I called the 800 number, the woman who answered was very helpful and said that it would be 45 - 60 minutes before anyone can get out to where I was.

32 minutes after I hung up with her I see a Vessel Assist boat pull into the slough and I get a call from Phil saying that he's just entered the slough.

Phil handled everything with great professionalism and watching him handle my 40 footer attached to his boat was most impressive. He got me back to Tiki Lagun and into my slip, which was no easy task as you have to pass through a narrow run between two docks with side tied boats, make a hard turn between the dock and levee that is narrow at best and then into the slip.

Thanks again to Phil and Vessel Assist. They got us home. The service is a great value and the operation as a whole, is top notch.

-Steve
 
That's been my experience with Vessel Assist and Phil as well. He towed my boat into the marina when fate dealt me a broken starter bell housing a few years ago. Top notch operation and esssential insurance for getting around in the Delta.
 
Even over here in FL I hear only good about Phil and Vessel Assist. Glad you took the time to brag about him.
 
Phil has helped me out a couple of times, too. Once after having dinner with yzer, his wife and a few other ROs and spending the night at the Spindrift Dock, I couldn't get my engine started the next morning. Phil came and towed my back to my slip at Bethel Island. Conditions were extremely windy and he had to leave my boat side tied instead of in the slip. That was fine with me. A couple of days later it was calm and I was able to "walk" my boat to its slip.

Phil has never been anything but stellar as far as I'm concerned. I am also pleased that Boat US has not tried to change much about the VA service since they purchased it a few years ago. No sense fixing what isn't broken!!!!

BTW, for those of you who singlehand around the delta a lot, Boat US/VA offers a Float Plan Service which will assure faster location and assistance if you get into a bind out there by yourself.

http://www.boatus.com/seaworthy/floatplan.asp
 
Thanks for the kind words Chaos. We were happy to help.
 
We had an oil line on a remote filter leak. It was easier to tow her home on the trailer and clean the bilge away from the river. Not a big deal.
 
BoatUS/VA was on my list of things to do. This thread reminded me & I just signed up. I look forward to meeting Phil someday, preferably not because I need to but definitely when I do.
 
Good idea Brian! I've never regretted the money I spend on VA, just as I've never regretted the money I spend on AAA. You just never know when the Water Gods are going to mess up your day on the water!
 
Phil,

Were you driving the boat? If so, I was the one that opened the chain at the ramp for you. My slip is the first one on AA dock so I get a pretty good view of the ramp and it was odd to see one of your boats getting pulled there. I guess we met! Hi!

Jim
 
I was not operating that boat. That was one of my captains, Jerry. My dad came up with the trailer.
 
Jerry's a great guy! He used to have the slip next to mine and I got to know him and his lovely wife pretty well. Jerry is also a great mechanic when Phil doesn't have him hustling stranded boats!
 
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