Sea Tow Services International, Inc.

What Sea Tow Services International, Inc. does

Sea Tow Services International, Inc. is a private, second-generation family-owned maritime company founded in 1983 by Captain Joseph Frohnhoefer in Southold, New York, after the U.S. Coast Guard ceased responding to non-emergency assistance calls. The company pioneered the private non-emergency on-water towing industry and today operates a franchise network of 100+ locations across the United States, Europe, and the Caribbean, employing 700+ Coast Guard-licensed Captains serving 500+ ports. Its flagship Gold Card membership ($249/year) provides 24/7 unlimited on-water assistance including towing, fuel delivery, jump starts, disentanglements, and ungroundings for recreational boaters, with additional Lake Card ($169/year), Commercial, and Professional Mariner tiers addressing inland freshwater and commercial operator segments.

The company's core technology stack is a Salesforce-based member management platform integrating CRM, Field Service Management, and Dispatch, delivered to members through a redesigned mobile application (launched June 2026) that provides real-time weather data, tide charts, severe weather alerts, and automatic GPS sharing for assistance requests. Distribution is omnichannel: direct-to-consumer via website, iOS/Android apps, and a 24/7 Customer Care Center (800-4-SEATOW); B2B through the Sea Care program embedding membership into boat purchases (e.g., Cobalt Boats); wholesale via Membership Kits to boat dealers; and through VHF Channel 16 maritime radio. Revenue is generated through subscription memberships, franchise fees and royalties ($15,000-$35,000 initial franchise fees plus ongoing royalty income), licensing income from the Sea Insure boat insurance program underwritten by Maritime Program Group, and B2B Sea Care partnerships.

The business is supported by the affiliated Sea Tow Foundation (founded 2007), a nonprofit focused on boating safety education that has distributed over 100,000 life jackets across 1,300+ stations. Leadership passed to the founder's children following his death in 2015: Joseph Frohnhoefer III as CEO and Kristen Frohnhoefer as President, with Georgia Frohnhoefer as Board Chairwoman. Sea Tow is headquartered in Southold, NY, and is privately held with no external institutional investors or parent company indicated in the available data.

Name

Sea Tow Services International, Inc.

Legal name

Sea Tow Services International, Inc.

Website

https://seatow.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Sea Tow Services International is a second-generation, family-owned maritime franchise network founded in 1983 that provides 24/7 on-water assistance memberships (Gold Card $249/year) to recreational and commercial boaters across 500+ US ports and internationally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Maritime Assistance Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Water Transportation (4883)

SIC

Water Transportation (4400)

akta.pro primary industry

Coastal/Sea Towage (Long-Distance Towing of Vessels/Barges) (TLAHAHAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Emergency Towage & Rescue (Refloating, Grounding Response) (IMAJANAB)

Keywords

• On-water assistance
• Boat towing memberships
• Marine assistance network
• Boating roadside service
• Fleet franchise towing

Headquarters

HQ city

Southold

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Gold Card Membership: Annual subscription membership at $249/year providing unlimited on-water assistance towing, fuel delivery, jump starts, disentanglements, covered ungroundings, and priority service for every boat the member owns, rents, or bareboat charters. Members get priority over non-members and have no distance or dollar limits within their home area.
2. Lake Card Membership: Annual subscription membership at $169/year for inland freshwater/non-tidal waters (not available in Florida). Covers every boat owned, rented, or bareboat chartered, with the same service suite as Gold Card but limited to inland waters.
3. Commercial / Professional Mariner Card Membership: Annual subscription for professional captains, charter operators, boat club fleets, fishing charters, dive boats, and working vessels. Single-vessel coverage (Commercial Card) or master-at-the-helm coverage for multiple vessels (Professional Mariner Card). Priced individually, not publicly listed.
4. Trailer Care & Trailer Care+ Membership: Add-on roadside assistance for recreational trailers and towing vehicles. Trailer Care provides up to $300/incident; Trailer Care+ provides up to $600/incident. Covers flat tires (spare replacement), jump starts, lockout service, and fuel delivery for the towing vehicle. Sold as an add-on to existing Sea Tow memberships.
5. Franchise Fees and Royalties: Sea Tow generates revenue by awarding and supporting franchise locations. Franchise fees range from approximately $15,000 (D territory) to $35,000 (A territory). Franchisees pay for initial startup investment ($125,000–$275,000) and maintain liquid capital ($50,000) and minimum net worth ($200,000). Franchisees are paid when members join and stay members, aligning incentives.
6. Sea Insure Boat Insurance Referral: Sea Tow earns referral revenue from Sea Insure, LLC, a boat insurance program marketed exclusively to Sea Tow members offering up to 10% annual savings. Sea Insure is underwritten by Maritime Program Group and licensed by STSI. STSI receives licensing/royalty income from the Sea Insure trademark.
7. Membership Kits Wholesale: Sea Tow sells memberships at wholesale rates to boat dealers and marine businesses who stock and resell membership kits. Dealers earn margin on each sale, driving both dealer revenue and Sea Tow membership growth.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Sea Tow Services International operates a membership-based on-water assistance franchise network providing 24/7 boat towing, fuel delivery, jump starts, disentanglements, covered ungroundings, and navigational consultation to recreational and commercial boaters. The flagship Gold Card Membership ($249/year) and Lake Card Membership ($169/year) deliver priority service through a network of 100+ franchise locations staffed by USCG-licensed Captains across 500+ ports nationwide. Complementary offerings include Trailer Care roadside assistance, Sea Insure boat insurance, and the Sea Care B2B dealer program.

Product overview

Sea Tow Services International, Inc. operates a membership-based on-water assistance franchise network serving recreational and commercial boaters since 1983. The core product is the Gold Card Membership ($249/year), which provides unlimited on-water assistance including priority towing, fuel delivery, jump starts, disentanglements, covered ungroundings, and navigational assistance for every boat a member owns, rents, or bareboat charters. Supporting membership tiers include the Lake Card for inland freshwater coverage ($169/year), Commercial Card and Professional Mariner Card for professional operators, and a Trial Card for short-term coverage. Add-on programs include Trailer Care and Trailer Care+ for roadside assistance. The portfolio extends to Sea Insure (boat insurance backed by Maritime Program Group), Sea Care (B2B dealer/manufacturer program integrating membership into boat purchases), MMSI registration assistance, and the Sea Tow Savings Club (exclusive member discounts from 32+ national partners). The company operates a redesigned mobile app (iOS/Android) launched June 2026 providing real-time marine weather, tide charts, GPS-based assistance requests, and membership management. The Sea Tow Foundation oversees boating safety education initiatives including the Life Jacket Loaner Program, Sober Skipper Campaign, and National Boating Safety Awards.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Sea Insure: Boat insurance program available to Sea Tow members offering up to 10% annual savings on select policies.
• Sea Care

Products and services

• Gold Card Membership

Quantifiable outcome

• Sea Tow Captains are on-scene in an average of 1 hour or less.
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Cobalt BoatscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 12 November 2025Cobalt Boats joined the Sea Care Six Month Program in November 2025. Under the program, Cobalt covers half the cost of Sea Tow Gold Card memberships for new boat buyers, providing new owners with 24/7 on-water assistance from Coast Guard-Licensed Captains. This B2B partnership addresses boater attrition by delivering immediate safety support and confidence to first-time and upgrading boaters at the point of sale.
• Maritime Program GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMaritime Program Group underwrites the Sea Insure boat insurance program exclusively available to Sea Tow members. Sea Insure offers specialized boat coverage including Agreed Value, Replacement Cost, Salvage, Medical Payments, and more. Sea Tow earns licensing/royalty income from the Sea Insure trademark while members receive up to 10% annual savings on select policies.
• Sea Insure, LLCcoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerSea Insure, LLC is a Connecticut-based independent limited liability company (offices at 70 Essex Road, Westbrook, CT 06498) that operates the Sea Insure boat insurance program using STSI's licensed trademark. The program offers boat insurance only available to Sea Tow members, combining STSI's brand and member base with Sea Insure's underwriting and claims expertise backed by Maritime Program Group.
• Sirius SignalminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSirius Signal is a participant in the Sea Tow Savings Club offering Sea Tow members 10% off electronic flare SOS beacon kits (C-1002 and C-1003). These LED-based SOS distress beacons replace traditional pyrotechnic flares and are USCG approved. This partnership adds safety product discounts to the Sea Tow member benefits ecosystem.
• Marine MaxminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMentioned as a Sea Tow franchise network partner in marketing materials, with Marine Max franchise owners featured in corporate communications. Marine Max is a significant marine retail and service brand that operates Sea Tow franchise locations.
• Various Boat Manufacturers and DealerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSea Tow maintains national membership programs and alliances with boat manufacturers and dealers across the United States through the Sea Care dealer program and Membership Kits wholesale channel. These partnerships embed Sea Tow membership into new boat sales, trailers, and engine purchases, creating a B2B2C distribution channel for new member acquisition.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Boat Trader: Boat Trader is the largest US boat listing marketplace and a natural partner channel for new-boater acquisition. Comparable because its audience of boat buyers and sellers overlaps directly with Sea Tow's high-intent membership prospects.
• Cobalt Boats: Cobalt Boats is the first publicly named OEM partner in the Sea Care Six Month Program (announced Nov 2025), co-funding Gold Card membership with new boat buyers. Comparable as both a partnership precedent and a model other Sea Care OEM targets should follow.

Emerging players

• Boatsetter: Boatsetter is a peer-to-peer boat rental marketplace with an embedded BoatUS insurance/safety offering. Comparable because its users (renters and bareboat charterers) are exactly the multi-boat-use case Sea Tow's Gold Card covers for free.
• GetMyBoat: GetMyBoat operates a global boat rental and charter marketplace. Comparable as a channel to reach the rent-and-charter segment that Sea Tow's Gold Card already covers, representing both partnership potential and indirect competitive pressure.

Direct peers

• Sea Tow's historical rival — Vessel Assist (now under BoatUS): Vessel Assist was historically Sea Tow's other major direct subscription-based on-water towing competitor before being consolidated under BoatUS. The category effectively remains a duopoly between Sea Tow and BoatUS for paid recreational on-water assistance.
• Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS / TowBoatUS): BoatUS operates TowBoatUS, the most direct head-to-head competitor to Sea Tow, offering a nearly identical annual on-water assistance membership with towing, fuel delivery, jump starts, and disentanglements. BoatUS also owns Vessel Assist and offers boat insurance, mirroring Sea Tow's Sea Insure and Sea Care plays.

Broad incumbents

• Garmin Marine: Garmin dominates marine electronics (chartplotters, VHF, AIS) and competes for the boater's safety-and-navigation wallet. Comparable as both companies monetize the on-water safety experience — Garmin via hardware and Sea Tow via service — and Garmin is featured in Sea Tow's video library.
• Brunswick Corporation: Brunswick is a major US marine conglomerate (Mercury Marine, Boston Whaler, Sea Ray, etc.) and a potential Sea Care OEM partner at scale. Comparable because Brunswick controls boat brands whose buyers are exactly the new-boater acquisition funnel Sea Tow is trying to capture.
• MarineMax: MarineMax is the largest US recreational boat retailer and operates Sea Tow franchise locations within its footprint. Comparable because it sits at the intersection of boat sales, financing, and on-water service — the same end-buyer Sea Tow targets via Sea Care partnerships.
• West Marine: West Marine is the largest US specialty retailer of boating supplies and a Savings Club partner. Comparable because it serves the same recreational boater demographic and is a logical wholesale/Membership Kits channel partner.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/seatow
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/SeaTowHQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/seatow
• Instagraminstagram.com/sea_tow
• Pinterestpinterest.com/seatow
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sea-tow-services-international-inc.

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sea Tow Services International, Inc.