Ralph, I am not a licensed captain so I cannot charge for a tow. I do it because there's nobody else to do it, and it makes for some extremely happy people. And I believe in Karma ... if I do this for somebody, maybe someone else will do it for me when I need it. About half the tows offer me a tip, sometimes 20 bucks, one once gave me 100. Some give me a bottle of wine, and the other half of them give me their heart-felt thanks. Any of those are fine. The big tipper was a deep keel sailboat stuck in soft mud. I attached the tow line to the base of his mast and towed him sideways, tilting him about 30-40 degrees to lift his keel. I warned him beforehand, but the screams were really something. And he sure was happy after. The original design of my boat was intended to tow nets, so it's pretty good at it. Each one is an adventure! Fred ---------------------------------------- From: "Ralph Yost" <ralph@alphacompservices.com> Sent: Wednesday, September 19, 2012 4:38 PM To: fred@tug44.org, "Great Loop List" <great-loop@lists.trawlering.com> Subject: RE: Fort Edward Channel What is the ransom you demand for towing? Do you rob their wine cabinet? R.