Jim Fidler has the right idea. You cannot have too much towing/ungrounding insurance. As the Towboat U.S. operator for the south end of Lake Michigan (6 ports) I am obviously biased to that service, however you must carefully look over your intended routes and then check the service maps provided by Towboat U.S., Vessel Assist, and Sea Tow. Also check carefully the phone numbers for each, maybe calling a few to see if you get a response-beware of widely separated areas that list the same number. Any legitimate operator will be glad to talk to you and give you his exact service area. Also beware of the operator who tells you he has the "exclusive towing rights" to any area. there is no such thing, anyone who has the proper licenses and insurance can start a towing business. As a matter of fact some do so without those items. Very unlawful, but some people will try anything to make a buck. Do not be afraid to contact the local Coast Guard for references or information on a specific operator, if he (or she) is good they will know it, and will be happy to tell you. As far as towing vs salvage goes: Towboat U.S. operators are contractually obligated to inform all customers up front which service he is rendering. Do not panic if some one says salvage not towing. Your vessel insurance will cover salvage-if you have a decent insurance company(read NOT Allstate or State Farm). Also, READ YOUR POLICY! Find out what it says about salvage and more importantly, wreck removal and pollution control. Today your greatest liability(other than personal injury) is environmental. You cannot just walk away from your boat, no matter how badly it is wrecked, you are responsible for its removal and clean up. And that can be astronomically expensive. And if you try to walk away, there will be any number of agencies to cause you grief, from simple administrative fines, which can go into 6 figures very quickly, to actually arresting you and putting you in jail-till you make bond, which in some cases is based on an estimate of the clean up costs. On you way through the south end of Lake Michigan, call or wave, hopefully just to say hello. Jack, Towboat U.S. North Shore(Waukegan), Chicago, Hammond, Michigan City, New Buffalo and the Illinois Waterway.