"To this day I never thought about taking them aboard my boat before the tow... Maybe we should have done that! They would have been a lot more useful keeping watch with me on my boat than they were on theirs. "

Hindsight is 20-20-- What happened was that Drakes, saving an essentially worthless floating useless crate resulted in damage to the rescuer and irreplaceable loss of a his years vacation plans. This reminds me of "Raw Faith" a unseaworthly vessel captained by brain dead fanatics who delight in having others rescue them. Taking them aboard was a better, and perhaps the only option in any circumstance if a safe transfer can be made. On reflection, it really should not matter how valuable the vessel is. That's what insurance is for, or not. Owners choice made on dry land.

Count on me to try to save you--and not your boat if I come across you helpless 100 miles away from land