Can a franchise Agreement non-compete prevent you from working in a general field?

If a franchisee sells their marine-towing franchise and signed a non-compete, can the franchise corporation prevent him from making a living on the water in a commercial capacity as long as the person is not towing boats? Additionally, the franchisee had paid a portion of their income for commercial work to the franchise corporation in the past, but now they have sold the franchise to another person and are operating another business on the water. It has a new name and is not in any way towing boats or using boats with the prior franchise name on them. Is this okay? Otherwise, how does one make a living doing the only thing they know without violating an agreement they received no severance for. It was a membership based business. Thank you! Sincerely, Melissa