BoatUS Towboat Fleet Reaches Milestone: Over 300 Locations
Significant Inland Growth; Requests for Assistance up 10%+ in 25 States
ALEXANDRIA,
Va., June 21, 2012 – The BoatUS Towing Services on-the-water
towboat fleet has reached a milestone: there are now over 300 TowBoatUS
and Vessel Assist locations across North America, making it the largest
recreational
boat towing operation in the world. “We’ve added 14
new locations this year alone, all ready to respond 24 hours a day,”
said BoatUS Vice President of Towing Services Jerry Cardarelli. To
find any location on a map, go to www.BoatUS.com/serviceslocator.
With half a million members, the on-the-water assistance
service for recreational boaters has three times more locations than
the closest competitor. On average, 65,000 requests are handled annually
from boat owners seeking on-the-water help such as a battery jump-start,
soft ungrounding, fuel drop off, or a tow home back to a marina or
launch ramp. Business is booming: To date, BoatUS reports that 25
states are already up over 10% in towing dispatch volume over last
year. “The free BoatUS
Towing App for iPhone and Android have helped drive this increase,
along with better weather year-to-date,” said Cardarelli.
Ten of the program’s 14 new locations this year are located
on freshwater lakes and rivers, reflecting the Association’s
growth of services for freshwater boaters. “The inland regions,
particularly the South, Midwest and Great Lakes, have a lot of boaters
who need round-the-clock service, which many marinas don’t offer.
We’ve also had a great response, especially from anglers,”
added Cardarelli.
The on-the-water towboat service, a program modeled after roadside
assistance clubs for automobile owners, offers a choice of membership
plans for recreational boaters and sailors to anglers with fishing
boats. Annual towing plans now start at $58 a year for freshwaters
and $149 for saltwaters and Florida. Both include a choice of either
BoatUS or BoatUS
ANGLER membership.
BoatUS also has a towing service plan for those who trailer their
boats – something most roadside assistance clubs don’t
include. For $14 additional annually, the Association’s “Trailer
Assist” program provides roadside help for both boat trailers
and tow vehicles (while towing), and will tow both up to 100 miles
to a safe location, repair facility, or home. Ramp winching, fuel
drop off and lock out services are also all included. Over 18,000
towing companies nationwide stand by ready to assist.
For more information on any of BoatUS’ towing services, go to
www.BoatUS.com/towing.
The towing service is a part of Boat Owners Association of The United
States (BoatUS), which began in 1966 and is the nation's leading advocate
for recreational boaters providing over half a million members with
a wide array of consumer services, government representation and money-saving
programs.
