New TowBoatUS Service Opens in Lafitte, Louisiana to Help Boaters in Need
Capt. Joshua Encalade and his TowBoatUS response boat,
ready to assist boaters and anglers 24 hours a day.
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LAFITTE, La., June 29, 2012 — Boaters in the
Mississippi Delta region have a new and low-cost way to get help if
they run aground, run out of fuel or have a mechanical breakdown.
Capt. Shane O' Neal, who runs TowBoatUS "ports" in six other
locations in Tennessee and Alabama, has opened TowBoatUS Lafitte,
Louisiana. O’Neal has selected a well-known commercial tug captain,
shrimper and angler, Capt. Joshua Encalade to run the new location.
Encalade, who also hails from the area, has a USCG Unlimited Masters
License.
O’Neal said of his seventh location, “It may take me a
while to grow the business, but once word gets out that with TowBoatUS,
you can always call 24/7 for assistance, I believe boaters and anglers
will see the value in membership.” Much like an auto club for
boaters, TowBoatUS offers on-the-water towing plans for freshwater
boaters and anglers for just
$58 a year, which includes BoatUS membership. Without a towing
plan, boaters face costs that average $600 per incident nationally.
A 24-foot Sea Ark response vessel with a red hull and white “TowBoatUS”
is fully rigged for towing and salvage work, carrying extra fuel and
engine fluids, pumps, dive gear and battery “jump packs.”
The new location covers a 50-mile “extended” service area
including the Gulf and waters in- between, including Bayou Rigolettes,
Bayou Perot, Lake Salvador and Little Lake. TowBoatUS also has other
locations in East and West Lake Ponchartrain, Lake Charles and Biloxi.
To see the location of TowBoatUS Lafitte on a map, go to BoatUS.com/Lafitte.
O’Neal, a former firefighter and lifelong boater, became familiar
with TowBoatUS through personal need. Years ago, his own boat broke
down on a lake without a towing service, and Good Samaritans were
hard to come by. “A lot of people think they can call a family
member or friend to come get them anytime they break down, but the
reality is that often does not work out that way.” He opened
his first port on Chickamauga Lake, Tennessee, in 2008. Since then,
O’Neal’s towing business has been one of the fastest growing
in the BoatUS towing fleet, which has over 300 locations and over
600 towing assistance vessels — three times larger than the
closest competitor.
TowBoatUS Laffite can call 24 hours a day at 423-326-9768, through
the BoatUS toll-free dispatch service at 800-391-4869, or by hailing
on VHF Channel 16. For more information, go to www.BoatUS.com/towing
or call 800-391-4869.
