LAKE ANNA, Va., July 29, 2010 –- Capt. Gary Lewis Jacobs of L&G Marine Services on Lake Anna, Virginia, has joined the BoatUS on-the-water assistance network. The company, which has provided on-the-water assistance to area boaters and anglers for the last five years, is now an official “listed tower” with the nationwide fleet of towboats. This allows BoatUS and BoatUS Angler members with on-the-water towing plans to receive and pay for services with just their signature required. 

Like an auto club, BoatUS offers "Unlimited" on-the-water towing plans for freshwater boaters and anglers for just $58 a year, which includes BoatUS membership. Without a towing plan, the average cost is about $600 per incident. Unlike the sometimes well-intentioned yet hit-or-miss help provided by a friend or family, reliable service is available 24-hours a day in season, from April through 21 November. Off-season assistance on the lake, which is popular with bass anglers, is also available with a one-hour notice.

Recreational boaters and anglers can call the on-the-water towing company day or night at 540-659-5397 to get assistance and tows back to a launch ramp, home dock or marina.  They may also hail the company on VHF radio on channel 16; or call the BoatUS toll-free Dispatch Service at 800-391-4869.

Capt. Jacobs says the most common reason to summon non-emergency help is for damage to props and outdrives as a result of getting too close to shore, where there are many underwater ledges. “A boater can be going along in 20-feet of water and then suddenly find themselves beached,” said Jacobs.

L&G Marine Services is located at High Point Marina adjacent the Route 208 bridge (to see the location on a map, go to the BoatUS Member Services Locator ). Stationed at the port is a 20-foot Dusky commercial response vessel, ready to go at a moment’s notice and fully rigged for marine towing and salvage work, including extra fuel, oil, pumps, and battery “jump pack” to handle dead batteries. Also aboard is spill response equipment.

A US Coast Guard-licensed captain, Jacobs is a native of Widewater, Virginia and has been active with the fire and rescue services of Fairfax and Stafford Counties. He is currently a member of the Widewater Volunteer Fire Dept. While L&G Marine Services is not an official rescue asset, its response boat is equipped with a high volume fire fighting pump to handle dock, boathouse and vessel fires at the request of authorities — there are no hydrants available in the area.

TowBoatUS and its sister Vessel Assist fleet on the West Coast make up the country’s largest boat towing program with over 600 towboats servicing hundreds of ports and waterways coast to coast. The towing program is just one service offered by BoatUS – Boat Owners Association of The United States – the nation’s leading advocate for recreational boaters providing its half-million members with government representation, consumer programs and money-saving services.

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 About BoatUS Towing Services:

Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) is the nation's leading advocate for recreational boaters providing over half a million members with a wide array of consumer services, including on-the-water towing assistance provided by TowBoatUS and Vessel Assist Pacific. Combined, these two towing fleets offer North American boaters the largest network of U.S. and Canadian towing ports with over 290 locations and over 600 towing assistance vessels — more than double that of any other service provider.