Pacific Northwest On-the-Water Towing Ports
Now Total 18

Vessel Assist, part of the North America’s largest on-the-water towing service for recreational boaters, has added a location on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. Vessel Assist Nanaimo is located at the Blue Peter Repair Yard at Anchorage Marina and is the second port for Capt. Paul Gray, who also operates Vessel Assist Georgia Straight on Gabriola Island, British Columbia. Both ports provide assistance to recreational boaters in the Straight of Georgia and Vancouver region.

With this port opening, there are 18 Vessel Assist locations in the Pacific Northwest including Oregon, Washington and British Columbia, Canada.

Stationed at Vessel Assist Nanaimo is a 38-foot aluminum hulled, twin-diesel powered response vessel with jet drives which can be identified by its distinctive red hull, white bow stripes and “Vessel Assist” lettering along its side. The 40+ knot vessel carries a full complement of towing and salvage equipment including extra fuel, two pumps, lift bags and battery “jump packs” to handle every breakdown from running out of fuel to running aground. Also aboard is dive gear and extra air tanks for underwater recovery work.

The waters of the region are known for swift tidal currents — 15-foot tides are common, which can create hazards for boaters. “One day a rock ledge may be ten feet under the keel and the next day it’s high and dry,” said Capt Gray. “Large floating logs, which are sometimes difficult to see, are also common,” adds Gray. The jet drive equipped response vessel is designed to ride up and over logs without damage or injury, allowing it to continue without delay.

Boaters in need of towing assistance can reach Vessel Assist Nanaimo 24-hours a day, seven days a week by VHF radio on channel 16; by calling the company directly at 250-247-8934; or through the BoatUS toll-free Dispatch Service at 800-391-4869.

Like an auto club, BoatUS offers on-the-water assistance plans starting at around $37 a year. Without a towing plan, boaters face costs that average about $600 per incident. Boaters can call 800-888-4869 or visit http://www.BoatUS.com/Towing for more information.

Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) is the nation's leading advocate for recreational boaters providing its 670,000 members with a wide array of consumer services, including on-the-water towing assistance provided by TowBoatUS and Vessel Assist. These two fleets combined offer North American boaters the largest network of US, Canadian and Bahamian towing ports with over 270 locations and nearly 500 towing assistance vessels - twice that of any other service provider.