ALEXANDRIA, Va., February 23, 2009 – A new, “premium level” on-the-water towing plan from BoatUS for recreational boaters now pays for towing services from a home slip or boat club mooring to a repair facility within 25 miles.

The new “Unlimited Gold” towing plan provides for 100% of the on-the-water towing charges for dock-to-dock boat tows originating from “unrestricted” docks and moorings.  Unrestricted docks are generally considered to be homeports, such as a leased boat club or marina slip, mooring, or private dock at home. 

“Unlimited Gold is for those boaters who want the top-of-the-line towing plan with the highest level of service available,” said BoatUS Towing Services Vice President Jerry Cardarelli.  “It’s similar to a premium level auto club plan that would provide towing service from home to a repair garage.” 

The price for the new Unlimited Gold plan is $157 annually for both coastal saltwater and freshwater boaters.  BoatUS or BoatUS Angler membership, which is required for all BoatUS towing plans, adds $19.  Unlimited Gold also provides for battery jump-starts at the home dock, and boaters may use BoatUS towing plans with any recreational boat they own.

Choice of Towing Plans: Affordable Options

The most popular plan with boaters and anglers is BoatUS’ “Unlimited” towing plan, value-priced at $116 annually for coastal saltwater and only $34 annually for inland freshwater (plus membership).  It provides for 100% of towing charges at sea and from “restricted” docks, such as a waterfront restaurant, transient dock, or temporary mooring.  However, unrestricted dock towing charges (such as from a home dock) are paid at 50%, and battery jump-starts are not included.

“The Unlimited towing plan covers what most boaters have historically asked for in a towing service.  They simply want a reliable way to get their disabled or grounded vessel safely back to port or launch ramp,” added Cardarelli.

For more information, go to www.BoatUS.com/towing or call 800-888-4869.

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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 its 600,000 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 US, Canadian and Bahamian towing ports with over 290 locations and over 600 towing assistance vessels – three times that of any other service provider.  In 2008, the BoatUS fleet responded to over 60,000 requests for on-the-water assistance from boaters and anglers.