LAKE CHARLES, La., May 14, 2009 – Capt. Fred Leger, a local business owner and Lake Charles native, has opened TowBoatUS Lake Charles, LA, an on-the-water towing and assistance company that recreational boaters can call to get reliable on-the-water assistance day or night.  Battery jump starts, fuel drop offs, ungrounding services and tows back to a launch ramp are the most common requests.

Capt. Leger also operates Bayou Wrecker and Towing, a vehicle recovery business in Lake Charles which he has owned for 20 years. He grew up on Grand Lake and has run family shrimp boats as well as been a captain for Crowley Maritime. 

TowBoatUS Lake Charles is located next to the Interstate 210 bridge.  Stationed at the port is a 26-foot Monarch, a former commercial crew boat loaded with a full complement of towing and salvage equipment including extra fuel, engine fluids, pumps, and a battery “jump pack” to handle dead batteries.  Capt. Leger also trailers a 20-foot aluminum response boat for assisting boaters and anglers in shallow marshes around the area.  Both vessels can be identified by their distinctive red hulls, white bow stripes and “TowBoatU.S.” lettering along their sides. 

A US Coast Guard licensed Captain, Leger says the biggest reason boaters call for non-emergency assistance is for ungrounding help.  “Boaters sometimes don’t realize that there is only six inches of water at Sabine Pass between the ship channel and the lake,” he said.

BoatUS offers "Unlimited" on-the-water towing plans for coastal salt and brackish waters for just $135 a year or $53 for freshwater, and both include BoatUS membership.  Without a towing plan, boaters face costs that nationally average about $600 per incident.  Boaters in need of towing assistance can reach TowBoatUS Lake Charles by calling the company directly at 337-497-0888; by VHF radio on channel 16; or through the BoatUS toll-free Dispatch Service at 800-391-4869. 

Visit BoatUS.com/towing for more information.

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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 U.S., Canadian and Bahamian towing ports with over 290 locations and over 600 towing assistance vessels — three times that of any other service provider.