June 30, 2011

NEWS from BoatUS
Boat Owners Association of The United States
880 S. Pickett St., Alexandria, VA 22304
BoatUS Press Room at www.BoatUS.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Press Contact: D. Scott Croft, 703-461-2864, SCroft@BoatUS.com

On-the-Water Boat Towing Company on Lake Wylie Has New Owner

"Auto Club" for Boaters Offers Towing Plans for Just $58 Annually

Photo Caption: Capt. Bradley Hewitt’s TowBoatUS Lake Wylie response boat has everything to help boaters get safely home, from extra fuel to battery jump packs as well as towing gear.
Download hi-res photo.
 

 LAKE WYLIE, NC, June 30, 2011 – With the boating season in full swing, there’s a new captain at the helm of TowBoatUS Lake Wylie, the on-the-water towing service that gives boaters and anglers a reliable way to call for assistance when their boats break down on the water, run out of gas or run aground. Capt. Bradley Hewitt, who is also the West Marine store manager for the retailer’s Lake Norman location, purchased TowBoatUS Lake Wylie from entrepreneurs Steve Branum and Jeremy Thompson. To see the location on a map, go to www.BoatUS.com/lakewylie.

 
The 24-year old Hewitt, who is also USCG-licensed, started in the boating business nearly a decade ago working at West Marine in high school. In 2005, Hewitt started his first company, Workhorse Marine, a full-service boat repair, maintenance, detailing and boat hauling business located in Huntersville.
 
Popular with anglers, Lake Wylie is known for its shallows that snag boats. “The lake is really more like a submerged river,” says Hewitt. “It can get pretty shallow in places quickly. Before you know it, you’re out of the channel and run aground. Rather than trust your luck to a passerby, I can get you safely home 24-hours a day, drop off some gas, or give you a jumpstart,” he added.
 
Like an auto club for boaters, Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) offers an “Unlimited” on-the-water towing service plan for freshwaters that cost just $58 a year, which includes a $24 annual membership in BoatUS or BoatUS Angler. This is about half the price of competing services.
 
Without a towing service plan, boaters face out-of-pocket costs that nationally average about $600 per incident, or about $200 / hour. TowBoatUS Lake Wylie is also part of the nation’s largest towing program that has over 600 towboats serving hundreds of ports and waterways coast to coast, including a location on nearby Lake Norman.
 
Recreational boaters, sailors and anglers can call TowBoatUS Lake Wylie 24-hours a day at 704-909-9859, through the BoatUS toll-free Dispatch Service at 800-391-4869, or by hailing on VHF radio channel 16. 
 
For more information on towing services, go to www.BoatUS.com/towing or call 800-888-4869.
 
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About BoatUS:
 
BoatUS – the nation’s leading advocate for recreational boaters – provides over half a million members with government representation, programs and money-saving services. For membership information visit www.BoatUS.com or call 800-395-2628.