LAKE MAUREPAS, La., May 18, 2009 – New Orleans native Capt. Mark Tupper has opened TowBoatUS Lake Maurepas, 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.  “It’s a lot easier and safer to call us for help rather than having to ask a friend to find you and bring you back to the ramp,” said Capt. Tupper.

This is the third TowBoatUS location in Louisiana for Tupper, who first opened TowBoatUS West Lake Pontchartrain in 2006, followed by TowBoatUS East Lake Pontchartrain last year. Tupper has hired local Ascension Parish resident Andrew Gross, also a US Coast Guard licensed captain, to manage the port.

TowBoatUS Lake Maurepas is located on the Diversion Canal in St. Amant.  Stationed at the port are two response boats — a 20-foot Twin-V and 33-foot Broward, formerly used as a crew boat.  Both vessels carry a full complement of towing and salvage equipment including extra fuel, engine fluids, pumps, and a battery “jump pack” to handle dead batteries.  They can be identified by their distinctive red hulls, white bow stripes and “TowBoatU.S.” lettering along their sides.  The two vessels join a nationwide fleet of over 600 towboats, and are part of BoatUS – Boat Owners Association of The United States – the nation’s leading advocate for recreational boaters providing its 600,000 members with government representation, programs and money saving services.

TowBoatUS Lake Maurepas’ service area includes the Amite, Tickfaw, and Blind Rivers as well as Lake Maurepas, the Diversion Canal and nearby bayous.  Tupper says the biggest reason boaters and anglers call for non-emergency assistance is when they have engine troubles or run out of gas.  “It happens to the best of us,” said Tupper.

BoatUS offers "Unlimited" on-the-water towing plans for fresh water for just $53 a year, which includes BoatU.S. 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 Maurepas by calling the company directly at 985-373-6330; 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 US, Canadian and Bahamian towing ports with over 290 locations and over 600 towing assistance vessels — three times that of any other service provider.