As Recreational Boating Returns
To Hurricane Ravaged Lake

TowBoatUS, part of the nation’s largest on-the-water towing service for boaters, has returned to a hurricane-ravaged Louisiana waterway that is beginning to make a stunning turnaround. Captain Mark Tupper has opened TowBoatUS Lake Pontchartrain on the lake’s North Shore at Mariners Village Marina in Mandeville. Tupper says that it makes sense to open the port now because, “boating activity on the lake has shifted to the northern end, and there has been a flood of insurance money since Katrina. Boat sales are way up and every marina on the North Shore has a waiting list.”

Retired from 28 years in the oilfield service industry, Tupper is a USCG licensed captain who has done yacht deliveries and is currently the assistant manager of the West Marine store in Mandeville. He has equipped TowBoatUS Lake Pontchartrain with a 23-foot Aquasport which can be identified by its distinctive red with white bow stripe and “TowBoatUS” lettering along its side. Onboard the boat is a full complement of towing and salvage equipment including extra fuel, pumps, airbags and battery “jump packs” to handle every breakdown from running out of fuel to running aground. Both Tupper and a hired captain respond to calls for assistance throughout the Pontchartrain Basin.

Similar to a roadside auto club, BoatUS offers on-the-water assistance plans starting at around $37 a year. Without a towing plan, boaters face costs that nationally average about $600 per incident. Boaters in need of towing assistance can reach TowBoatUS Lake Pontchartrain 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 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 services 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 the next largest competitor.