The Third On-the-Water Assistance Port for Capt. Chris Conti and 15 th for the Region

Vessel Assist, the nation's largest on-the-water towing service for recreational boaters, has added a location on Washington's Puget Sound with the opening of Vessel Assist Olympia, WA. The new port is the third for Capt. Chris Conti, who also operates Vessel Assist ports in Seattle and Tacoma, WA. All of the ports provide assistance to recreational boaters in the lower Puget Sound regions and combined with other Pacific Northwest Vessel Assist locations, brings the total number in region to 15, ranging from Coos Bay, OR, north to Georgia Straits, BC Canada.

Capt. Conti has equipped Vessel Assist Olympia with a 26-foot Shamrock that can be identified by its distinctive red hull with white bow stripe and “Vessel Assist” lettering along the side. The vessel has a full complement of towing and salvage equipment including extra fuel, pumps, airbags, patching material and battery “jump packs” to handle every breakdown from running out of fuel to running aground.

Capt. Conti said, “When you have troubles on the water, you don't want to wait long for help to arrive. The opening of this port should dramatically reduce response times to some southern Sound locations.”

Boaters in need of towing assistance can reach Vessel Assist Olympia 24-hours a day, seven days a week by VHF radio on channel 16; by calling the company directly at 253-312-2927 or 360-790-9008 or through the BoatU.S. toll-free Dispatch Service at 800-391-4869. The company's web site is http://www.VesselAssistOlympia.com

Like an auto club, BoatU.S. 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 can call 800-888-4869 or visit http:// www.BoatUS.com/Towing for more information.

BoatU.S. – Boat Owners Association of The United States – is the nation's leading advocate for recreational boaters providing its 650,000 members with a wide array of consumer services including a group-rate marine insurance program that insures nearly a quarter million boats; the largest fleet of more than 500 towing assistance vessels; discounts on fuel, slips, and repairs at over 825 Cooperating Marinas; boat financing; and a subscription to BoatU.S. Magazine , the most widely read boating publication in the U.S. For membership information visit http://www.BoatUS.com or call 800-395-2628.