Capt. John Mott Gets Boaters Safely Home

ROUSES POINT, NY, May 6, 2008 – Capt. John Mott, owner of Barcombs Marina, has opened the first commercial on-the-water towing service for Lake Champlain’s boaters, TowBoatUS Rouses Point. The port is located at the marina and provides 24-hour-a-day assistance to local boaters and anglers, including tows back to a marina or launch ramp, battery jump starts, fuel drop offs, or ungrounding services. Similar to a roadside auto club, BoatUS offers on-the-water assistance plans – for just $53 a year – allowing Lake Champlain boaters to be towed anywhere on the lake.

TowBoatUS Rouses Point is equipped with a 23-foot Fiberform response boat which can be identified by its distinctive red hull, white bow stripes and “TowBoatU.S.” lettering along its side. Onboard is a full complement of towing and salvage equipment including extra fuel, engine fluids, pumps, and a battery “jump pack” to handle dead batteries. Mott is also a certified diver and carries dive gear aboard.

Without a towing plan, boaters face costs that nationally average about $600 per incident. Mott says that many of the calls for assistance are from boaters who have run aground on hidden reefs and need a gentle pull to get them back to deeper water. In addition to helping New York and Vermont mariners, “About half of the boaters we assist are from Canada,” says Mott. “The lake is a favorite getaway spot for them.”

Capt. Mott grew up across the street from Barcombs marina, where he launched Mott Marine Repair in 1983 and eventually became successful enough to purchase the marina. He also is a certified boat engine Master Technician and is the Second Assistant Fire Chief at Rouses Point Volunteer Fire Department.

Boaters in need of towing assistance can reach TowBoatUS Rouses Point by calling the company directly at 518-297-3939; by VHF radio on channel 16; or through the BoatU.S. toll-free Dispatch Service at 800-391-4869 or visit 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 650,000 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 280 locations and nearly 500 towing assistance vessels - twice that of any other service provider.