LAKE ANNA, Va., May 13, 2009 -- Capt. Peter Merrick, owner of TowBoatUS Ingram Bay in Kilmarnock, Va., has opened a second location, TowBoatUS Lake Anna.  The on-the-water towing and assistance company gives recreational boaters a reliable way to summon on-the-water assistance day or night.  Battery jump starts, fuel drop offs, ungrounding services and tows back to a launch ramp are some common requests. 

“Boaters and anglers have been asking us for a long time when we would open up on the lake,” said Capt. Merrick.  “Since we have professional captains and all the right equipment, they know it’s a lot easier to call us rather than have to ask a friend to find them and safely get them back to the dock or launch ramp,” he added.  

TowBoatUS Lake Anna is located at Anna Point Marina near the Route 208 bridge. It is operational 24-hours a day, seven days a week from May 1 to September 13.  Off-season service is also available.  The new port joins a nationwide BoatUS towing fleet of over 600 towing assistance vessels.

Stationed at the port is 16-foot center console response boat loaded with a full complement of towing and salvage equipment including extra fuel, engine fluids, pumps, dive gear and a battery “jump pack” to handle dead batteries.  With a shallow draft and fold-down radar arch, the vessel can easily pass under all of the low bridges on the lake to reach stranded boaters in any location.  The vessel can be identified by its distinctive red hull, white bow stripes and “TowBoatU.S.” lettering along its sides. 

BoatUS offers an "Unlimited" on-the-water towing plan for freshwater boaters for just $53 a year, which includes BoatUS 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 Anna by calling the company directly at 804-435-7650; 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.