Capt. Lou Ann and George Strader of TowBoatUS Port Mansfield, Arroyo City and Port Isabel, Texas
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Capt. Lou Ann and George Strader of TowBoatUS Port Mansfield, Arroyo City and Port Isabel, Texas
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PORT MANSFIELD, Texas, Sept. 24, 2025 – Recreational boater and angler demand for faster response times on the Lower Laguna Madre has led TowBoatUS Port Isabel and TowBoatUS Arroyo City owners, Capt. George and Lou Ann Strader, to open their third on-water towing port for recreational boaters, TowBoatUS Port Mansfield. The Straders’ TowBoatUS ports are part of a TowBoatUS recreational boat towing fleet with more than 660 red response vessels across North America that provide professional on-water towing, soft ungrounding, battery jump and fuel drop-off services 24/7.

“Our customers north of Arroyo City told us they wanted faster response times,” said Capt. Strader. “Now we’re right there, able to respond quicker.” Strader says, “By opening this port we are now able to fully cover the Lower Laguna Madre with minimal wait times by having  boats and captains readily available in all three areas.”

In the winter, TowBoatUS Port Mansfield, Arroyo City and Port Isabel now have two fully equipped airboats able to provide faster response times to local airboat hunters and anglers with unexpected breakdowns.

Capt. Matt Steffen, a U.S. Coast Guard-licensed captain with 14 years of boating experience is Port Mansfield’s port manager. Steffen’s range of experience includes running offshore boats in the Gulf to airboats in back bays. The company’s Port Mansfield fleet of red response vessels fully rigged for towing and salvage include a 22-foot airboat for the shallows, a 25-foot Mowdy for inland waters and a 30-foot Zodiac response vessel for access to the Gulf.

Initial feedback on the opening of the TowBoatUS port has been positive. “Folks like the convenience of having 24/7 professional on-water assistance nearby,” said Lou Ann.

Much like an auto club for recreational boat owners, Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) offers on-water Unlimited Towing Memberships for saltwater boaters and anglers or hunters for just $175 per year. Services include on-water towing, soft ungrounding, battery jump and fuel drop-offs. Membership comes with more than 25 valuable BoatUS benefits, including discounts at local fuel docks and transient slips at marinas. Also included are a subscription to BoatUS Magazine, free DSC-VHF radio registration and more.

The Arroyo City, Texas, location continues to be part of the BoatUS Foundation Life Jacket Loaner Program, which allow boaters to borrow a right-sized kid’s life jacket for the day or weekend at no cost.

Separate from BoatUS on-water towing, the company also offers boat salvage and spill cleanup services. The Straders have a total of 10 vessels and two fully-equipped salvage trailers available to respond to a range of cleanup incidents.

To request on-water assistance, boaters can call the BoatUS toll-free 24/7 Dispatch Center at 800-391-4869, or call any of the three TowBoatUS ports directly at 956-900-1221, or hail on VHF radio Ch. 16.

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About TowBoatUS:

Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) is the nation's leading advocacy, services and safety group for recreational boaters. We are the Boat Owners Auto Club™ and provide our more than 740,000 members with a wide array of helpful services, including 24-hour on-water towing that gets you safely home when your boat won’t, jump-starts, fuel delivery, and soft ungroundings. The TowBoatUS towing fleet is North America’s largest network of towing ports with more than 330 locations and over 660 red towboats, responding to more than 110,000 requests for assistance each year. The BoatUS App makes it easy to summon water and road assistance 24/7 and can speed response times (BoatUS.com/App). For more information go to BoatUS.com/Towing.