First Business Partnership of its Kind for Port, BoatUS

The Port of Oswego, New York, in an effort to continue to upgrade marine resources and offer a much-needed towing service for boaters and charter fishing operators, has reopened TowBoatUS Oswego, which offers 24/7 non-emergency on-the-water assistance, including boat towing, battery jump-starting and ungrounding services.

“Our TowBoatUS on-the-water towing service addresses a real issue and complements our marina activities and the Port Authority operations as a whole,” said Port of Oswego Executive Director Jonathan Daniels. “We saw the business potential in partnering with the largest on-the-water towing fleet in the country and being affiliated with half-a-million member Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS). The lake can be rough and we want to keep the boating experience positive. You can’t always count on a friend or a Good Samaritan coming to help. We’re proud to wave the TowBoatUS flag.”

Much like an auto club for boaters, TowBoatUS Oswego offers on-the-water towing plans for freshwater recreational boaters and anglers for just $58 a year, which includes BoatUS or BoatUS Angler membership. Six-pack charter fishing captains have a commercial towing plan available for $281. TowBoatUS Oswego may be called 24 hours a day at 315-342-0436, or through the BoatUS toll-free dispatch service at 800-391-4869, via smartphone with the free BoatUS Towing App, or by hailing on VHF radio Channel 16.

Supervisor of Marina Operations and US Coast Guard licensed Capt. Bernie Bacon will helm the towboat port’s 30-foot response boat, which has a red hull and “TowBoatUS” in reflective white letters along her sides. It is fully rigged for towing and salvage work, carrying extra fuel and engine fluids, pumps, dive gear and jump packs, and was recently refitted with a new towing bit.

BoatUS Towing Services also acknowledged this was its first partnership with a public port operator. “Working with the Port of Oswego is a great partnership and helps us fill a vital need on a lake that’s known for being tough on boaters,” said BoatUS Vice President of Towing Services Jerry Cardarelli. Summer gales, intensified by a 150-mile long fetch from Canada, can produce dangerous swells and the US side of lake has few protected harbors. “As the boating season closes, we can get waves in excess of ten feet,” added Daniels.

A public benefit corporation commissioned by the State of New York with a mission to serve as an economic catalyst, the Port offers a vital water link from the Great Lakes to points south via the Oswego and New York State Canal System. In excess of one million tons of cargo, from salt and cement to windmills and wheat, pass through the port’s commercial shipping operations that services ships from around the globe and includes rail and truck operations.  The Port Authority also maintains a 12,000 square foot storage and repair facility adjacent to the Oswego marina, and is in the process of adding 42,000 square feet to their inside storage inventory.  “We saw the addition of towing and salvage with TowBoatUS as a natural extension of our industrial and marina capacity,” said Daniels. Nearly 300 small boats summer in Oswego Harbor each year – with a significant portion working as charter fishing vessels – adding local economic impact to the upstate New York city. In addition, the harbor is a busy transient port for recreational cruising vessels during the biannual “snowbird” migrations.

The port-operated Oswego Marina on the east shore offers a transient slip discount to BoatUS members and can handle big boats. ValvTect marine grade fuels, haul-out services up to 40,000 lbs. and sailboat gin pole services are also offered. The port’s west side includes 2,500 linear feet of deep-water dockage (14-23 ft.). Also in the harbor is the 223-slip Wright’s Landing Marina, offering a six-lane boat ramp and transient slips as well as storage.

TowBoatUS Oswego also offers salvage services, which are typically covered by a boat’s insurance policy or paid out of pocket by the boat owner, and not provided under a BoatUS towing service plan.

To see the location on a map, go to www.BoatUS.com/oswego, or to find out more about BoatUS towing plans, go to BoatUS.com/towing or call 800-888-4869. This is the fourth TowBoatUS location on Lake Ontario, which also includes the newly opened TowBoatUS Sodus Bay.

Logo courtesy BoatUS