BOAT SHOW!! KANSAS CITY!! WE'LL Be THERE!!

OVERLAND PARK KANSAS, STARTS THURSDAY JANUARY 26, 2012!

BOOTH #15

CLICK HERE

STOP BY AND SAY HI!!

LEARN MORE ABOUT BOATU.S. AND BOATU.S. ANGLER,  JOIN RIGHT AT THE SHOW!!

WINTER FISHING? - DON'T GET LEFT OUT IN THE COLD!

WINTER FISHING CAN BE CHALLENGING ENOUGH - MAKE LIFE SIMPLER - "Hook-up" with TOWING YOU CAN TRUST And BOATU.S.  ANGLER

MIXING "APPLES" and "TOWBOATS"??

TOWBOAT COMPANY FEATURED IN "APPLE" BUSINESS - 

SAFE SEA MARINE RESCUE

Rhode Island

SAFE  SEA, a TOWBOATU.S. service provider was recently featured by APPLE.  As you can see, APPLE technology has given the Assistance Towing Industry yet another nudge forward in professionalism and service.  We will all benefit from the lead that SAFE SEA has taken in providing better and faster service on the water.

View the iPAD in Business profile on SAFE SEA HERE.  (Hit "play" in center of picture to watch the 2+ minute video)

READ the entire story (with links) of how this all came about on SAFE SEA's website HERE

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE SAFE SEA TEAM!!

On the Road

I haven't been posting much lately as we have been on the road and things have really slowed down with both "boating" and of course the season ended at the farm as well - -  While headed back home, made a brief "rainy" day stop by TOWBOATU.S., Hopewell, Virginia. moorings.  City Point, the oldest part of Hopewell, was founded in 1613 by Sir Thomas Dale.  City Point is located on a bluff overlooking the James and Appomattox Rivers has been an important factor in Hopewell's history for almost four centuries. TOWBOATU.S., Hopewell, VA is located at Jordan Point Marina just below the Benjamin Harris Bridge on the James River.  

TowBoatU.S. Hopewell, VA, Benjamin Harris Bridge in Background

BOATU.S. REPORTS! Voice Your Opinion: Possible GPS Signal Loss

Boaters Stand to Lose Critical GPS Navigational Aid

Voice Your Opinion: Comment Period Closes July 30

ALEXANDRIA, Va., July 13, 2011 - As a result of a proposal by a private company to use radio frequency bandwidth right next to the existing GPS radio bandwidth, the future reliability of the GPS system across the United States is now in question. The nation's largest recreational boaters group, BoatUS, says boaters could have a hard time avoiding treacherous shoals or simply finding their way home if GPS signals are interfered with, and is urging boaters to speak out during a 30-day comment period.

"This is a remarkably short comment period for an issue that has such dire consequences for America's boaters and every other GPS user in the country," said BoatUS Vice President of Government Affairs Margaret Podlich.

At issue is an unusual conditional waiver granted in January by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to a broadband wireless communications provider, LightSquared, to permit the dramatic expansion of land-based use of mobile satellite spectrum. This spectrum, or frequency bandwidth, is directly adjacent to the frequencies used for Global Positioning System (GPS) communications.

The company has proposed to build 40,000 ground stations. LightSquared's high-powered ground-based transmissions from these stations have shown to cause interference in hundreds of millions of GPS receivers across a wide range of uses, including aviation, marine, emergency response and industrial users such as delivery and trucking companies. A new report requested by the FCC says, "all phases of the LightSquared deployment plan will result in widespread harmful interference to GPS signals and service and that mitigation is not possible."

Recreational boaters lost their only other viable navigation system, LORAN, when the Department of Homeland Security shut the system down last year. At that time the US Coast Guard urged mariners to shift to GPS-based navigation systems. Boaters rely on GPS-enabled chart-plotters to steer clear of navigation hazards, keep them in the safety of deep-water channels, or even get them home when storms shut down visibility. "They are a critical piece of safety gear," said Podlich. "What will boaters do if they are unreliable, and how will the US Coast Guard's new emergency search and rescue system that stands watch over 36,985 miles of coastline, Rescue 21, remain effective, since it relies on GPS?"

Boaters and other GPS users are urged to speak up now by going to www.BoatUS.com/gov to send their comments to the FCC and their members of Congress.

BoatUS is a member of the Coalition to Save Our GPS, which works to resolve this serious threat to the GPS system.

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About BoatUS:

BoatUS - Boat Owners Association of The United States - is the nation's leading advocate for recreational boaters providing over half a million members with government representation, programs and money-saving services.  For membership information visit www.BoatUS.com or call 800-395-2628.  YOUR LOCAL BOATU.S. TOWING SERVICES - TOWBOATU.S. Lake of the Ozarks - 573 216-4701

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BLOWING YOUR OWN HORN - - WHY NOT??

TOWBOATU.S. LAKE OF THE OZARKS

IS NOW

Accredited For Commercial Assistance And Professional Towing

C-PORT, and the marine assistance industry, has developed the Accredited for Commercial Assistance and Professional Towing program to recognize the professional who is willing to adhere to high standards of service, training, and equipment.

With the growth of the private towing and salvage industry has come a strong need for assurances of towing industry professionalism and expertise. 

Up until mid-1988, the Coast Guard inspected and qualified the vessels of the industry. But in 1988, the Coast Guard discontinued inspections and the ACAPT (Accredited for Commercial Assistance and Professional Towing) program began.

The ACAPT distinction recognizes the professional who is willing to adhere to high standards of service, training, and equipment. To be certified, a company must meet all the standards on the application and be inspected by another ACAPT certified professional or marine surveyor. C-PORT membership is not required for participation.

ACAPT certified firms are publicized in the boating and industry press, and recognized by major boating organizations. For example, the BOAT/U.S. towing guide highlights the towing firms that meet the ACAPT standards.

AFTER INSPECTIONS, SURVEYS, EQUIPMENT SCRUTINY, VERIFICATION AND MORE, WE HAVE FINALLY PASSED AND BEEN GIVEN THE HIGHEST ACCREDITATION AVAILABLE FOR THIS INDUSTRY!

THANKS

Think about taking another boater in tow @ night? (or any other time)

COUNTERPARTS IN RHODE ISLAND - SAFE SEA - Just posted this on Facebook - - "Ever thought about taking on a quick tow of another boater, just to help out? Here's a chilling story that might make you want to think twice. There's no winners in this one... everyone's either dead or scarred for life." - -

The Miami Beach man charged in an October 2006 four-boat accident that left two dead and six injured has been cleared by prosecutors.
Read more:

Miami Beach man cleared in deadly Columbus Day boating accident

NOTE:  Licensed professional Assistance Towing vessels are required to have and use additional lighting as prescribed in the "Navigation Rules" when engaged in towing.

In addition, most  "Assistance Towing" tow vessels will also display a "public service" light or beacon which should display an alternating "Red" and "Amber" light such as a "Rotating Beacon" and today many towing vessels may display a high intensity "strobe" light with alternating Red & Amber flashes which can also be seen in daylight.  (As described in Nav Rules, Annex V, 88.12 "Public Safety Activities") 

"THINK BEFORE YOU SINK"

Couple of interesting items to view

Capt Doug Gould's Blog, "Red Right Returning", has a couple of interesting posts -  A possible sneak peak in to the future - what the new Mariner's License might look like  - click here to read the article.  I also liked his "Boat Ballet", it features a big sister boat to our "Point Young".  The "dancer" is the M/V "Safe Sea Block Island", a 33 ft RAIV, with twin Yanmar 370 diesels and Hamilton Jets, built by ALMAR Boats of Tacoma, WA.  Capt Gould performed the "dance" to demonstrate the amazing maneuverability of these vessels  - and yeah - "don't need no stinkin bow thrusters - -!" 

Knee Deep ! (Why JET boats are very Handy!)

After our New Year "flurry", things have slowed down a bit, (actually its STOPPED), it's currently 18 degrees in Lake Ozark and going to get colder, so lets turn back to warmer thoughts  - - -

Back in late June , we had a 45 ft Sea Ray aground on mud flat just past the 80 mile marker of the lake. This was a 140 mile round trip for the "Point Young" (Lake Ozark) and a 120 mile round trip for our 24ft Whaler (Osage Beach), it was also in the "boonies" - nearest adequate services for this diesel Sea Ray (if required) was about a 20 - 25 mile tow. He was home-ported out of Osage Beach area, so the tow home (if required) was about 70 miles.  I notified Capt Jones and we elected to take both boats, diver and xtra gear. We set off on the nearly 4 hour cruise to scene, loaded for bear, anxious to get there while it was still light. We arrived o/s to discover he was soft grounded on a half mile long, total silt/mud bank in a little over 2 ft of water, some 100ft from the channel. We anchored the "Whaler" in deep water and loaded gear aboard the Pt Young and began a slow approach to the cruiser. As in many other groundings, with the shallow draft RAIV jet, we were able to come alongside the stranded vessel with no problem!!  After determining the bottom was in fact all mud/silt, we elected to rig her for a double tow from both towboats - reducing strain on fittings and insuring a high degree of a successful re-float. Using the Point Young to transfer tow line and bridle from the Whaler and rigging both towlines, she was easily re-floated. We then set about flushing her sea strainers and the diver cleared the mud from her underwater intakes, tested her for sea-water cooling, inspected/tested her for any shaft vibration, hull damage, etc. She was sound, fired up and was ready to get underway. About 1 and a half hour after arriving on scene, the "Wet Vet" continued on her journey to 92+ mile marker and we headed for homeport - another happy (also lucky) customer - - - Go Team!

Our Towboats

Our first towboat was the 19ft commercial Justice Class Boston Whaler custom built in 2000, (re-powered with 225 Verato in '05) for service here on the lake.

In August 2005 we added a custom designed 27 foot rescue towboat, the “POINT YOUNG”.

The POINT YOUNG was custom built in 2005 by Almar, Inc. of Tacoma, Washington for the specific purpose of providing immediate response towing and salvage services on Lake of the Ozarks.

The TOWBOATU.S. POINT YOUNG is named for the USCGC “POINT YOUNG” (WPB 82303), one of 26 Coast Guard 82ft "Point" Class Patrol Boats sent to Vietnam in 1965 until turned over to the Vietnamese Navy beginning in 1970. Capt Charles Meyer, owner of Lake Tow, served aboard the CGC Point Young in 1969 until her turnover in March of 1970 - - - - - - - - - - - - “May we never forget”-

In 2006, we added our 24ft X Coast Guard UTB (CG 242510) Justice Class Boston Whaler towboat with twin 200 Mercurys.