Capt. Chris Day new owner of TowBoatUS Okeechobee and TowBoatUS Labelle

Capt. Christopher Day, new owner of TowBoatUS Lake Okeechobee and TowBoatUS Labelle, with his wife, Stephanie © Scott Croft

In January, TowBoatUS Lake Allatoona, Georgia, was awarded "Tower of the Year" at the annual gathering of the nationwide TowBoatUS on-water towing and assistance fleet.

Today, the company's owner, Capt. Chris Day, is growing his 24-hour service that helps boaters get safely home after a breakdown by adding two additional locations, TowBoatUS Lake Okeechobee and TowBoatUS Labelle. Day says he is excited to work in the area and contribute to the community - one of the distinctions that helped his business earn company-wide honors earlier this year.

"We have some good momentum from last year. I have great captains working for me, and it's the right time to expand," said Capt. Day. "I'm really excited about serving the residents around Okeechobee." In Georgia, Day's company supports lake cleanups, works to protect children from preventable injuries, offers high school fishing programs, and supports community-driven fundraisers and tournaments.

Day's three TowBoatUS towing ports are part of a network of more than 300 TowBoatUS locations and 600 towing response vessels across North America that responded to more than 70,000 requests for nonemergency assistance last year. On Okeechobee, engine failure, running aground, dead battery, fuel, or overheating are common reasons for towing requests.

BoatUS offers on-water Unlimited Towing Memberships for Florida boaters and anglers for just $165 per year. Boaters without BoatUS towing services face costs averaging $750 per towing incident, with some paying more. Included with Unlimited Towing membership are more than 25 Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) benefits and discounts, a subscription to BoatUS Magazine, free DSC-VHF radio registration, and more.

All of company's towing captains are U.S. Coast Guard-licensed. Five 24-hour TowBoatUS response vessels are stationed between Franklin Lock and Indiantown Marina locations, recognizable by their red hulls with white TowBoatUS letters. Each are rigged for towing, jump-starts, fuel delivery, and soft ungroundings. Separate from BoatUS towing services, the company offers boat salvage and dive services.

The fastest way to summon assistance from TowBoatUS Lake Okeechobee, TowBoatUS Labelle and TowBoatUS Lake Allatoona is to download the free BoatUS App, which connects boaters to the closest local towing captain in less than a minute. Additionally, the company can be reached at 770-324-5403, by hailing on VHF channel 16, or by phoning the BoatUS toll-free 24/7 Dispatch Center at 800-391-4869.