Capt. Chris Justice, a former hired on-water towing captain with TowBoatUS Tacoma, has chosen to strike out on his own and is the new owner of TowBoatUS Anacortes.
The company provides professional on-water towing assistance 24/7 to recreational boaters whose vessels have broken down, run out of fuel, or run aground. It is part of a nationwide network or more than 300 TowBoatUS locations, including 13 in the Pacific Northwest from Tacoma, Wash., to Canada’s Northern Georgia Strait.
“I knew I wanted to go out on my own, so when I heard about the opportunity, I immediately jumped on it, packed up my bags, and moved to Anacortes," said Justice.
Asked about the region’s waters Justice said, “There are shallow bays and lots of channels where, if you aren’t watching, you can get into trouble. The weather can be a little rougher here as well.”
Remaining with the company is Capt. Richard Rodriguez, a familiar face to local boaters who have requested TowBoatUS on-water assistance over the years.
Many of the requests for on-water assistance are for the routine: a tow back to marina or launch ramp, battery jump or soft ungrounding. “I want boaters to know the benefits of having an Unlimited Towing Membership,” Justice went on to say in a statement announcing the change.
BoatUS offers on-water Unlimited Towing Memberships for saltwater boaters and anglers for just $165 per year. Boaters without BoatUS towing services face costs averaging $800 per towing incident, with some paying more.
TowBoatUS Anacortes’s red 24-hour response vessel is homeported at Cap Sante Marina and fully rigged for towing, jump-starts, fuel delivery and soft ungroundings. All of the company’s towing captains are U.S. Coast Guard-licensed. Separate from BoatUS towing services, the company offers boat salvage, dive and environmental services.
