On-the-Water Towboat Company for Recreational Boaters and Anglers Opens on Lake Ontario and Canal System

An "Auto Club" for Boaters Provides Reliable Help 24 Hours a Day

OSWEGO, NY, June 22, 2010 - Local marine repair business owner Capt. Christian Misciagna has opened TowBoatU.S. Oswego, New York, an on-the-water towing company that recreational boaters and anglers can call day or night to get reliable assistance and tows back to a launch ramp or marina. Battery jump-starts, fuel drop-offs, and ungrounding services are some common requests for help.

Located at Oswego Marina, the company's service area includes eastern Lake Ontario, Oswego Canal and parts of the Erie Canal. It's a new venture for Capt. Misciagna who has operated St. Peter's Outfitter, a full-service marine repair facility and chandlery, for the last three years from the same location. The company has a heated 10,000-square-foot facility for electronics installations, fiberglass repair, mechanical repairs and more.

Stationed at TowBoatU.S. Oswego is a 30-foot Sportcraft response vessel fully rigged for marine towing and salvage work, including extra fuel, engine fluids, pumps, dive gear and a battery "jump pack" to handle dead batteries. Also aboard are HAZMAT and spill response equipment. The vessel can be identified by its distinctive red hull, white bow stripes and "TowBoatU.S." lettering along its sides.

"Beyond the usual maintenance issues, boaters sometimes have trouble avoiding debris that is washed out of the canal after it rains," said Misciagna. "It can be difficult to see. A tree trunk that is floating just below the surface can cause considerable damage to your prop or drive gear." Misciagna also says that lake is not the place to be with a disabled vessel and weather moving in. "You can get big waves in hurry that stack up in close sets, which can swamp smaller vessels and put bigger vessels in pretty rough conditions. We can get you safely home or back to the launch ramp," he added.

Misciagna, a U.S. Coast Guard-licensed captain, hails from Central New York and is also an avid angler. He also offers fishing charters - the lake's salmon fishery is world renown.

This is the 38th TowBoatU.S. port on the Great Lakes and it joins a nationwide fleet of over 600 towboats which are part of BoatU.S. - Boat Owners Association of The United States - the nation's leading advocate for recreational boaters providing its half-million members with government representation, programs and money saving services.

Like an auto club, BoatU.S. offers "Unlimited" on-the-water towing plans for fresh water for just $58 a year , which includes BoatU.S. membership. Without a towing plan, boaters face costs that nationally average about $600 per incident.

Boaters in need of towing assistance can reach TowBoatU.S. Oswego by calling the company directly at 315-345-6683; by VHF radio on channel 16; or through the BoatU.S. toll-free Dispatch Service at 800-391-4869.

Visit www.BoatUS.com/towing for more information.

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