TowBoatUS 24/7 on-water assistance for boaters comes to Lake Granbury, Texas
by BoatUS 20 Jul 2023 15:53 PDT
TowBoatUS Lake Granbury provides professional on-water assistance 24/7 including towing, soft ungrounding, battery jump and fuel drop-off services © BoatUS
Capt. Tray Hudgens rode bulls in the Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association for 3 years and spent 32 years commuting three hours a day to a corporate job. He's also a tiki hut dinner cruise captain, boat rental operator, and private charter captain who loves helping people on the water.
Now the U.S. Coast Guard-licensed Hudgens is on his way to his next chapter in life with his opening of TowBoatUS Lake Granbury, Texas, a 24/7 on-water towing service for recreational boaters that is part of the nationwide TowBoatUS fleet with more than 600 response vessels.
"I'm just a plain and simple guy who loves people," says Hudgens, who, after retiring from the corporate job as a safety trainer two years ago, knew he wanted his next career to be on the water. "The dread of going to work is now a thing of the past!" says Hudgens with gusto. "I'm here to help anybody I can. I like making new friends."
Most requests for local on-water assistance are for engine failures and striking submerged objects - often pecan tree stumps that remain just below the surface after the 33-mile-long lake was created by damming the Brazos River in 1969.
Joining him at the new company is his wife, LaDonna, who he proudly says knows more about boat maintenance and repair than he does, knowledge gained from years working at local boat dealerships. "She also handles the business end and is the backbone of our company," he adds.
Much like an auto club for recreational boat owners, Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) offers annual on-water Unlimited Towing Memberships for freshwater boaters and anglers for just $99 per year. Towing, ungrounding, battery jumps and fuel drop-offs are all included along with more than 25 BoatUS benefits. Also offered with membership is a subscription to BoatUS Magazine, free DSC-VHF radio registration and more.
The company homeports its 19-foot red response vessel in Granbury. Separate from BoatUS on-water towing, the company partners with neighboring TowBoatUS companies to offer boat salvage and environmental remediation services.
The fastest way to request assistance from TowBoatUS Lake Granbury is to download the free BoatUS App, which connects boaters to the closest local towing captain. Additionally, the company can be reached locally at 817-992-9116, or by phoning the BoatUS toll-free 24/7 Dispatch Center at 800-391-4869.
For more, go to BoatUS.com/Towing or call 800-888-4869.