On Lake Erie's West/Central Basin, three TowBoatUS Ports under new ownership
by BoatUS 1 May 2025 11:12 PDT
(l-r) Capts. D.J. Huntley, Jason Majoy, and James “Jimmer” Kennedy new owners of TowBoatUS Vermillion, TowBoatUS Lorain and TowBoatUS Cleveland, Ohio © BoatUS
On Lake Erie's West/Central Basin, TowBoatUS Sandusky owners Capts. Jimmer Kennedy, D.J. Huntley and Jason Majoy are new owners of TowBoatUS locations in Vermillion, Lorain, and Cleveland. Combined, the four locations provide 24/7 on-water towing and assistance to recreational boaters over a 100 mile stretch of Lake Erie coastline from the Sandusky River to Fairport. The towing ports are part of a nationwide network of more than 300 TowBoatUS locations, 44 of which are in the Great Lakes.
TowBoatUS Sandusky's roots go back to 1999 when Capt. Kennedy began towing recreational boats part-time. Today's on-water services include professional towing, soft ungrounding, battery jump and fuel drops, all just a phone call or hail away. All the company's captains are U.S. Coast Guard-licensed.
More than 113,000 boaters requested on-water assistance from the TowBoatUS fleet last year. BoatUS reports the No. 1 reason is due to mechanical breakdowns (e.g., engine, transmission, drives), followed by running aground, battery/electrical and fuel issues, and lastly, engine overheats.
Much like an auto club for recreational boat owners, Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) offers on-water Unlimited Towing Memberships for freshwater boaters and anglers for just $109 per year. Membership comes with more than 25 valuable BoatUS benefits, including discounts at local fuel docks and transient slips at marinas. Also included are a subscription to BoatUS Magazine, free DSC-VHF radio registration and more.
Separate from BoatUS on-water towing, the company also offers boat salvage and environmental remediation services.
To request on-water assistance, boaters can call the BoatUS toll-free 24/7 Dispatch Center at 800-391-4869, download the free BoatUS App, which connects boaters to the closest local towing captain, call any of the four ports directly at 419-627-8643, or hail on VHF radio Ch. 16.