BoatUS reports fewer requests this year for on water assistance over the
Memorial Day weekend.
Weather Dampens
Memorial Day Weekend for some Recreational Boaters
Fewer than 3,000 requests for on-water assistance made to TowBoatUS
nationwide towing Fleet
Mother
Nature threw a wet blanket on boater’s plans for the traditional kickoff of the
summer boating season, Memorial Day weekend, reports Boat Owners Association of
The United States (BoatUS). Boaters made fewer than 3,000 requests for on-water
assistance to the nation’s largest recreational boat towing fleet, TowBoatUS, from Friday, May 25 through
Monday, May 28, down nearly 20 percent compared to 2017.
The volume
of requests received by the 600-plus TowBoatUS response vessels at more than
300 locations around the country, as well as BoatUS 24-hour nationwide dispatch
centers, is a barometer of boating activity. In some years this number can
exceed 4,000 requests for battery jumps, soft ungroundings, fuel drop-offs and
tows to marinas and launch ramps.
“While some
locations did experience blue skies and sunshine early in the weekend, the
weather largely washed out the second half of the Memorial Day weekend for many
boaters, sailors and anglers,” said John Condon, director of operations for the
BoatUS 24 hour dispatch service. “The West Coast and Pacific Northwest were the
only bright spots, with near-normal boating activity and the largest towing
volume,” added Condon, “but Tropical Storm Alberto shut down much of the Gulf
and Florida, and the Mid-Atlantic, Northeast and Midwest were hit with mostly
cloudy skies and rain.”
The top five
reasons why boaters called for assistance were:
1.
54%: mechanical breakdowns, including engine and equipment failures
2.
12%: running aground
3.
9%: read battery
4.
9%: out of fuel
5.
4%: engine overheats
Much like an
auto club for recreational boat owners, BoatUS offers an Unlimited Freshwater
Towing Membership for freshwater boaters for just $72 a year, or $149 a year
for saltwater boaters. Nationwide, boaters face costs that average $750 per
towing incident – with some paying into the thousands out of pocket – when they
don’t have an annual BoatUS Towing Membership.
Boaters can
reach the BoatUS toll-free 24/7 Dispatch Center at (800) 391-4869, or via
smartphone using the new BoatUS App.
More information can be found at BoatUS.com/Membership.