The Port of Oswego, New York, in an effort to continue to upgrade marine resources and offer a much-needed towing service for boaters and charter fishing operators, has reopened TowBoatUS Oswego, which offers 24/7 non-emergency on-the-water assistance, including boat towing, battery jump-starting and ungrounding services.

"Our TowBoatUS on-the-water towing service addresses a real issue and complements our marina activities and the Port Authority operations as a whole," said Port of Oswego Executive Director Jonathan Daniels. "We saw the business potential in partnering with the largest on-the-water towing fleet in the country and being affiliated with half-a-million member Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS). The lake can be rough and we want to keep the boating experience positive. You can't always count on a friend or a Good Samaritan coming to help. We're proud to wave the TowBoatUS flag."

Supervisor of Marina Operations and US Coast Guard licensed Capt. Bernie Bacon will helm the towboat port's 30-foot response boat, which has a red hull and "TowBoatUS" in reflective white letters along her sides. It is fully rigged for towing and salvage work, carrying extra fuel and engine fluids, pumps, dive gear and jump packs, and was recently refitted with a new towing bit.

The port-operated Oswego Marina on the east shore offers a transient slip discount to BoatUS members and can handle big boats. ValvTect marine grade fuels, haul-out services up to 40,000 lbs. and sailboat gin pole services are also offered. The port's west side includes 2,500 linear feet of deep-water dockage (14-23 ft.). Also in the harbor is the 223-slip Wright's Landing Marina, offering a six-lane boat ramp and transient slips as well as storage.

TowBoatUS Oswego also offers salvage services, which are typically covered by a boat's insurance policy or paid out of pocket by the boat owner, and not provided under a BoatUS towing service plan. To see the location on a map, go to www.BoatUS.com/oswego, or to find out more about BoatUS towing plans, go to BoatUS.com/towing or call 800-888-4869. This is the fourth TowBoatUS location on Lake Ontario, which also includes the newly opened TowBoatUS Sodus Bay.