Rochester, N.Y. - Out on Lake Ontario, Jake Van Reenen likes to take in the view."Hang out around the water,” said Van Reenen.
But it's not for pleasure; he's the Captain of Towboat U.S.
Think AAA without the roads.
"Commercial towing, salvage, battery jumps, fuel delivery, soft ungroundings,” Van Reenen said.
The company has seen plenty of activity this holiday so far.
"Just basic broke down boats, a lot of times people don't even know what the problem is. A lot of dead batteries, no fuel,” he said.
Last week, they came upon a boat that capsized; three people were in the water
"We pulled them out and brought them to the Irondequoit Bay boat launch."
Like AAA, they operate 24 hours a day, and there's a membership fee. Without a membership, non-emergency assistance can be hard to come by--and expensive.
"It's $180 an hour during the day, $220 at night,” said Van Reenen.
Plus, the average tow can take up to three hours.
Boater Charles Roelle made that painful discovery recently when he was left out on the lake for about an hour.
"Got out and rang radio and called for help, because if I was left there, with the currents, I would have washed out on the beach,” said Roelle.
"Because if it's not a life threatening issue, the Coast Guard won't come get you,” he said.
He did not have a Towboat U.S. membership then. Now, he says it's worth it.
"I'd recommend it to motor boaters because it's no fun being out on the lake being broke down,” Roelle said.
If you're planning on heading out on the lake, Towboat U.S. offers some advice: make sure you have enough fuel and a decent battery. They also recommend life jackets--in some cases they can make the difference between life and death.
