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Additional Boating Safety Classes Scheduled for 2009 In Nebraska
LINCOLN, Neb. –(FishNLand.com)- Three boating safety courses have been added to the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission’s schedule of available classes.

Nebraska law requires any motorboat or personal watercraft operator under 18 years of age must complete a boating safety course and be in possession of a course certificate when operating the boat. A person must be at least 14 years of age to operate a motorboat or personal watercraft in Nebraska.

The recently added classes are:

Hastings, June 19 – 5 p.m.; Hastings Police Department, 317 S. Burlington Ave.; contact Scott Eveland at (308) 289-0017; $10 fee; home-study course with proctored exam review/test session; pick up study materials at the Hastings Police Department by June 17 or call instructor.

South Bend, June 27 – 8 a.m.; 32016 W. Lake Park Drive; contact Bob Ellsworth at (402) 944-2892; $10 fee.

Alliance, June 27 – 1 p.m.; NGPC, 299 Husker Road; contact Nancy Fletcher at (308) 763-2940; $10 fee; bring sack lunch.

Visit OutdoorNebraska.org/boating for a schedule of boating safety courses.

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On-the-Water Towboat Company for Recreational Boaters and Anglers Opens on Lake Texoma
LAKE TEXOMA, TX -(FishNLand.com)- BoatUS Towing Services has partnered with it’s first on-the-water towing and assistance company on Lake Texoma, giving recreational boaters and anglers the ability to summon reliable on-the-water assistance 24 hours a day. TowBoatUS Lake Texoma offers battery jump starts, fuel drop offs, ungrounding services and tows back to launch ramps or marinas.

TowBoatUS Lake Texoma is owned by Capt. William “Joe” Winner and his wife, Roxan. “It took us nearly a year to get up and running because of the stringent requirements set by the various government agencies as well as meeting BoatUS’ high standards,” said Roxan.

TowBoatUS Lake Texoma is located at Cedar Mills Marina in Gordonville, TX. The location is the third TowBoatUS towing port in the greater Dallas/Ft. Worth region and it joins a nationwide fleet of over 600 towboats.”

Stationed at the port is a 23-foot Parker Pilothouse response vessel loaded with a full complement of towing equipment including extra fuel, engine fluids, pumps, and a battery “jump pack” to handle dead batteries. The vessel can be identified by its distinctive red hull, white bow stripes and “TowBoatU.S.” lettering along its sides.

Joe Winner has been a US Coast Guard licensed captain for 10 years and has been boating for over 25 years. He says that with over a dozen marinas on the lake and thousands of boats, his service should be invaluable.
“You can call us day or night and we’ll be there.” While current lake levels are okay, fluctuating water levels sometimes recede, leading boaters to accidentally run aground. “You can boat on the lake one weekend in water that’s deep enough, but a week or two later in some areas it can get too shallow for sailboats or powerboats,” he adds. Running aground can damage a motorboat’s drive gear leaving the boat disabled with no way to return to the launch ramp or marina.

BoatUS offers “Unlimited” on-the-water towing plans for freshwater boaters for just $53 a year, which includes BoatUS membership. Without a towing plan, boaters face costs that nationally average about $600 per incident. Boaters in need of towing assistance can reach TowBoatUS Lake Texoma by calling the company directly at 903-267-0767; by VHF radio on channel 16; or through the BoatUS toll-free Dispatch Service at 800-391-4869.

Visit BoatUS.com/towing for more information.

About BoatUS Towing Services:
Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) is the nation’s leading advocate for recreational boaters providing its 600,000 members with a wide array of consumer services, including on-the-water towing assistance provided by TowBoatUS and Vessel Assist Pacific. Combined, these two towing fleets offer North American boaters the largest network of US, Canadian and Bahamian towing ports with over 290 locations and over 600 towing assistance vessels - three times that of any other service provider.

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On-The-Water Towboat Company For Recreational Boaters And Anglers Opens On The Tennessee River In Decatur, Al
Fifth TowBoatUS Location on 652-Mile Waterway
DECATUR, Ala-(FishNLand.com) - Local business owner Capt. Jim Helms has opened TowBoatUS Decatur, AL, an on-the-water towing company that recreational boaters and anglers can call to get reliable assistance and tows back to a launch ramp or marina day or night. Battery jump starts, fuel drop offs, and ungrounding services are some common requests for help, but Helms also says engine breakdowns caused by aquatic weeds being ingested into motorboat cooling systems is a problem unique to the area.

TowBoatUS Decatur, located at mile marker 305 at the Riverwalk Marina in Decatur, is the second port for Helms, who opened TowBoatUS Scottsboro, AL in 2004. Stationed at TowBoatUS Decatur is a 25-foot Munson Pilothouse response vessel fully rigged for marine towing and salvage work, including extra fuel, engine fluids, pumps, dive gear and a battery “jump pack” to handle dead batteries. It can be identified by its distinctive red hull, white bow stripes and “TowBoatU.S.” lettering along its side.

The port’s service area includes Lake Guntersville to the Joe Wilson Dam. Helms says he sometimes trailers the response vessel to avoid going through locks, providing a quicker response to boaters in need of assistance.

Five local US Coast Guard-licensed captains operate the vessel. Helms, who has a commercial license, also has extensive HAZMAT experience with fuel spills and his company has worked with the Alabama Marine Police for several years. He is also owner of Precision Auto and Truck Collision Repair in nearby Scottsboro which offers roadside towing and vehicle repair services and has been in business since the early 1980s.

This is the fifth TowBoatUS port on the Tennessee River, joining a nationwide fleet of over 600 towboats which are part of BoatUS - Boat Owners Association of The United States - the nation’s leading advocate for recreational boaters providing its 600,000 members with government representation, programs and money saving services.

About
BoatUS offers “Unlimited” on-the-water towing plans for fresh water for just $53 a year, which includes BoatUS membership. Without a towing plan, boaters face costs that nationally average about $600 per incident. Boaters in need of towing assistance can reach TowBoatUS Decatur by calling the company directly at 256-259-0111; by VHF radio on channel 16; or through the BoatUS toll-free Dispatch Service at 800-391-4869.

Visit BoatUS.com/towing for more information.

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