BoatUS

The Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) describes itself as the nation's leading advocacy, services and safety group for recreational boaters, serving more than 740,000 members. It provides services including 24-hour on-water towing, jump-starts, fuel delivery and soft ungroundings, and operates through a network of 600+ TowBoatUS boats across 300+ ports with 24/7 dispatch. It also offers member savings, a magazine, boat graphics and lettering, and a free mobile app.

In 1963, Princeton University and Yale Law School graduate Richard Schwartz was boating on the Chesapeake Bay when the U.S. Coast Guard cited the boat owner for a faulty engine-compartment ventilation system. Schwartz discovered that boat manufacturers had no liability for meeting government safety regulations and that the Coast Guard had no jurisdiction over manufacturers, so it was going after boat owners. Finding no one fighting for boat owners' interests, in 1966 Dick Ellison joined Schwartz and they launched the Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) based on a vision of service, savings and representation for the nation's boat owners. In 1967, at a heated Capitol Hill hearing on boating safety and consumer rights, a boat manufacturing industry lobbyist threatened Schwartz, who had angered some in the room by telling lawmakers that boat owners were being unfairly targeted and ticketed by the U.S. Coast Guard.

The nation's leading advocacy, services and safety group for recreational boaters; the nation's largest recreational boating association.

• TowBoatUS on-water towing

  24-hour on-water towing, jump-starts, fuel delivery and soft ungroundings, with 600+ TowBoatUS boats servicing over 300 ports and 24/7 dispatch.

• BoatUS App

  A free mobile app for iPhone, iPad and Android that provides towing dispatch, weather and tides, local discounts, and membership management.

• BoatUS Boat Graphics & Lettering

  Custom boat graphics and lettering, including boat name, hailing port, registration numbers, domed lettering and decals.

• BoatUS Magazine

  An award-winning magazine described as a single source for information all recreational boaters need.

1. 1Boat Owner's Association of The United States | BoatUSboatus.com
2. 2The History of BoatUS | BoatUSboatus.com
3. 3Best Boating Weather App & Marine Tools | BoatUSboatus.com
4. 4Join the Nation’s Top Boating Association | BoatUSboatus.com