The Triton hosts a networking event on the first Wednesday of every month from 6-8 p.m. In February, that’s Feb. 4,
and we’re meeting at 15th Street Fisheries. (Take 17th Street to Cordova, turn north to the stop sign at 15th Street and make a right (head east) all the way to the end.)

This month’s networking is sponsored by TowBoatU.S. New River. Yacht captains and crew will recognize the red-striped tugs as those guys that make trips up the New River not so scary. The boys from YES (Yacht Entertainment Systems) will be there, of course, with the tunes.

Everyone who reads and loves The Triton is welcome to attend. Be sure to sign in when you get there for a name tag so we know you are there.

In the meantime, learn a little more about TowBoatU.S. New River from the company’s river supervisor, Capt. Michael Knecht.

Q. So what is TowBoatU.S.? Are you related to BoatU.S.?

TowBoatU.S. is the towing service program offered by BoatU.S. We are the authorized TowBoatU.S. provider for Broward County [the county in which Ft. Lauderdale sits]. You pay BoatU.S.
for the annual membership and when you break down in our area, we come out and help you.

Q. Isn’t BoatU.S. for small boats? What do you guys do for yachts?

Our TowBoatU.S. New River division specializes in megayacht towing on the New River and Dania Cut-off Canal. We also make trips to Palm Beach or Miami and long distance tows from as far away as the Turks & Caicos or Bermuda.

A yacht may be disabled and need assistance getting to a repair facility up the New River or just be too large to safely make the trip on its own. In either case TowBoatU.S. New River has specialized vessels and trained, experienced captains to assist.

It is important to note that covered member tows due to the vessel being disabled can be free, and non-covered tows are billed at a substantially discounted member rate.  Either way captains can save the owners money.

Q. What goes into preparing a yacht for a tow up the New River?

I schedule a time with the captain based on the tide that takes into consideration the size and draft of the vessel. When on scene with the yacht we make sure there are no obstructions on the yacht’s bow or stern for our towlines to get caught in. Then a captain can just sit back and let us do the driving.

Q. Why would a captain opt to tow a megayacht that is not disabled?

The currents on the New River coupled with the amount of traffic and narrow areas found in many spots make it a wise choice for a yacht captain to contract a towing company to assist in getting their boat to its destination.

We know how to keep these large yachts out of harms way and have great working relationships with other commercial operators on the river. Bridges open on demand for us 24/7 when we have a boat in tow. Sometimes passing large oncoming traffic can be tricky; we plan early by communicating frequently with other traffic and passing in the safest places.

Q. How did you get to be such an expert on the New River?

I have been working here in Fort Lauderdale for TowBoatU.S. since 1998. During the last 10 years I have spent a lot of time towing on the New River. When I first got here I learned from some of the "old timers" but now it seems I have become one of the "old timers." 

I came here from the Western Pacific (near Hawaii and Truk) after working several jobs that involved large vessel towing and running harbor assist vessels. I am USCG licensed as a Master of Towing, 500 ton Near Coastal Master and Master of Submersible.

Q. I understand there’s a way to get a free tow. Tell us about that.

One of the things that sets our company apart is the TowBoatU.S.membership program. Everyone knows that TowBoatU.S. covers small boats but many don’t realize that the program will cover the cost of towing a megayacht as well. 

As long as the owner is signed up as a member, the TowBoatU.S. service applies to any recreational boat owned, borrowed or chartered by the member. 

If the owner of the vessel is a TowBoatU.S. unlimited member and the vessel has an on-the-water breakdown within the coverage area, the tow will be free. If the vessel just wants our help for safety reasons, the tow will be at a reduced member rate. In both situations the owner saves money by being a member.

On a typical 140-foot motor yacht, the owner’s unlimited TowBoatU.S. membership would provide free towing for on-the-water breakdowns of the yacht as well as the tenders and Jet Skis that are associated with the yacht.

Further, if the owner had three vacation homes throughout the country with small boats located at each one, his $135 per year membership would cover all of them as well. It really is a great value.

Q. Your company does more than river towing, though. What else might a captain hire you for?

Our company also provides launch services. If a captain gets under way for a last-minute sea trial and all goes well, we can send a boat to pick up the technician(s) so the captain can proceed to his next destination without having to come back to the dock.

We also have two boats that are equipped with cranes. We have used both of these boats to assist with loading heavy equipment such as life rafts, refrigerators or generators onto yachts while sitting at a berth in a local marina.

And we have other divisions that are not related to the yacht industry including our commercial charter, launch and containment boom divisions. Our goal is to be the first call for anyone that needs a towboat or a work boat ranging from 26 feet to 96 feet in South Florida.