Local fishing guide Capt. Justin Nesloney is new owner of TowBoatUS Port Aransas, Texas

Capt. Justin Nesloney of TowBoatUS Port Aransas, Texas © Scott Croft

Capt. Justin Nesloney, a fishing guide who comes from a long line of family members who have made their living providing hunting and fishing guide services in the Gulf Coast region, has decided to strike out on his own and announced his new ownership of TowBoatUS Port Aransas, a 24-hour on-water towing and assistance service for recreational boaters and anglers.

"My dad, my twin brother and older brother, a cousin and I are all in the guiding business," said Nesloney. "I'm excited about my chance to grow my TowBoatUS business and help boaters get home safely." Nesloney's service area covers south of the Land Cut to Cedar Bayou and Mesquite Bay as well as offshore rig fishing grounds. The company remains a family affair, with Nesloney's wife, Courtney, handling business development and marketing.

Tows back to a launch ramp or marina, soft ungroundings, battery jumps, and fuel drop-offs are the most common reasons boaters call TowBoatUS for assistance. However, the region's vast shallows, which average just 3 feet in depth, are notorious for catching boaters unaware of just how thin waters can get. "We see a fair amount of tunnel and flats boats groundings," added Nesloney.

When working on the flats, the company can company employ its airboat that's fully rigged to provide for towing and assistance services. It's one of four, red response vessels ranging from 18- to 24-feet that are in Nesloney's fleet, each emblazoned with TowBoatUS in white letters on each side. All of the company's towing captains are U.S. Coast Guard-licensed. Separate from BoatUS towing services, the company offers boat salvage and dive services.

Nesloney, 31, began his maritime career after starting a small company with his twin brother 10 years ago to haul and run boats for the BP oil spill recovery. He later went on, in addition to guiding anglers, to becoming barge captain at the Port of Corpus Christi and salvaged floating cabins washed up from Hurricane Harvey. He is also one of the youngest TowBoatUS owners in the nationwide network of 300 TowBoatUS ports and 600 towing response vessels across the country that responded to more than 70,000 requests for assistance last year.

BoatUS offers on-water Unlimited Towing Memberships for saltwater boaters and anglers for just $165 per year. Boaters without BoatUS towing services face costs averaging $750 per towing incident, with some paying more. Included with Unlimited Towing membership are more than 25 Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) benefits and discounts, a subscription to BoatUS Magazine, free DSC-VHF radio registration, and more.

The fastest way to summon assistance from TowBoatUS Port Aransas is to download the free BoatUS App, which connects boaters to the closest local towing captain in less than a minute. Additionally, the company can be reached at 361-813-1273, by hailing on VHF channel 16, or by phoning the BoatUS toll-free 24/7 Dispatch Center at 800-391-4869. More information can be found at BoatUS.com/Towing or by calling 800-888-4869.