Capt. Seth Owens takes helm at TowBoatUS Lake Keowee

Capt. Seth Owens with his wife, Cayla, new owners of TowBoatUS Lake Keowee © Scott Croft

Jumping off the deep end" may be how Capt. Seth Owens describes his humble beginnings as a hired towing captain for TowBoatUS Lake Hartwell in 2016. He had initially moved to the region as a fishing guide but soon learned that getting boaters safely home after a breakdown or running aground was a better gig. Just three years later, he bought the company, and today he is the new owner of TowBoatUS Lake Keowee.

However, there is no mystery about Owen's success. He has consistently provided recreational boaters and anglers with reliable, professional on-water towing and routine assistance services at any time, day or night. Joining Owens is his wife, Cayla, who manages dispatch operations, marketing and business development.

Capt. Owens says the 18,000-acre Lake Keowee can carry a lot of boat traffic in the summer because it's ringed by community docks and offers popular natural attractions such as waterfalls and rock jumps. Tows back to a launch ramp or marina, soft ungroundings, battery jumps, and fuel drop-offs are the most common reasons boaters call for assistance. The company's twin red center console response vessels are easily trailerable, allowing Owens adjust to changes in the volume requests for assistance on each lake and reduce response times. Both vessels are fully rigged for towing and salvage and carry extra fuel for drop offs.

Owen's two locations are part of a 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 freshwater boaters and anglers for just $90 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.

Separate from BoatUS towing services, the company offers boat salvage, dive and environmental remediation services.

The fastest way to summon assistance from TowBoatUS Lake Hartwell and TowBoatUS Lake Keowee 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 864-313-0968.