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Texas Towers Take Pride In Helping Boaters
TowBoatU.S. Port Isabel delivers gas to a Gulf Coast boater. Photo: Morgan White
More than 300 ports with a fleet of over 600 red boats nationwide” is more than a tagline for TowBoatUS Those nationwide ports all include captains who are passionate about helping boaters in need. Meet the owners from two ports along Texas’ Gulf Coast to learn how they take pride in helping boaters.
Priority service from Port Isabel
George Strader has more than three decades’ experience working on Port Isabel’s waters as a local fishing guide, banana boat towing captain, and water transportation contractor. A few years ago, a friend reached out about selling his TowBoatUS business.
“After a long discussion, we decided to take over the helm and here we are,” George says.
He and his wife, Lou Ann, have owned the port for more than two years.
George explains that 80% of the port’s calls take place in the Laguna Madre where many shallows can snag unsuspecting anglers chasing the bite in water depths measured in inches. One of the biggest benefits of a BoatUS towing membership, he says, is priority over nonmembers.
“We’re a busy port and we serve our members first. We have five boats readily available 24 hours a day and zero cost to our members.”
3 ways to request a tow
- Use the BoatUS App. One push of a button connects you to the closest TowBoatUS captain and automatically sends your location. Visit BoatUS.com/App to download.
- Call your local TowBoatUS company. Use your cellphone to call the closest TowBoatUS company listed in our online service locator (BoatUS.com/Maps).
- Hail TowBoatUS on Channel 16.
TowBoatU.S. Port Aransas, Texas, has an airboat to assist members in the shallows. Photo: Morgan White
Giving back in Port Aransas
A passerby yells to Capt. Justin Nesloney, owner of TowBoatUS Port Aransas, as he pulls out of the port. It’s the type of yelling you hear from friends greeting one another from afar. Evidently one of the TowBoatUS Port Aransas captains had towed him just that morning.
“I can’t walk into a Walmart, tackle shop, or anywhere around here without hearing, ‘Hey Justin! You got my friend’s boat the other day! Thank you!’ he says. “I find it really rewarding.”
Nesloney began his maritime career after starting a small company with his twin brother more than 10 years ago to haul and run boats for the BP oil spill recovery. He later became a barge captain and salvaged floating cabins washed up from Hurricane Harvey.
Port Aransas has long been home to Nesloney. “We sponsor everything we can for the kids. Being able to [help] financially feels good,” Nesloney says, “giving a little back to the town I grew up in.”