The owner of three TowBoatUS ports on the upper Bay is expanding to captain a fourth port, in Chesapeake City.
Captain Brandon Meshey will now operate the 24-hour on-water towing and assistance service for recreational boaters on the Upper Chesapeake and Delaware Bays. He already owns TowBoatUS locations in Georgetown, North East, and Bear, Md.
Meshey’s wife Christina helps run the company, along with their two sons. The family lives in Chesapeake City.
“Becoming a TowBoatUS owner has allowed me to combine my passion for boating with helping people who may be having a bad day on the water,” said Meshey
Meshey says the upper Bay is a great place to boat, but there are plenty of shallow spots that cause boaters to run aground. He has increased his staff of U.S. Coast Guard-licensed captains to keep the towboats’ response time quick.
“We now have one full-time local captain and several part-time captains at each port, providing greater coverage for boaters in the area,” Meshey says.
His fleet includes four response boats that are rigged for towing, jump-starts, fuel delivery and soft ungroundings. Meshey also hopes to expand his salvage services, like refloating sunken boats. He is currently upgrading to a 20-foot salvage trailer for the coming season.
Boaters can reach any of Meshey’s TowBoatUS ports by hailing on VHF channel 16, calling the company directly at 410-885-5988, or via smartphone using the new BoatUS App.
-Meg Walburn Viviano
