TowBoatU.S. Ft. Lauderdale Specializes in Long Distance Yacht Towing
With the uptick in the use of recreational boats in 2021, people are traveling further and more often by boat. Maybe this is an effort to shake the cabin fever that has crept in during the course of the pandemic. Regardless of the reason, most of us don’t need an excuse to spend more time underway on a boat! TowBoatU.S. Ft. Lauderdale has experienced a noticeable increase in the frequency of calls requiring long distance towing over the summer months of this year. These calls include tows from the Bahamas stretching as far South as Crooked Island (Over 400 Miles) to as close to home as Bimini (About 50 miles). Tows initiating from up the East Coast to the Florida Keys have also become commonplace this year.
The service facilities in Ft. Lauderdale are well known for their ability to cater to vessels of all sizes. The number of yards and the quality of the workmanship in South Florida make Ft. Lauderdale a prime location for service. Yachts require towing from distant ports for a variety of reasons. What happens that causes a yacht owner to require a tow like this? TowBoatU.S. Ft. Lauderdale’s Director of Sales Barney Hauf explains “This year we have seen a variety of different situations ranging from mechanical failures to groundings that caused significant damage to running gear but the leading cause this year has been lightning strikes. A lightning strike can disable electronically controlled engines, generators, steering systems, electronics and communications. Modern yachts are increasingly controlled electronically and lightning strikes can be devastating!”
In a recent case of a lightning strike to a 120’ motor yacht, TowBoatU.S. Ft. Lauderdale was hired to tow the yacht from Sarasota to Ft. Lauderdale. Two small but incredibly powerful twin diesel tugs were trailered from Ft. Lauderdale to Sarasota to perform the shallow water portion of the tow. The tow was handed off to the company’s 96’ tug in Tampa Bay for the offshore leg of the tow. The route took the crew around Key West and the tow was subsequently handed off to 2 tugs in Ft. Lauderdale for the final trek up the New River. Tows of this duration require careful planning to ensure success, a favorable weather window being one of the most important elements. TowBoatU.S. Ft. Lauderdale has amassed a great deal of experience towing high value vessels requiring more attention to detail than typical ocean going tug companies are usually required to provide while moving a barge.
When the need arises, contact TowBoatU.S. Ft. Lauderdale for your long distance towing needs. They have been the experts at long distance towing since 1989 and they can help you too!
