Capt. David Granstaff New Operator of TowBoatUS Grand Rivers, Kentucky

Capt. David Granstaff, who originally hailed from the Grand Rivers region but left three decades ago to launch a successful career in the international yachting and commercial towboat industries, is the new operator of TowBoatUS Grand Rivers, Kentucky. The company provides routine 24/7 on-water assistance to recreational boaters including towing, soft ungrounding, battery jumps and fuel drop-offs. Local boaters may also know Granstaff as the general manager of Green Turtle Bay Resort & Marina on Lake Barkley and Kenlake Marina on Kentucky Lake.

“I have come full circle” says Granstaff, who in 2019 returned from abroad to work in his hometown. His love for the water was ignited as a young child when his parents served as missionaries in the Caribbean in the 1960s. His career abroad included serving as captain of the 170-foot Gallant Lady, which took him all over the U.S. East Coast and Caribbean Sea. Later, he held positions with Italian luxury yacht builders Ferretti Group and Sanlorenzo as director of aftersales and service for the Americas. He also worked for several regional riverboat, pilot and towboat companies.

All of the company’s captains are U.S. Coast Guard-licensed. “We’ve got a great team and expect a busy season this year,” Granstaff offers.

BoatUS offers on-water Unlimited Towing Memberships for freshwater boaters and anglers for just $99 per year. Boaters without BoatUS towing services face costs averaging $750 per towing incident, with some paying more. Included with Unlimited Towing membership are more than 25 Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) benefits and discounts ($.075 off/gallon of fuel at Green Turtle Bay or $.80 per foot transient slip discount at Kenlake), a subscription to award-winning BoatUS Magazine, free DSC-VHF radio registration and more.

In addition to engine troubles, bad batteries and overheats, Granstaff says boaters request on-water assistance on the Barkley side when they’ve run outside the markers or after rains when deadheads – large floating logs – damage running gear.” The company’s red towboat, fully rigged for towing, is homeported at Green Turtle Bay Marina. Separate from BoatUS towing services, the company also offers boat salvage, transport and environmental remediation services.

The fastest way to summon assistance from TowBoatUS Green Turtle Bay 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 270-508-2874, 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.

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