TowBoatUS Opens New Port for Raleigh-Area Boaters
TowBoatUS has opened a new port, TowBoatUS Shearon Harris Lake, owned and operated by Capt. Thomas Cunningham. This new port joins Cunningham’s existing ports, including TowBoatUS Jordan Lake, TowBoatUS Kerr Lake and TowBoatUS Falls Lake.
After more than four years assisting boaters on North Carolina’s waterways, Cunningham has now come full circle as the owner and operator of four TowBoatUS ports that will provide on-water services to recreational boaters and anglers throughout North Carolina’s Triangle region, the company reports.
Estimated to span more than 76,000 acres of water and frequented by an estimated 4- to 6 million boaters annually, the four strategically located ports are situated within a 75-mile radius of each other and will provide routine services for recreational boaters, according to the company, including on-water towing, fuel delivery, battery jumps and soft ungroundings.
“The boating community throughout the Triangle Region continues to grow, and we’re excited to provide dependable assistance to meet that demand,” said Cunningham in a news release. “By establishing ports conveniently located on the North Carolina waterway, we’re able to provide faster response times and reliable towing and recovery services across some of the state’s most heavily used waterways, providing boaters with greater confidence each time they leave the dock.”
A former Merchant Mariner, Cunningham’s career on the water spans more than a decade. He has operated vessels up to 1,000 feet in length and served in the maritime industry before relocating to the Raleigh area, according to the company. It was there he discovered an opportunity to join TowBoatUS as a captain, combining his professional expertise with a lifelong passion for boating.
Currently, Cunningham operates a fleet of five response vessels, staffed by a team of eight captains stationed at all four lakes, the company reports. An additional vessel is strategically based in Apex and can be trailered to support emergency response operations as needed. Separate from routine on-water towing services covered under a BoatUS Towing Membership, the port also offers diving, salvage and recovery services.
