PRECIOUS SECONDS
The TowBoatUS Connect feature, now part of the BoatUS app, is built to save time when boaters need a tow.
Boatus, which claims the largest on-the-water towing fleet in the United States by way of TowBoatUS, has long been adapting to new forms of communication. ¶ “We’ve been dispatching for 25 years over VHF radio and then cellphones, and there was always a human element where you relay the information to a dispatcher, and then the dispatcher relays it to a
local captain,” says Mike Vatalaro, BoatUS digital innovation manager. “That has never been the fastest process, and it becomes a game of telephone where you have to worry about the details.” ¶ Now, BoatUS is adding a TowBoatUS Connect feature to the BoatUS app. The feature reportedly turns what would be a five-minute phone call with a dispatcher into a 30-second click-for-help process. ¶ “It’s out there and available for all
boaters,” Vatalaro says. “You can request a tow through it even if you’re not a BoatUS member, but if you’re a member and have bought towing coverage, you’re going to have a much happier experience.” ¶ Boaters who create an account input information such as their boat’s name, length overall and model. That information is automatically pulled up when the new “Request a Tow” button gets pressed; also auto-input is the boat’s GPS location. The app asks users to confirm that information and a few other details, and everything is sent to a tow boat that can see the boat’s location on a map and click “Contact Member.” ¶ The Connect feature was used more than 300 times during its first six weeks, Vatalaro says. ¶ “We turned on the feature without any fanfare, and users took to it immediately,” he says. “We had an app dispatch the very first day we had it on.”
The Connect feature is available to all boaters, but those who have registered with the BoatUS app can get help faster.