Remote stretch of Colorado River now has Towboatus coverage
Crunch Fitness to open in Southgate Mall, Orangetheory, Mattress Firm make their debut, San Luis to get a hospital
Ashallow, sandy-bottomed ribbon of Colorado River that stretches 44 miles in a low desert remote area now has Towboatus coverage.
Recreational boaters and anglers navigating downstream from the Interstate 10 bridge to the Imperial Dam now have professional, 24/7 on-water towing and assistance available with the opening of Towboatus Fisher’s Landing.
The company, located at Fisher’s Landing Resort, offers soft ungrounding, on-water towing, battery jump and fuel drop off services. The newest Towboatus port is part of a nationwide network of more than 600 red Towboatus towing response vessels.
Capt. Kayla Fulcer, with extensive knowledge of the river and its backwaters, is lead captain at the Fisher’s Landing port.
“I’ve been on the river 12 years, and we understand how boaters can have unexpected trouble,” said General Manager Charles Stankovich. “Getting fuel can be a challenge, but what snags boats the most are the shallows. There are few markers and fluctuating water levels greatly affect navigability, even for smaller vessels.
“We provide routine assistance to boaters, and help make their day get much better after a breakdown or running aground,” he added.
The resort’s two tour boats and the 23-foot, red Towboatus response vessel are the only commercial vessels that ply these waters, which are a prime bass fishery. He highly recommends that boaters in this rugged and hot Arizona desert have a VHF radio aboard.
“Cell coverage can be spotty, and a VHF radio is important for safety as well as to request routine on-water assistance,” Stankovich said.
Much like an auto club for recreational boat owners, Boat Owners Association of the United States (Boatus) offers annual on-water unlimited towing memberships for freshwater boaters and anglers for $109 per year. Towing, soft ungrounding, battery jumps and fuel drop-offs are all included along with more than 25 Boatus benefits.
Also offered with membership is a subscription to Boatus Magazine, free DSC-VHF radio registration and more.
Like Fulcer, all of the
company’s captains are
U.S. Coast Guard-licensed. Separate from Boatus on-water towing services, the company offers vessel salvage and environmental remediation services.
This is the fifth and most southern Towboatus port on the lower Colorado River, which stretches north to Lake Mead, Nevada.
Towboatus Fisher’s Landing monitors VHF radio Ch. 16 24/7 for routine on-water requests for assistance. Additionally, where cellular coverage permits the company can be reached at 928-920-6920, or by using the Boatus App. The Boatus toll-free 24/7 Dispatch Center is at 800-391-4869.
For more, go to Boatus. com/towing or call 800-8884869.
Crunch Fitness
announced plans to open a brand-new $5 million, 40,000-square-foot facility in the Southgate Mall, next to Burlington. Southgate Mall is located at 3150 S.
4th Ave., at the intersection with 32nd Street, in the area of the “Big Curve.”
The fitness center will offer classes, cardio and the “largest” free weight selection in town, multiple turfs, kids babysitting, hydromassage, HIITZONE, UV tanning and more.
Crunch started “modestly” as one small gym in a basement studio in New York City’s Greenwich Village in 1989 as a place for a diverse group of people to get fit.
“While we believe in the power of fitness to improve lives, we also know exercise is hard work and everyone can use a little more motivation. So we’ve fused fitness and entertainment so that we can make serious exercise fun,” the Crunch website says.
The first 500 founding members to join get $1 enrollment, memberships as low as $9.99 a month, free T-shirt, gym bag and other Crunch Swag. Visit www. Crunchyuma.com for more information.
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Another fitness chain recently opened its facility in Yuma. Orangetheory Fitness is now open at 1893 E. 16th St., in the Gomez Plaza across from Yuma Palms mall.