New owner at TowBoatUS Needles

TowBoatUS Needles on the Colorado River is under new ownership. Capt. Justin Wilde has taken over after boating on the river for his life and spending a stint in the U.S. Navy.

“With five years of experience in the Navy on the harbor patrol team, operating vessels in all sorts of conditions comes natural to me,” said Wilde in a statement. “When I got out of the military, I wanted to continue my passion for boating so I began working with Greg Ewing, the previous owner of TowBoatUS Needles, helping out on towing and salvage jobs to learn the business.”

Needles, Calif., is located at the tri-state corner of California, Arizona and Nevada and the Colorado River features a mix of new and seasoned boaters, including many who traveled long distances to boat in the area. “You really have to know the river this time of year,” said Wilde. “There are a lot of rock bars, and the farther north you get toward Davis Dam, the quicker and more often the water fluctuates. If you don’t pay attention to the water release levels, you can easily get caught and hit bottom.”Wilde is a licensed captain and maintains a good relationship with local law enforcement. TowBoatUS Needles operates a 21-foot center console with a single outboard. The company also keeps a 19-foot center console as backup. Both vessels are home ported at Needles Marina and have the red hullsides with the white TowBoatUS logo. They are rigged for towing, jump starts, fuel delivery and soft ungroundings. The company also offers salvage and recovery services.

Boaters can reach TowBoatUS Needles in VHF channel 16, by calling the company at 928 788-3700, but phoning the Boat US dispatch center at 800-391-4869 or via smartphone using the BoatUS App.