Vessel Assist Ventura Honored By BoatUS

A Ventura-based company that has come to aid of the FBI when drug-smuggling boats called Pangas need to be towed ashore as evidence has won top honors from BoatUS.

Vessel Assist Ventura was named Tower of the Year by the largest recreational boat towing network in the country.

Capt. Paul Amaral and his wife Kim, of Vessel Assist, received the award at an annual conference in Clearwater, Florida, this month.

Vessel Assist is like an auto club for boaters. It has boats in the Ventura Harbor and the Channel Islands Harbor in Oxnard.

BoatUS judges said the company was recognized for its around-the-clock towing operation and its work in the local community.

Amaral’s Vessel Assist locations can be reached on VHF channel 16 or via smartphone with a BoatUS towing app or by calling 800-391-4869.