The water of the Detroit River just northeast of Grosse Isle was choppy on a recent Tuesday in June, but without the navigational map in Rob Molnar’s boat, the shallow area might have caught a less-familiar boater unawares.
Mamajuda Island, once home to a lighthouse, is underwater now. Molnar explained it’s the kind of location, with some spots only a foot deep, that cost someone a motor on a recent weekend.
Molnar, 43, has been boating in this part of the world for most of his life − he got his first inflatable at about the age of 13 − but he’s now someone other boaters turn to for help.
Molnar recently took over TowBoatUS Detroit, a kind of AAA service for boaters, covering a 32-mile stretch of the Detroit River and more, from Lake Erie to Lake St. Clair, but also serving Belleville Lake and other inland waterways.
“We can be anywhere in a half hour, usually sooner,” he said.
Molnar’s not new to boating operations, either. He’s the owner of Gibraltar Boat Yard, which he bought in 2021. He’s also a partner in commercial roofing and heating and cooling companies as well as being a member of Gibraltar City Council.
The boat yard has about 200 slips and a variety of amenities, including a marine store, nearby boat storage, clubhouse and fitness center. Rick’s Boat Service and a fueling station are on site as well, operating as tenants. The property, off North Gibraltar Road, was once an apple orchard, Molnar said.
Adding the towboat service was a big additional commitment.
On the Tuesday the Detroit Free Press visited, four of the seven red vessels in TowBoatUS Detroit’s fleet were tied up at the Gibraltar site (he’s also got a drone boat on order). We climbed aboard a 2008 boat built by Silver Ships that had once served the U.S. Navy in Cuba and found its way to Molnar’s predecessor through a government auction.
The boat was equipped with two 300-horsepower Yamaha outboard engines and a steel hull so “it can go through anything.” Molnar said he always carries extra water, a jump box to revive dead batteries and a first aid kit, among other essentials. The boat should be able to travel 300 miles with the 150 gallons of fuel in the tank, he said, but the boats also carry an extra 20 gallons of fuel for anyone who might need a fuel drop.
On our tour, Molnar drove the boat north past Grosse Isle to Wyandotte and back, giving a reporter and photographer each a chance at the wheel. We passed one of his boat captains returning to the boat yard from a call.
Molnar didn’t need to answer any calls of his own, but he did rescue a reporter’s ball cap that flew off in the breeze, spinning the boat around and reaching down to the water as if he’d performed the same operation a million times before.
But calls for assistance can cover much more serious problems.
A few weeks ago, Detroit Police called for help after a boat crashed and was taking on water, Molnar said. It took a team of four people, including one diver, and two towboats to move the wrecked boat, which only happened after air bags were placed underneath the wreck and inflated.
“When we show up, we have to be the ones with a solution,” Molnar said, noting that the wrecked boat was “thankfully” insured.
Molnar, who said he always keeps a knife handy in case a line needs cut, said he’d been talking with his wife, Candace, that morning about a trip they’d taken in an aluminum boat seven years ago, before they were married. The waves of Lake Erie had “turned up very fast,” and they were soon dealing with 4-foot waves and had to prepare for the suddenly very real possibility they might capsize in the middle of the lake.
He said he wants boaters to think about when, not if, something bad will happen and prepare accordingly.
Part of that preparation, from Molnar’s perspective, includes a BoatUS membership, a nationwide outfit that covers the towing service that Molnar provides. The organization offers a freshwater towing membership for $130 per year; saltwater towing runs $215 per year.
Members in need can call 800-391-4869 or use the BoatUS app. Molnar noted that his team monitors Channel 16 on the VHF radio as well.
TowBoatUS Detroit is licensed under BoatUS, but it’s not a franchise, according to the organization. BoatUS, or Boat Owners Association of The United States, is the name of the recreational boat owner’s association, and TowBoatUS is the service that’s provided with a membership.
As of June, BoatUS had more than 26,000 members and 17 ports in Michigan, including a recently added St. Mary’s River location. The group also claims more than 740,000 members and 330 ports nationwide.
SeaTow provides similar services to boaters in some parts of the United States but doesn’t operate in Michigan.
Molnar said he’s unaware of any boaters who aren’t members. A big reason is the out-of-pocket costs for services like towing without a membership.
“Say somebody is 5 miles from here and they break down and they need to get back here. That may be a $500 or $600 tow. It is no additional cost if you have that $130 membership, and even worse, if they need to go from here to Lake St. Clair, that may be a $3,000 tow,” Molnar said, noting that that’s also no added cost with the membership.
Towing is provided around the clock.
When asked if it’s profitable, Molnar said simply, “it works.”
Eric D. Lawrence is the senior car culture reporter, but he also writes about boats, recreational vehicles and bikes at the Detroit Free Press. Send your tips and suggestions about cool automotive and other stuff to elawrence@freepress.com. Become a subscriber. Submit a letter to the editor at freep.com/letters.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit-area boaters have new towboat captain to call
Reporting by Eric D. Lawrence, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
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By Eric D. Lawrence, Detroit Free Press | USA TODAY Network
