Boat America Corporation

What Boat America Corporation does

Boat America Corporation, operating under the Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) brand, is a membership-based recreational boating services organization headquartered in Springfield, Virginia, and wholly owned by Berkshire Hathaway (via National Indemnity Company and GEICO). Founded in 1966, BoatUS serves approximately 740,000 dues-paying members across all 50 states with a portfolio anchored by 24/7 on-water towing through TowBoatUS (600+ vessels in 300+ ports), boat insurance referral through GEICO Marine, boat loan referral through Trident Funding, custom boat lettering, MMSI registration, BoatUS Magazine (700,000+ subscribers), and a network of 1,200+ marine business discounts.

The underlying technology platform combines the BoatUS mobile app (iOS/Android) for member acquisition and self-service, GPS-based TowBoatUS CONNECT dispatch that routes on-water assistance requests to the nearest local captain, NOAA-sourced weather and tide data, a mountaintop VHF coastal communications system covering the West Coast, and a 24/7 national dispatch operation housed at the 65,000-square-foot Springfield headquarters. The associated BoatUS Foundation, a nonprofit affiliate, operates free online boating safety courses (262,316 students in 2020) and a four-year, $10 million NOAA-funded abandoned-vessel remediation program.

BoatUS operates a hybrid revenue model combining subscription membership dues (annual), referral commissions from GEICO Marine Insurance and Trident Funding boat loans, one-time payments for boat lettering and MMSI registration, advertising through BoatUS Magazine, and nonprofit-program grant funding. Distribution is dominated by direct-to-consumer channels (boatus.com and the mobile app) with material contribution from the GEICO insurance partnership, the 1,200-member marine business network, and TowBoatUS licensee operators. Customer segments are individual recreational boaters and the broader insured/policyholder base administered through GEICO Marine, with no enterprise or large-account dependency.

Name

Boat America Corporation

Legal name

Boat America Corporation

Website

https://boatus.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1966

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Boat America Corporation operates BoatUS, the nation's largest recreational boating association serving 740,000+ members with 24/7 on-water towing through TowBoatUS, boat insurance via GEICO Marine, and a 1,200+ marine business discount network across all 50 U.S. states.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Recreational Boating Membership Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Water Transportation (4883), Water Transportation (483)

SIC

Water Transportation (4400), Fire, Marine & Casualty Insurance (6331)

akta.pro primary industry

Harbor Towage (Ship Assist & Berthing/Unberthing) (TLAHAHAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Marine & Boat Finance (FSAKADAH), Towage & Berthing Coordination (Tug/Line Handling Dispatch) (TLAHAFAC)

Keywords

• Recreational boating services
• Boat towing assistance
• Boat insurance referral
• Boating membership association
• Maritime roadside assistance

Headquarters

HQ city

Springfield

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual dues from over 740,000 members providing access to towing services, discounts, magazine subscription, and advocacy representation.
2. Boat Insurance Referral: Partnership with GEICO Marine Insurance Company to provide boat insurance policies. BoatUS serves as the boating expert and membership organization driving customers to GEICO for insurance coverage.
3. Boat Lettering and Graphics: Custom boat lettering, registration numbers, decals, and domed lettering products sold directly to boat owners. Originally launched in 1986.
4. Boat Loans: Referral fees from Trident Funding partnership for boat financing services. BoatUS provides loan application processing and receives referral compensation.
5. BoatUS Magazine: Magazine subscription included with membership. The nation's largest circulation recreational marine publication with over 700,000 subscribers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Boat America Corporation operates the BoatUS membership program for recreational boat owners, bundling 24/7 on-water towing and assistance (TowBoatUS), boat insurance distribution through GEICO Marine Insurance, advocacy representation, and member discounts from 1,200+ marine businesses. It additionally sells Boat Lettering and graphics products, refers boat loans through Trident Funding, publishes BoatUS Magazine, and offers the BoatUS App for dispatch, weather, and account management. The TowBoatUS network is the largest on-water towing fleet in North America with 600+ vessels across 300+ ports.

Product overview

BoatUS (Boat Owners Association of The United States) is a membership-based boating organization offering a portfolio of interconnected services for recreational boaters. The core offering centers on BoatUS Membership, which bundles on-water towing (TowBoatUS), advocacy representation, and member discounts. Adjacent services include Boat Insurance through GEICO Marine, Boat Loans via Trident Funding, Boat Lettering for vessel customization, BoatUS App for mobile access to towing requests and weather data, Text Alerts for notifications, BoatUS Magazine subscription, BoatUS Foundation safety education programs, BoatUS Boats for Sale marketplace, MMSI Registration, and Trailer Assist roadside coverage. The company operates as Boat America Corporation under Berkshire Hathaway ownership.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• TowBoatUS: Nation's largest on-water towing and assistance fleet with over 600 towing response vessels in 300+ locations. Formerly known as Vessel Assist Association of America until 2016 rebranding.
• BoatUS Foundation
• Trailer Assist
• BoatUS Magazine

Products and services

• BoatUS Membership Annual dues-paying membership program that bundles 24/7 on-water towing, fuel delivery, jump starts, soft ungrounding, BoatUS Magazine subscription, advocacy representation, discounts at 1,200+ marine businesses, and access to boat loans and lettering for individual recreational boat owners across all 50 states.
• Boat Insurance Boat and personal watercraft insurance coverage offered to recreational boaters through a partnership with GEICO Marine Insurance Company, providing flexible policies with liability and physical damage coverage across all 50 states.
• TowBoatUS On-Water Towing and Assistance North America's largest on-water towing and assistance fleet offering 24-hour dispatch, towing, fuel delivery, jump starts, and soft ungrounding services through over 600 towboats in 300+ U.S. ports for BoatUS members and other recreational boaters.
• Trailer Assist Roadside Assistance Annual add-on roadside assistance program for trailer boaters covering flat tire labor, jump-starts, and lockout service with 24-hour dispatch, available for $15 per year.
• Boat Loans Boat financing services provided to BoatUS members through the Trident Funding partnership, with online application, loan calculator, and competitive rates for purchasing new or used boats or refinancing existing boat loans.
• Boat Lettering and Graphics Custom boat graphics, lettering, registration numbers, decals, and domed (raised/3D) lettering products sold directly to boat owners through an online design and ordering system.
• MMSI Registration Maritime Mobile Service Identity registration providing a unique 9-digit MMSI number for DSC radios and AIS units, free for BoatUS Members and $25 for non-members.
• Text Alerts Service SMS notification service delivering real-time towing service request updates, severe weather warnings, and membership renewal reminders directly to members' mobile phones.
• BoatUS Boats for Sale Marketplace Online marketplace for BoatUS Members to list and search new or used boat listings, with free listings offered to members.
• BoatUS Magazine Subscription Award-winning monthly recreational marine publication with 700,000+ subscribers covering boating safety, maintenance, destinations, gear reviews, and industry news, included with BoatUS membership.
• BoatUS Foundation Boating Safety Course Free online boating safety course offered by the BoatUS Foundation, with 262,316 students enrolled in 2020, providing boating safety certification and education.
• BoatUS Foundation On-Water Training Program Hands-on on-water boating education program with 3-hour courses taught by U.S. Coast Guard certified instructors at locations across the country, including the 'Women Making Waves' course, in partnership with Freedom Boat Club.

Quantifiable outcome

• Saves boaters up to $600 annually through repeal of Federal Boat User Fee Tax
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.

• NOAA Marine Debris ProgrammajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023BoatUS Foundation received a four-year, $10 million grant from NOAA's Marine Debris Program to remove abandoned and derelict vessels from U.S. coasts and Great Lakes. Includes funding for a national ADV database and competitive grant program.
• Vessel Assist Association of AmericacoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2003Acquired in 2003, Vessel Assist was the largest on-water towing fleet on the Pacific Coast. The acquisition added 100 towboats in 26 ports from San Diego to British Columbia and a West Coast 24-hour dispatch center with VHF communications. Later renamed to TowBoatUS.
• GEICO Marine Insurance CompanycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBoatUS partnered with GEICO to provide boat insurance coverage. GEICO Marine Insurance underwrites boat and PWC policies while BoatUS serves as the membership organization driving customers. Policies are administered through GEICO with BoatUS providing claims support and customer service through the BoatUS App and account management.
• Trident FundingcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBoatUS partnered with Trident Funding to offer competitive boat loans. The partnership provides BoatUS members access to boat financing options with competitive rates and terms for purchasing or refinancing boats.
• West MarinecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWest Marine is a national savings partner offering BoatUS members points and discounts. In 2003, the BoatUS Product Division (catalog and 62 retail Marine Centers) was sold to West Marine.
• Freedom Boat ClubminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the BoatUS Foundation On-Water Training Program, providing hands-on boating education with professional U.S. Coast Guard certified instructors at locations across the country.
• Star ClippersminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSailing cruise partner offering BoatUS members 10% off cruise fare, $150 per cabin onboard credit, and an additional 3% discount for past passengers.
• The MooringsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSailing vacation partner hosting an annual Flotilla in the British Virgin Islands exclusive for BoatUS members.
• Savvy NavvyminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMarine navigation partner offering exclusive discounts to BoatUS members on their navigation app/service.
• Avis and Budget Car RentalminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNational car rental partners offering BoatUS members discounts on car rentals.
• National Breast Cancer FoundationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFive local TowBoatUS companies partnered with the National Breast Cancer Foundation, raising over $25,000 in October 2024 for breast cancer awareness month with pink response vessels.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• West Marine: West Marine is the largest U.S. recreational marine retailer and a BoatUS channel partner; both serve the same boat-owner customer with discounts and accessory products, making them broadly comparable in recreational boating retail.
• AAA (American Automobile Association): AAA is the closest analog as a membership-based roadside/emergency assistance organization with TowBoatUS-style towing and discount ecosystems, often cited as the model BoatUS explicitly follows ("THE BOAT OWNERS AUTO CLUB").
• GEICO Marine Insurance: GEICO Marine is BoatUS's sister brand inside Berkshire Hathaway and the underwriter for BoatUS-distributed boat insurance, making it a directly comparable marine insurance provider serving the same boater customer base.
• Progressive Insurance (Marine): Progressive is a top U.S. boat insurance underwriter competing head-to-head with GEICO Marine for the same recreational boater, making it a comparable insurance distribution and pricing benchmark for BoatUS.

Emerging players

• Boatsetter: Boatsetter is a peer-to-peer boat rental marketplace with a Boating Safety Course and insurance partnerships; it overlaps with BoatUS's Boats for Sale marketplace, Foundation safety courses and rental-insurance products targeting younger recreational boaters.
• Savvy Navvy: Savvy Navvy is a marine navigation app offered through a BoatUS member-discount partnership; it represents a comparable mobile, app-first boating utility targeting the same recreational boater that BoatUS serves through its own app.
• Freedom Boat Club: Freedom Boat Club operates the largest membership-based boat club franchise network in the U.S., competing for recreational boater wallet share through fractional access rather than ownership, with a direct BoatUS Foundation training partnership.
• United States Power Squadrons (America's Boating Club): USPS is a long-standing recreational boating education and safety organization offering boating courses and member services; it is directly comparable to BoatUS Foundation's safety, education and on-water training programs.

Direct peers

• Boat Trader: Boat Trader operates the largest U.S. marketplace for new and used boats online, directly comparable to BoatUS's Boats for Sale marketplace and overlapping with the Trident Funding boat loan referral funnel.
• Sea Tow Services International: Sea Tow is the closest direct competitor to TowBoatUS, operating a national on-water assistance franchise network with 24/7 dispatch, membership plans and similar captain-licensee economics across U.S. coastal and inland waters.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/BoatUS
• YouTubeyoutube.com/boatus
• Facebookfacebook.com/boatus
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/boatus
• Instagraminstagram.com/boatus

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Boat America Corporation