TowBoatU.S. Ft. Lauderdale has the benefit of a professional and experienced crew. Most of our captains have been with us for over 5 years with over 15 years of marine experience. Our captains take great pride in interacting with the boating community. This level of experience enhances our ability to work well under sometimes stressful circumstances.
Capt. Larry Acheson
President
Click Here to View Capt. Larry Acheson's Biography
Capt. Kevin Collins
Director of Operations
Capt. Collins has worked in the marine industry for over 18 years. He is an Instructor/Dive Master, maintains an STCW certification and has managed marinas and dive operations. Capt. Collins is retired military and is a skilled mechanic. His cruising experiences include Australia, Philippines, Japan, Korea, British Virgin Islands and an extensive knowledge of the Bahamas. In 2002, Capt. Collins received a Public Service Commendation from the U.S. Coast Guard in recognition “of notable service which has assisted greatly in furthering the aims and functions of the Coast Guard”. Capt. Collins has been employed by TowBoatU.S. Ft. Lauderdale since 1999, starting as a towboat captain and quickly advancing to General Manager. As Director of Operations, Capt. Collins oversees all operations, including assisting in thousands of salvages, boat shows and megayacht river towing and assistance along with managing the development of our 96' Offshore Supply Vessel.
Capt. John (Barney) Hauf
Director of Sales and Personnel
Capt. Hauf has been involved with the marine industry since he was a child growing up on the waters in Up-State New York and owning and operating his own boats since 1985. He is a certified diver and has experience cruising the Bahamas. Capt. Hauf has been employed by TowBoatU.S. Ft. Lauderdale since 2003 and has assisted in numerous salvage operations and mega-yacht towing operations. In addition, Capt. Hauf is responsible for developing the River Towing and Assistance, Charter and Launch Divisions of the company. In addition, Capt. Hauf is an active member of the Port Everglades Propeller Club and MIASF (Marine Industries Association of South Florida).
Chloe Baker
Director of Administration
Ms. Baker has been involved in the marine industry since she was a child growing up in Nova Scotia, Canada. Ms. Baker worked as deckhand and stew on yachts cruising Nova Scotia, St. Lawrence Seaway, Great Lakes, U.S. East Coast the Bahamas and the Caribbean. She was hired by TowBoatU.S. Ft. Lauderdale in 2002 as a Dispatcher and was quickly promoted to Office Administrator and to Director of Administration. She is responsible for the operation of both offices including computer systems and dispatching, overseeing web site, creating company operating budget and scheduling.
Capt. Chris Stevens
Salvage Master and Supervisor
Capt. Chris Stevens has worked in the marine industry for over 17 years. His cruising experience extends from New England to Florida including the Caribbean Islands. Capt. Stevens is a certified diver and maintains a HAZMAT certification. He has been employed by TowBoatU.S. Ft. Lauderdale since 1995, starting as a towboat captain and advancing to Supervisor and Salvage Master. Capt. Stevens is responsible for the direction of our crew in maneuvering and placement of megayachts in the three major boat shows in South Florida. He has directed thousands of successful salvage operations over the years from raising sunken barges, airplanes, and yachts, to extracting megayachts from reefs, rocks and beaches.
Capt. Chris Denhard
Supervisor
Capt. Denhard has worked in the marine industry for over 14 years. He is a Dive Master and has experience throughout the Caribbean and Florida. He has been employed by TowBoatU.S. Ft. Lauderdale since 1998, starting as a towboat captain and advancing to Supervisor, specializing in megayacht river towing and assistance, boat shows, and assisting in thousands of salvage operations including boarding a burning yacht to single-handedly saving a vessel from destruction on a Bahamian reef.
Capt. Mike Knecht
Supervisor of Yacht Towing Division
Capt. Knecht has been involved in the marine industry since 1985. He is a Dive Instructor, a Submersible Pilot, holds a 500 Ton Near Coastal U.S. Merchant Marine License and maintains an STCW certification. Capt. Knecht served for 3 years in the U.S. Army. His cruising experiences include Hawaii, the Western Pacific, the Caribbean, Bahamas and the Southeastern coast of the United States. Capt. Knecht has been employed by TowBoatU.S. Ft. Lauderdale since 1998, starting as a towboat captain and advancing to Supervisor. His responsibilities include the continued growth and development of our Yacht Towing Division. He assists in maneuvering and placement of megayachts in the three major boat shows in South Florida, specializes in megayacht river towing and assistance, and has assisted in numerous salvage operations.
Capt. Eric Bachewicz
Assistant Supervisor
Capt. Bachewicz has been boating all of his life. He grew up sailing, fishing and diving. His involvement with the marine industry included Mate sailing on Tall Ships and as Tug Mate for six years on tugs. Capt. Bachewicz is a certified Diver, maintains an STCW certification as well as an AB Tankerman certification and a Hazmat certification. His cruising experience includes the both U.S. coastlines from Maine to Florida Keys and California to Central America as well as the Caribbean and Bahamas. Capt. Bachewicz has been employed by TowBoatU.S. Ft. Lauderdale since 2006 and advanced to Assistant Supervisor. He has assisted in many salvage operations and is a qualified yacht towing captain.
Capt. Brent Thompson
Assistant Supervisor
Capt. Thompson has been involved with the marine industry since he was a child growing up around boats. Prior to his employment with TowBoatU.S. Ft. Lauderdale, Capt. Thompson worked at marinas. He is a certified diver and has assisted in numerous salvage operations. His cruising experience includes the Bahamas and Florida Key. He was employed by TowBoatU.S. Ft. Lauderdale in 2003 as a towboat captain and advanced to Assistant Supervisor.
Capt. Jeffrey (Todd) Nyman
Capt. Nyman spent 4 years in the US Coast Guard as in the late 1980’s. Since then he has spent over 5 years in the marine towing and salvage business. He is also a Diver and an Airboat Operator. Capt. Nyman’s cruising experience includes Nova Scotia to Curacao, including the Bahamas, the East Coast of Florida through the Florida Keys to Tampa Bay. Capt. Nyman was hired by TowBoatU.S. Ft. Lauderdale in 2006 as a towboat captain.
Capt. Jorge Rodriguez
Capt. Rodriguez spent his entire life on boats growing up in a family of commercial fishermen. He joined the U.S. Coast Guard in 2000, was trained as a rescue swimmer and gained much experience cruising the Caribbean and Florida coasts, Pacific coast including the Panama Canal, Columbia and the Gulf of Mexico. He is a certified Open Water Diver and maintains an STCW certification. Capt. Rodriguez was hired by TowBoatU.S. Ft. Lauderdale in 2006 as a towboat captain.
Capt. Matthew McBride
Capt. McBride spent over 8 years working at marinas in New Jersey before coming to Florida. He spent many summers working on fishing charters and managing jet ski rentals both in St. Petersburg on the west coast of Florida and in Ft. Lauderdale. McBride is a Dive Master and maintains an STCW certification. He ran dive boats in the Florida Keys before being hired in 2007 by TowBoatU.S. Ft. Lauderdale as a towboat captain. Capt. McBride's cruising experience includes the Florida coast including the Florida Keys as well as the Caribbean.
Capt. John Farr
Capt. Farr spent over 9 years as a police officer in Washington, D.C. before coming to Florida. Farr is a certified Open Water Diver and was also a Dock Master in St. Petersburg on the west coast of Florida before joining TowBoatU.S. Ft. Lauderdale as a towboat captain in 2007. Capt. Farr’s cruising experience includes South Florida, Gulf of Mexico, Chesapeake Bay, and the Bahamas.
Capt. Chris Young
Capt. Young has spent is entire life growing up on the water. He began his marine career at the age of 15 while working at Pennells Marina gaining experience of boat and fork lift operations to boat maintance, detailing, painting, and fiberglass work. He is a certified Open Water Diver and a O.U.P.V. certified captain. After completing undergraduate school from FAU with a B.A. in Criminal Justice, Capt. Young was hired by TowBoatU.S. Fort Lauderdale in 2008. His cruising experience includes the Florida coast and the Bahamas.
Capt. Tom Guarino
Supervisor, OSV/Richard L. Becker
Capt. Guarino has been involved with the marine industry since 1969 when he enlisted in the U.S. Coast Guard. He was trained in search and rescue and assigned to the 7th District Diving Unit. Currently, he holds a SCUBA Instructor PADI certification and maintains an STCW certification.
Capt. Guarino’s experience spans owning and operating dive charter businesses to employment in naval research operations, oceanographic research and film company charters to deliveries of yachts and sport fishing boats to towing vessels to project management of offshore supply vessel recertification. He has extensive navigation experience through the Bahamas, Turks and Caicos Islands, Florida East and West Coast, Florida Keys, Dry Tortugas, Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico waters. Recent cruising experience includes the East Coast from Florida to Virginia. Capt. Guarino was hired in 2005 by TowBoatU.S. Ft. Lauderdale as Captain of the Richard L. Becker. He is responsible for the operation, maintenance and management of the vessel and its crew.
Capt. Adrian Barker
Second Captain, OSV/Richard L. Becker
Capt. Barker spent his entire life around boats. He enjoys fishing and has worked in the marine industry on yachts and as a captain for Water Taxi. Capt. Barker maintains an STCW certification as well as being a certified Diver. His cruising experience includes the East Coast from New England to Florida Keys and the Bahamas. Capt. Barker was hired by TowBoatU.S. Ft. Lauderdale in 2006 as Second Captain on the Richard L. Becker.
Russell Inman
Diver and Mate
Mr. Inman has been involved with the marine industry for over 10 years. He is a diver and maintains an STCW certification. His experience includes mate on charter vessels as well as on a commercial tug and barge. Mr. Inman has been employed by TowBoatU.S. Ft. Lauderdale since 2001 and is the mate on the Richard L. Becker, a 96' steel-hulled Offshore Supply Vessel and has cruising experience through the Bahamas, Caribbean, and the East Coast from Florida to Virginia.
Rolando Tominez
Engineer/Deckhand
Mr. Tominez has been involved in the marine industry since 1994 when he shipped out on a tanker working throughout the Western Pacific. He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering from the Technological Institute of the Philippines and maintains an STCW certification. Mr. Tominez went on to work in the offshore oil exploration and drilling industry in the Mediterranean Middle East and Gulf of Mexico. He has crewed on barges and drill ships as an Able Seaman, Rigger, Welder and Deck Engineer. He was hired by TowBoatU.S. Ft. Lauderdale in 2005 and serves as Engineer/Deckhand on the Richard L. Becker.
Stacey Schultz
Administrative Assistant
Ms. Schultz was hired by TowBoatU.S. Ft. Lauderdale in 2003 as a Dispatcher and advanced to Administrative Assistant. Her industry experience came from talking to family members on VHF radio and as an administrative assistant at Hidden Harbor Marina. Ms. Schultz is responsible for many of the daily office tasks including payroll and accounts receivable. She also acts as relief dispatcher, answering telephones and radios as needed.
Amanda Tidwell
Dispatcher
Ms. Tidwell was hired by TowBoatU.S. Ft. Lauderdale in 2005 as a Dispatcher. Since then she has also taken on the responsibility of processing all Accounts Payable. Previously, she was the dispatch manager for an air conditioning company and worked in California for casinos handling credit requests.
John Lepore
Dispatcher
Mr. Lepore was hired by TowBoatU.S. Ft. Lauderdale in 2003 as a Night Dispatcher. He is former military having spent 4 years in the U.S. Air Force as a radio operator. Mr. Lepore then spent 25 years in the trucking and transportation industry with 5 years as Supervisor/Traffic Manager before joining our Dispatch staff.
Shannon Harvilla
Parts and Inventory Assistant
Mr. Harvilla was hired by TowBoatU.S Ft. Lauderdale in 2006 as a Parts and Inventory Assistant. A Northern native, he attended college at West Virginia University and relocated to Florida a few years after graduation. Mr. Harvilla has experience in sales and customer service and showed a willingness to learn all aspects of the marine industry. He progressed quickly and currently is responsible for purchasing and maintaining the inventory for all of our vessels as well as assisting in quoting jobs. Since his employment, Mr. Harvilla has worked on salvages and has acted as crew on both the Richard L. Becker and on long distance towing jobs from the Bahamas. He continues to earn sea time and a greater understanding of the industry.
Jeff Hamilton
Shop Supervisor
Mr. Hamilton’s interest in boating began at age 8 when his father bought a small boat. His family would spend weekends on Lake Lanier, Georgia. He has been working on boats professionally since 1984. Mr. Hamilton has vocational training as a diesel mechanic and spent 15 years as the owner/operator of a dockside service company. He worked at Merritt’s Boat Yard in Pompano Beach before coming to TowBoatU.S. Ft. Lauderdale in 2004. Mr. Hamilton supervises our Maintenance Facility and is responsible for the maintenance, repair and construction of our fleet
Steven Montgomery
Mechanic
Mr. Montgomery joined TowBoatU.S Ft. Lauderdale in 2007 as a Mechanic. As a South Florida native, he has grown up around boats and has been a mechanic most of his life. Not only is he a graduate of McFatter Technical Center’s Marine Service Technology, he is also NMEA (National Marine Electronics Association) certified, Mercury Outboard Certified, and Evinrude Outboard Certified.
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