IF you can't beat 'em, let 'em beg for your return

Here's a great little story that sums up recent events out in California's Catalina Island. Robert Sherrill actually has the City of Avalon helping to pay the costs of re-building his marine repair barge to comply with their own requirements.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-barge4apr04,1,7408011,full.story?coll=la-headlines-california

Whats this got to do with marine towing & salvage? Robert Sherrill, and his father, had a towboat business long before the first towing membership was ever sold. Robert owned Vessel Assist Catalina for many years. The Vessel Assist boats still tie up at the repair barge.

Robert re-built the RELIANT (when he owned her) more than a few times before she finally ended up in semi-retirement as my primary towboat up in Marina Del Rey. Its a safe bet that this little boat has logged more towing hours than just about any marine assistance boat in the country.

I have fond memories of calling Robert on the phone with some mechanical problem that I couldn't solve, and he would know what was wrong before I could finish describing the symptoms. I also remember the time I brought RELIANT over to Avalon because the Cummins blew a rear main seal, and it was under warrantee. At 8am, Robert showed up at the yard and I went to buy us some coffee. I got back at 8:40, and the Cummins was sitting on the shop floor. Robert was working by himself. We launched the boat at about 3pm that same afternoon.


I'm glad to hear that Robert is doing well. As you can see from the story, he is a very tough negotiator.