PHOTO COURTESY BOATUS

Capt. Stephen Lilly is the new owner of TowBoatUS Beaufort and TowBoatUS Swansboro, N.C. Lilly purchased the businesses from Capt. Lee Sykes, who is retiring.

“I towed my first boat when I was 8 years old,” Lilly said in a statement. “I was in a marina on my little dinghy and a 2-hp motor, and a big cruiser was having trouble getting into the slip, so the captain leaned over the rail and asked me for a little push.”

Lilly will be joined by his wife, Mariangel, who will oversee marketing and public outreach efforts, along with business operations. They will keep the company’s six boats at Sea Water Marina in Atlantic Beach, N.C.