Channel Watch Marine Services

When things go wrong, or need to go exactly right .

  • Two boats sailing in the water near a rocky shoreline with palm trees and mountains in the background.
  • View from a yacht showing a red rescue boat named 'RETRIEVER II' docked nearby with a marina full of sailboats and yachts in the background on clear, sunny day.
  • Nighttime scene of a small airplane and a large construction excavator working together on an airport runway. The excavator is lifting and positioning the airline for maintenance or repair. There are safety cones, a warning sign, and the area is cordoned off. City lights are visible in the distance.
  • View from a boat showing the water, a small motorboat, and a sailboat in the distance under a cloudy sky with a city skyline and hills on the horizon.
  • A small motorboat towing a sailboat on open water with a bird flying overhead.
  • Multiple rescue boats and a helicopter on a cloudy sea, with the rescue boats having American flags and markings, and the helicopter flying above, possibly part of a rescue or coast guard operation.
  • A marina with multiple sailboats and yachts docked, and a speedboat leaving a trail of smoke as it moves through the water.
  • Burned and damaged boat docked at a marina with electrical equipment nearby and a man observing the scene.
  • Construction equipment lowering a boat onto a beach with workers nearby
  • An aerial view of a white luxury yacht named Valkyrie sailing on the ocean, with a smaller vessel labeled TowBoatUS alongside it.
  • A fire on a boat in the water with black smoke billowing into the sky, viewed from a nearby patrol boat labeled 'TowBoatU.S.'
  • A damaged boat sinking in the ocean with a rescue boat approaching in the background.
  • A whale is dead in the water with a small rescue boat next to it. The boat has people on board inspecting the whale.
  • A white yacht sailing on the water with a smaller red boat trailing behind on a hazy day, with hills in the background.
  • A partially submerged boat with a large metal structure on top, floating in the water near a shoreline with mountains in the background. Crew members are working on the boat, surrounded by floating barriers and equipment.
  • A red rescue boat near rocky cliffs with a cave entrance, and white boats in the water.
  • A sailboat named 'Freedom' is sailing on calm water, with people on board and another boat visible in the background, along with a shoreline with palm trees.
  • View from a boat named TowBoatU.S. on open water with a mountainous island in the background. The boat's cabin has various navigation and communication equipment, and the sky is overcast.
  • Two boats on calm open water, one with a person leaning over the side and another in the distance.
  • A sunken ship surrounded by yellow containment boom, with rescue boats nearby and a crane on a floating platform.
  • Two people on a red boat fishing in the open ocean with land in the distance.
  • A boat named 'Sea Dragon' is beached on the shore during sunset; three men are working nearby with a pickup truck.
  • People preparing a boat for launch at a marina with palm trees, a clear blue sky, and parked trucks.
  • A person in a black wetsuit and red life jacket walking into the ocean near a tilted motorboat on the sandy beach, with a calm sea and clear blue sky.
  • Nighttime photo of a white yacht on the water with a bright light, and another vessel in the distance with a red light, creating reflections on the water.
  • View from a boat at sunset showing the boat's bow, with the American flag, the company name 'TowBoatU.S.', and the words 'Vessel Assist'. The ocean is calm with a distant horizon and a colorful sky.
  • Construction workers and machinery installing a large metallic structure on stilts over water near a rocky shoreline.
  • A sunset over a body of water with a boat in the distance, calm rippling waves, and distant mountains; part of a boat with a pole and a speaker on it in the foreground.
  • A worker stands on a dock near a large floating platform, observing a diver in the water with an orange safety line. The platform has large black tires along the edge and various equipment on top. The background shows a clear sky and industrial structures in the distance.
  • A yellow excavator lifting the bow of a boat named Flying Dutchman out of the water at a marina, with several other boats and sailboats in the background.
  • A boat speeding across a body of water near a shoreline with buildings, palm trees, and mountains in the background.
  • A small white and gray boat is docked at the pier, with a bridge in the background and a red boat tied to the dock nearby.
  • Sunset over a calm body of water with colorful clouds in the sky.
  • Two boats sailing on calm ocean waters near a sandy beach with a marina and hillside in the background under partly cloudy skies.
  • A large construction excavator lifting a boat on a sandy beach.
  • A red rescue boat and a smaller white boat in the water near a rocky shoreline, with a person swimming nearby.
  • An overturned white boat on a hillside, partially hidden by bushes and trees, with a white vehicle and parts of the boat's trailer visible in the background.
  • A sailboat tilted on its side in the shallow water near the shoreline, with three people in reflective vests working nearby.
  • A sailboat capsized near the shoreline with its mast tilted and the hull partially submerged, while two other boats are visible in the distance on calm water under a partly cloudy sky.
  • A sailboat capsized in the water with parts of the boat submerged, and another boat in the background on the open sea.
  • A red rescue boat with 'Assist Ventura' and 'TowBoatUS' on it, moving through calm water near a marina with sailboats and houses with palm trees in the background.
  • A man in a red jacket and black cap operating a boat's control panel in a marina with multiple yachts and sailboats docked.
  • A partially submerged boat leaning to one side in the water at a marina, with luxury yachts and residential buildings in the background.
  • A boat is capsized and partially submerged in murky water next to a dock at night, with lights reflecting on the water's surface.
  • A marina with several boats docked, including a red rescue boat titled "Ventura" and various other yachts and sailboats, with a concrete dock on the left and calm water.
  • A marina filled with numerous sailboats and motorboats docked along the piers, with some palm trees and buildings in the background under a cloudy sky.
  • A sailboat capsized in the water with two people on it, flags flying, under a clear blue sky.
  • A construction excavator on a sandy beach pulling a small sailboat out of the water with a cloudy sky overhead.
  • A white boat with a tall mast navigating through a narrow rocky water passage between steep, rugged cliffs covered with sparse trees and shrubs.
  • A boat with a red hull is approaching a submerged boat inside a dark, rocky cave or tunnel. The scene is illuminated by artificial light, revealing the rocky walls and water surface.
  • A large shark is submerged in the water beneath the surface.
  • A person with a hooded jacket in the foreground, a flipped boat in the water, and a red rescue boat nearby at night.
  • A U.S. Coast Guard rescue boat on calm water near rocky cliffs, with communication antennas and flags flying.
  • Three boats on the ocean with two people on each boat and two people on the sinking boat, while a whale is visible near the boats, with a rocky shoreline and hilly landscape under a clear blue sky in the background.
  • A boat is submerged upside down in a body of water, with a visible push/pull sign on its side.
  • Four sailboats upside down on a parking lot with palm trees and buildings in the background under a partly cloudy sky.
  • Three men are removing a damaged, old wooden roof from a small vehicle with a cargo bed on a dirt trail in a hilly, rocky area as part of a cleanup or repair project.
  • Waves crashing against a rocky breakwater with two red boats in the water nearby.
  • A boat partially crashed into a rocky coastal area with cliffs and large boulders, surrounded by blue water.
  • Two people in the water near a floating platform with large orange and beige inflatable buoys, with a marina and boats in the background under a clear blue sky.
  • A marina with sailboats and motor yachts docked, palm trees in the background, and two prominent boats in the water, one red and one blue.

Our
Services

  • Marine Assistance

    Dock to Dock and Assistance Towing plus services to avoid a tow such as Jump Starts, Fuel, Oil, or Parts Delivery and Diving for Prop Disentanglements

  • Outdoor Spaces icon

    Emergency Response, Salvage & Recovery

    Wreck Removal, Debris Cleanup, Sunken Vessel Recovery, Hard Groundings & In-Surf Vessel Recovery, Spill Containment & Cleanup

  • Custom Additions icon

    Support

    Crew Transfers, Deliveries, Film, Event, Safety Zone Enforcement, Standby & Support Boat for Diving, Construction, Research & Defense.

  • Green Building icon

    Vessel Disposals

    End of Life or Post-Accident Disposals handled for you including towing, haul-out, and disposal of all hazardous materials including fuel and oil

Our
Equipment

  • Red and white tow boat speeding through water with mountains in the background

    Assist Ventura

  • A rescue boat speeding across the water, marked with 'TownBoatUS' and 'Assist Channel Islands'.

    Assist Channel Islands

  • A large red and gray rescue boat moving quickly through the water with white wake behind it.

    Rincon

  • A rescue boat speeding over the water with buildings and palm trees on the shoreline in the background.

    Retriever

  • A white Coast Guard patrol boat speeding through the water, with 'CHANNEL WATCH' written on its side, equipped with marine gear and orange life rafts on the deck.

    Channel Sentinel

  • A rescue boat with an outboard motor speeding across the water with a person standing at the controls, near a coastline with buildings and palm trees.

    Waterways Patrol

  • Construction equipment, a woman in a red jacket and white hard hat, a white boat on the beach, and a white pickup truck with vessel assistance logo near the ocean.

    Truck 1

  • A white truck parked on a beach with a boat and water in the background.

    Truck 2

  • ATV

  • A red three-wheeled vehicle with the branding 'TowBoatUS' and a sign offering free towing for boaters, parked on grass near water with boats in the distance.

    Tuk Tuk

  • A white pickup truck towing a trailer with a Channel Watch Marine Services Inc. logo parked on the side of a road with a cloudy sky overhead. There's a trash bag on the ground near the curb.

    Pollution & Recovery Trailer

  • A boat on a trailer hitched to a pickup truck in a parking lot with palm trees and buildings in the background.

    Emergency Haul-Out Trailers

Group of six men standing on a boat docked in the water, with a water body, palm trees, and houses in the background. They are wearing casual outdoor clothing and sunglasses.

About Us:

Marine reliability, delivered with professionalism and precision.

Channel Watch Marine Services Inc. (Channel Watch) is committed to delivering excellence on the water and reliability in every situation. Based in Ventura, CA, we operate dedicated response vessels positioned to provide dependable support in both Ventura Harbor and Channel Islands Harbors. While Channel Watch maintains a 100nm immediate response area, our team is equipped and prepared to serve clients throughout Southern California, with the capability to mobilize to inland lakes as well as additional ports and harbors as needed.

Channel Watch is a proud BoatUS Contracted Services Provider, operating TowBoatUS Ventura & Channel Islands. Our BoatUS contracted area extends from Point Conception in Santa Barbara County to Point Dume in Los Angeles County, including the offshore waters surrounding the four northern Channel Islands.

Our Captains bring extensive maritime experience and a strong safety culture to every operation. All Captains are licensed by the United States Coast Guard and hold the specialized commercial assistance endorsements required for the work we do. Many also maintain advanced credentials, including Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response certification, Emergency Medical Technician training, Boat Operator Search & Rescue qualifications, and PADI scuba certifications.

Providing professional readiness on the water, whether the moment is critical or routine since 2003

A smiling man wearing sunglasses and a white t-shirt standing in the doorway of a boat at a marina.

Founded by Captain Paul Amaral in 2003, Channel Watch quickly made a name for itself by having the most devoted team of waterman and skillful boat operators up for any challenges. After a successful career in the industry, Captain Amaral sold the business in 2022 to his manager and mentee, Captain Carson Shevitz who is continuing the Channel Watch legacy and reputation.

Man smiling, wearing sunglasses and a life jacket, operating boat on water, with shoreline and palm trees in background.

Our
Team

  • Oranssi project manager Jaya Dixon

    Carson Shevitz

    General Manager

  • Silhouette of a person behind frosted glass with vertical lines, creating a blurred and mysterious effect.

    Ismael Alvarez

    Operations Manager

  • A woman smiling, standing in front of boats at a marina, wearing a light gray jacket with a logo on it.

    Carol Ferrari

    Office Manager

  • A young woman with long reddish-blonde hair smiling outdoors on a sunny day, wearing a gray zip-up jacket with a logo for channel watch marine services Inc. and Tow A Boat U.S.

    Eliana Michelson

    HR Manager

  • Oranssi founder Drew Weber

    Rick Arnal

    Fleet Foreman

  • Oranssi general contractor Reese Platt

    Randy Davis

    Captain

  • A smiling man with a beard, sunglasses, and a gray cap standing with crossed arms in front of a white boat. The boat has a logo that reads 'Channel Watch Marine & Coast Guard' with a boat graphic.

    Brian Cunningham

    Captain

  • Oranssi construction engineer Jamie Kokot

    Spencer Lewis

    Captain

  • Illustration of two rescue boats on water with text 'Channel Watch Marine Services Inc.' and 'TowBoatUS Ventura & Channel Islands'.

    Brenden Throckmorton

    Captain

  • A man smiling outdoors near a body of water, wearing a light gray jacket and a cap with a logo for 'Channel Watch Marine Services Inc.'

    Rick Eickert

    Captain

What we’ve been up to…

Our team has been increasingly providing safety & support services to unmanned surface vehicles (USV), ensuring they have a safe and clear area to conduct testing. By having the skillset of handling everything that goes wrong on the water, we are
The maiden voyage for the brand new owner of this jet ski did not turn out the way he was hoping. He fortunately had already purchased insurance with an insurance company with a great maritime team to help him with his claim.
Where is the best place to breakdown? Right in front of the TowBoatUS office. It’s a sure way to get a fast response, and in this case, the whole day’s team rolled out.
The past several days, our team has been hard at work ensuring that the City of Oxnard waterways are maintained as part of a contract with the City to provide patrol and debris removal services. After the recent rains carried debris into the water, w
Not rain related but this 35’ powerboat went down in its slip. The cause was revealed to be the bellows of his outdrive.
“We had an explosion and fire in the engine compartment. The dispatcher was calm and he involved the Harbor Patrol and Fire Vessels to come help too. TowBoatUS was right there after we were done with the fireman’s safety checks and they b
“Very impressed with skills”
After @mansonconstruction @venturacountyharborpatrol @venturacountyfire @ventura_harbor_patrol and @oxnardcityfire went to work on last weeks boat fire, we got it out of the water, defueled, and disposed of. A responsible party for the vessel was not
This boat off Santa Barbara sustained significant damage before it could get recovered and ultimately broke apart into pieces. The owner, who had a good insurance policy, waited over 24 hours after the grounding to request assistance which delayed an
The dredge is in Channel Islands Harbor. You can reach @mansonconstruction HR Morris on ch67 for any questions on how to navigate the harbor safely with the dredge, tugs, and pipe.
This vessel found themselves with a loss of power next to shore and was unable to get their anchor to hold before they entered the surf and went aground. This situation serves as an example to maintain a safe distance, not only to the shoreline, but
“Timely, professional, informed, and friendly. For the tow service alone, I would recommend a @boatus membership without hesitation.”
An iconic hull sank at the impound dock in Santa Barbara. @point_arguello_yacht_club
“The Captain was a great guy, he made me feel like I was in good hands.”
At 6pm this evening, the recreational lobster season opens. This is your reminder to be aware of the risks to be safe. Catching lobsters involves either using hoop nets or diving underwater to pick lobsters, often using scuba gear or freediving techn
180 ton seiner on the hip. After attempting troubleshooting in Ventura Harbor, the vessel was towed down to their home port in San Pedro for repairs.
A late night grounding in a remote area of coastline west of Gaviota. All people were safely recovered off the beach without incident by @santabarbaracountyfire . Upon our arrival in the dark with gusts to 25 knots, the decision was made to wait for
An intentional grounding when the operator began taking on water. Towed to the launch ramp, placed on a trailer, and towed back to the owner’s vehicle in Ventura, all covered by his insurance policy on the ski

What Our Clients Say

  • "The speed, expertise and professionalism of the crew was outstanding. I highly recommend them to anyone needing marine towing services."

    Mark Russo

  • "Captain Carson Shevitz, and his team are EXCELLENCE personified. Reliable, Knowledgeable, Responsive."

    Kelvin Meeks

  • "Excellent! Carson is very knowledgeable and professional! He provides outstanding Customer Service! I highly recommend Channel Watch Marine!"

    Irene Eason