C-PORT Board of Directors & Management

Tina Cardone, Executive Director

Tina Cardone has over 22 years experience working within the Marine Assistance Industry. Beginning in the late 1980s, Tina worked closely with the Coast Guard learning about the new rules and regulations for the industry. She gained great insight into how an association supports its membership and principles through legislative actions, in meeting membership needs, and promoting the association’s ideals to the boating community. Her background gives her insight into how a marine business must juggle legislative requirements, employment needs and serving the boating community with profitability. Through this unique view, Tina is able to contribute to the continued growth and development of C-PORT and the Marine Assistance Industry it represents.

Tina has a B.A. in Political Science and enjoys the political system and has a fascination with the study of law. She enjoys writing and has written and collaborated on a number of published articles. Tina has cruised the Bahamas, Caribbean and made numerous crossings to Bermuda. Other voyages include cruising the Eastern U.S. from Florida to Maine, crossing to Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and the French Islands of Saint Pierre and Miquelon.

Chris Shaffner, Chairman
TowBoatU.S. Palm Beach

Chris Shaffner took his first boat ride reportedly at 2 weeks of age and was first paid for working on boats at age 10.  He grew up on the New River in Ft. Lauderdale and at age 16, became a Life Guard.  He moved to the Cayman Islands and spent 6 months developing the Cayman Islands Swimming Team and teaching swimming and SCUBA diving.  He returned to Ft. Lauderdale and went into the yacht service industry for a number of years.  While on delivery in Boston, he began working with a marine assistance company on weekends.  Chris returned to Florida and bought TowBoatU.S. Palm Beach in January 2003. 

The marine assistance industry has offered Chris a place to combine many of the skills he acquired along the way and provided both he and his family with a challenging, rewarding and never boring focus for their energy.  Along with his position as Chairman at C-PORT, Chris sits on the Board of Directors for the Palm Beach Sailing Club and is a Committee Head for the Palm Beach Holiday Boat Parade Toys for Tots pick up boats.

Phil Delano, Vice Chairman
Vessel Assist San Francisco and Delta

As a child Phil Delano grew up racing small sailboats on Central California lakes.  In the early 1980's he and his family cruised the waters off the west coast of Mexico, mostly in the Sea of Cortez.  Phil did more sailboat racing off the coast of Ventura in the late 1980's and acquired his USCG License in 1989. His first job as a Captain was a water taxi/ferry in Channel Islands Harbor.  In 1990 Phil and his father became contractors for Vessel Assist and ran towboats out of Ventura, Channel Islands, and Santa Barbara Harbors.  

Phil attended the California Maritime Academy during the mid 1990's and worked for the Vessel Assist company in the California Delta to help pay the bills of college.  He opened the first Vessel Assist company in Monterey Bay in 1998.  A year later Phil left Monterey Bay to take over Vessel Assist operations in the San Francisco Bay. Three years later our company added the California Delta area.  Phil states he loves this business and “they will have to pry the wheel and throttles from my cold dead hands.

Ethan Maass, Secretary
Sea Tow Cape Cod Bay
Green Harbor, MA

Capt. Ethan Maass has been involved with the marine assistance industry since 2000. Joining the C-PORT Board of Directors in 2007 allowed Ethan to pursue his goals of promoting and strengthening the marine assistance industry on the national level, beyond the confines of his own business. Increasing awareness of the industry with Federal, State and local marine-related agencies is a priority for Ethan, as well as fostering an environment of cooperation with the various organizations that respond together to incidents on the water.

Steve Winkler, Treasurer
Sea Tow Boston

Steve Winkler is the Senior Captain and Franchise Co-Owner of Sea Tow Boston. Originally licensed in 1967 with an OUPV (Six Pack), he currently holds a 100 Ton Master Near Coastal of Auxiliary Sail with Commercial Assistance Towing and Radar Observer Unlimited endorsements. Steve is a PADI certified SCUBA diver, a certified Oil Spill responder, a certified outboard mechanic and a Sea Tow certified Salvage Master.

Captain Winkler primarily oversees the day-to-day administration of his business along with the training and certification of all of his employed Captains. Although quite a bit of his time is spent behind the scenes, Steve makes the time to routinely get underway and assist disabled boaters. "Frankly, I just really enjoy being on the water and helping people," he says. "It's the reason I got into the Assistance Towing Industry in the first place."

John Andrews
Safe/Sea
Wickford, RI

Capt. John Andrews is the President, Founder, and majority owner of Safe/Sea. An avid boater throughout his life, Capt. Andrews started the company that would become Safe/Sea in 1983 with the purchase of a 60' steel tugboat named the William D. Kropp. When the U.S. Coast Guard ceased providing free towing service in non-emergency situations in 1984, Capt. Andrews purchased Safe/Sea's first fast rescue towboat and began developing the business in Narragansett Bay.

Capt. Andrews is a founding member of C-PORT. He served as its Chairman of the Board for several years in the late 1980's and early 1990's, and still sits on the association's Board of Directors. In addition, he is the Northeast Region's representative to the TowBoatU.S. Towing Advisory Council.

Kevin Freestone
TowBoatU.S. Big Pine Key

Kevin Freestone started boating at the age of 15. Since then he has enjoyed being on the water. He worked in Corporate Management for over 20 years before he decided it was time to make a change. Since 1997, he ran charter fishing vessels in the Big Pine and Lower Keys area. He started Lower Keys Marine Towing and Salvage Inc/TowBoatU.S. Big Pine Key in late 2001. He has a USCG Master License and is SCUBA certified. He is also a certified Hazwoper responder. Kevin is actively involved in the FL Keys community working with the Tourist Development Council as Vice Chairperson of the District Advisory Committee for over 6 years. He is also a volunteer firefighter with the Monroe County Big Pine Key Volunteer Fire Dept. He is the President of the Florida Keys Marine Assistance Association, a regional chapter of C-PORT, which he helped organize over a year ago. Kevin loves being on the water and helping people in need.

Joe Frohnhoefer
Sea Tow Services International
Southold, NY

Joe Frohnhoefer founded Sea Tow Services International in response to a 1982 law eliminating the United States Coast Guard's (USCG) response to non-emergency calls. An avid boater and volunteer emergency medical technician, Joe saw the opportunity to establish not only a business, but also an industry. He is a staunch supporter of boating safety and environmental responsibility. Joe is one of the founding members of C-PORT. He also serves on the Towing Safety Advisory Council (TSAC), a deliberative advisory body to the Secretary of Homeland Security and the U.S. Coast Guard.

Terry Hill
TowBoatU.S. Potomac

Terry Hill has been active in the marine industry since 1975. Terry worked in his family’s marina from 1975 to 1983. He became a USCG licensed Master in 1985 and began moving boats up and down the East coast and now holds a 100 ton Master of Towing license with unlimited radar endorsement. In 1999 Potomac Marine branched out into the towing and salvage serving the upper Potomac River in the nation’s capital and now operates as TowBoatU.S. Potomac Marine.

Terry has been a member of C-PORT since 2003 and though only a member for a relatively short period Terry has become deeply involved and was elected to the Board in 2004 and elected Chairman in 2005 to 2009. It is Terry’s ambition to elevate C-PORT to a more visible level with federal and especially state and local authorities. Terry has been an advocate for the towing and salvages industry in working with local, state, and federal agencies both locally and nationally. In this role he has also worked to advocate good working relations with maritime insurance carriers and salvors through education and mentoring.

David LaMontagne
Vessel Assist Newport
Newport, CA

President California Marine Assistance Professionals, a regional chapter of C-PORT.

Chris McCarthy
Sea Tow Newport / Los Angeles

Chris McCarthy has been actively involved in the Marine Assistance Industry from coast to coast for the past nine years. His experiences started as a Captain in 2001 when he joined Sea Tow Boston. During the winter of 2003, Chris departed for a tour duty with Sea Tow Ft. Lauderdale until the spring when he returned to Boston for the season.

In March of 2004, the opportunity to operate the Newport Beach/LA franchise became available and Chris moved to Huntington Beach, CA. Chris intends to use his experience and to help to develop the respect our industry enjoys throughout the rest of the country in the Southern California region.

Charles Meyer
TowBoatU.S. Lake of the Ozarks

Charlie Meyer has been a C-PORT member since 2001. He is a retired USCG Warrant Officer. During his over 21 years in the U.S. Coast Guard, Charlie served primarily in small boat operations, on both East and West Coast SAR stations and retired as Engineering Officer of an Ice Breaking Tug on the Great Lakes. He is a Vietnam Veteran and was awarded the Coast Guard Combat Action Ribbon and the Navy Achievement Medal with Combat “V” during his Vietnam service.

Charlie’s primary goal on the C-PORT Board of Directors is to represent companies from Inland areas of the country. He likes being part of helping Inland companies and the industry as a whole in carrying out the stated agenda and mission of C-PORT and to work toward overcoming obstacles.

Dale Plummer
TowBoatU.S. Baltimore

Dale Plummer, a lifetime Chesapeake Bay boater, left Corporate America in 2007 to begin his professional marine assistance career. He is a USCG licensed Master Captain with a Commercial Assistance Towing endorsement and began towing for TowBoatU.S. Baltimore/Middle River/ Baltimore Marine Recovery in 2007. Dale’s 20 plus years of diving experience has been instrumental in the growth of salvage operations for BMR. His 20 years of business, marketing and organizational knowledge enabled Dale to purchase BMR/TowBoatUS Baltimore/Middle River in January of 2011.

Dale is President of Chesapeake Marine Towing and Assistance Association (CMTAA), a regional chapter of C-PORT, and an active member of the Marine Trades Association of Baltimore County. Dale believes that corporate responsibility and professionalism must extend to all trades. He is a leader in the marine community lending support to local law enforcement and the U.S. Coast Guard and he proactively works to protect the valuable natural resources of the Chesapeake Bay.

Roger Slade
Vessel Assist Port Hadlock
Port Hadlock, WA

Captain Roger Slade has been a professional mariner since 1967. A former Coast Guardsman, Roger operates Vessel Assist Port Hadlock in Washington State. Roger states, “The ten years I have spent in the Marine Assistance Industry make everything that came before seem like prep-school. It is and has been a pinnacle privilege to work with, learn from, and serve the finest people anywhere on the water.”