Sandy Mclaughlin is profiled in the Spring 2004 'LifeLines' article, "The Women of Sea Tow"
On the average, it is not the 'norm' for boaters to see women working on the water. Fact is it's predominantly a male dominated society, this world of marine assistance we live and work in. At Sea Tow, however, we have a number of women at the helm, all of whom play a critical role in ensuring the overall success of our network, and many who are also licensed as catains by the United States Coast Guard.
These "Women of Sea Tow' wear many hats. They are co-owners, captains, adminstrators, and dispatchers and fill a variety of roles, including vice-president, comptroller, office manager, dispatcher and marketer. They are often the behind-the-scenes organizational centers that ensure their staff is available to serve Sea Tow's members in any way necessary. And, as you will see, their backgrounds are as diverse as their daily activities."
"While some of the Women of Sea Tow prefer to keep things ship shape at sea, others would rather make their mark primarily from the shoreline. Sandy McLaughlin, owner of Sea Tow Atlantic City, N.J., is the only woman in the network who is the sole owner of her franchise. McLaughlin, who is a teacher and has her Women in Business Entrprise certification, says she established the franchise to help facilitate a career change for her husband and a lifestyle change for them both. "Because I have summer vacation, we felt Sea Tow would work well or both of us," says McLaughlin.
McLaughlin credits the growth of the Atlantic City franchise as the reason why she can now spend more time in the office than on the water. "A lot goes into the operational and adminitrative aspects of running a Sea Tow franchise," she says. "In the beginning, I did everything from marketing to dispatching ad being a deckhand, but we have expanded to the point where my sister runs the office and now my two sons are also involved in the business."