BOSTON — Coast Guard Station Chatham and Coast Guard Station Gloucester responded to two separate reports of 65-foot fishing vessels taking on water Wednesday, one sinking southeast of Monomoy Island, the other near Gloucester.
Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Southeastern New England’s command center were notified at about 4:30 a.m. that the vessel Silver Fox was taking on water through the boat’s shaft seal about seven miles southeast of Monomoy Island.
A 42-foot rescue boat crew from Station Chatham launched, arrived on scene with Silver Fox, and transferred a Coast Guard crewmember with two P-6 dewatering pumps.
With the pumps controlling the flooding, the Coast Guard escorted Silver Fox to Hyannis Harbor where they moored safely at about 9 a.m.
Meanwhile, another fishing crew aboard the 65-foot Christina Lane contacted Coast Guard Station Gloucester at about 6:45 a.m. reporting the boat was taking on water near Gloucester Harbor.
The station launched a 47-foot motor lifeboat crew who arrived on scene, passed two P-6 dewatering pumps to the Christina Lane crew, and took the vessel in tow.
The MLB crew brought Christina Lane to the Gloucester state fish pier safely, but the high rate of flooding required dockside use of the pumps to keep the boat afloat. The owner is expected to make plans to hoist the boat from the water and affect repairs.
“The two emergencies were similar and both had equally positive outcomes,” said Lt. Samantha Leon, command duty officer at the First District Command Center. “The boat crews got on scene early, passed working pumps quickly, and monitored closely to ensure each fishing boat got back to port safely.”
