(WASHINGTON) — On Monday, Oct. 9, 2023, at approximately 10:12 a.m. the schooner Grace Bailey, owned by Grace Bailey Navigation Co., experienced a catastrophic mainmast failure during a routine voyage, resulting in multiple passenger injuries and one fatality. The four-day excursion around Penobscot Bay began on Friday, Oct. 6, 2023, in Rockland, Maine, with 33 people on board, including 26 passengers and seven crewmembers.
Despite various periods of inclement weather, including a brief period of high winds that prompted the captain to seek safe harbor, the voyage was largely uneventful. The return trip to Rockland on Oct. 9 began without incident. However, as the morning progressed, unusual noises were heard from the mainmast. One passenger noticed the noise about an hour before the incident, and another noticed it approximately one minute before the incident, but neither recognized it as a potential warning. A third and final audible warning, recognized by multiple passengers and crewmembers, including the master and mate, occurred moments before the collapse.
The master and mate quickly scanned the rig, identified deflection in the mainmast, and immediately called out a warning for people to get clear. Unfortunately, the mast collapsed simultaneously, leaving no time for anyone to react and move to safety.
Although the immediate response by passengers, crew, nearby vessels, and the U.S. Coast Guard facilitated a swift evacuation, the severity of one passenger’s injuries required advanced medical intervention beyond the capabilities of the responders.
The scope of investigation included extensive assessment of the mainmast structure in conjunction with owners, Coast Guard inspectors, a marine surveyor, and wood assessment experts from the U.S. Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory. Additionally, Coast Guard inspections procedures, as well as maintenance protocols implemented by current and previous vessel owners, were assessed for the mast’s period of installation.
Click here to read the complete report and the Coast Guard’s recommendations.
– U.S. Coast Guard
