Tall ship grounds after losing power

The SSV Oliver Hazard Perry, an educational tall ship homeported in Newport, Rhode Island, grounded Sunday, October 15, 2017 in Newport Harbor after losing power and hitting several other boats

OCTOBER 16, 2017 — Coast Guard Station Castle Hill was providing a safety zone in Newport Harbor, RI, Sunday night after a tall ship lost power and hit multiple other boats before grounding near Perrotti Park.

The 200 ft three-masted SSV Oliver Hazard Perry, an educational tall ship homeported in Newport, was leaving Bowen’s Wharf Seafood Festival with 12 crew members aboard when it lost power and began to drift. A 911 dispatcher alerted Coast Guard watchstanders to the incident at about 6:15 p.m.

Two response boat crews from Station Castle Hill immediately deployed to the scene, where personnel from the Narragansett Bay Task Force are also helping with the response.

There were no reported injuries or pollution. The incident is under investigation.

Last night, a post on the ship’s Facebook page said:

Oliver Hazard Perry lost power this evening after departing from a successful weekend at the Bowen’s Wharf Seafood Festival. She is currently secured alongside Newport Harbor Hotel Marina. All aboard are safe, the ship has now regained power and the crew is working with city officials on next steps. We will share additional information as we learn mor

Delivered by the Senesco Marine, North Kingstown, RI, shipyard in 2015, SSV Oliver Hazard Perry is the largest civilian Sailing School Vessel in the United States, and is the first ocean-going full-rigged ship to built in the U.S. in over 100 years. It is operated by Oliver Hazard Perry Rhode Island, a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that provides education-at-sea programs.