Big seas send cement truck on side while transiting to North Haven
The Island Transporter. (Courtesy William Trevaskis)
The gravity of Thursday’s accident aboard the Island Transporter commercial ferry can be seen well in this photo, courtesy of North Haven resident Seth Macy. (Courtesy Seth Macy)
Both cement trucks can be seen causing the Island Transporter to list Thursday as it finally made its way to North Haven – and much needed assistance. (Courtesy Seth Macy)
Carol Thompson was heading back to North Haven on the ferry when she saw what was going on nearby. The seas were high. (Photo courtesy Carol Thompson)
(Photo courtesy Carol Thompson)
(Photo courtesy Carol Thompson)
(Courtesy Seth Macy)
(Courtesy Seth Macy)
(Courtesy Seth Macy)
Elisha "Lysh" Brown, who works for Thayer's Boatyard and it owner Ryan Haskell, brought a truck and their large crane to try to right the trucks Thursday. (Courtesy Seth Macy)
(Courtesy Seth Macy)
(Courtesy Seth Macy)
(Courtesy Seth Macy)
(Courtesy Seth Macy)
(Courtesy Seth Macy)
(Courtesy Seth Macy)
(Courtesy Seth Macy)
The Island Transporter. (Courtesy William Trevaskis)
The gravity of Thursday’s accident aboard the Island Transporter commercial ferry can be seen well in this photo, courtesy of North Haven resident Seth Macy. (Courtesy Seth Macy)
Both cement trucks can be seen causing the Island Transporter to list Thursday as it finally made its way to North Haven – and much needed assistance. (Courtesy Seth Macy)
Carol Thompson was heading back to North Haven on the ferry when she saw what was going on nearby. The seas were high. (Photo courtesy Carol Thompson)
(Photo courtesy Carol Thompson)
(Photo courtesy Carol Thompson)
(Courtesy Seth Macy)
(Courtesy Seth Macy)
(Courtesy Seth Macy)
Elisha "Lysh" Brown, who works for Thayer's Boatyard and it owner Ryan Haskell, brought a truck and their large crane to try to right the trucks Thursday. (Courtesy Seth Macy)
(Courtesy Seth Macy)
(Courtesy Seth Macy)
(Courtesy Seth Macy)
(Courtesy Seth Macy)
(Courtesy Seth Macy)
(Courtesy Seth Macy)
(Courtesy Seth Macy)
The private commercial vessel Island Transporter was ferrying a cement truck from Rockland to North Haven on Thursday, Dec. 11, when high waves caused the truck to shift on the deck of the boat and tip onto its side, leaving the vessel listing. The U.S. Coast Guard in Rockland reported that the vessel succeeded in making the crossing, with no one injured.
Tom Groening is editor of The Working Waterfront, published by the Island Institute.
Kyle Willette, a machinist technician with the Coast Guard, said the Rockland station was notified of the incident at about 9:30 a.m. The truck slid or shifted when the Island Transporter was off the Owls Head lighthouse, Willette said, not far from Rockland harbor, but the operator decided to continue traveling across Penobscot Bay to North Haven.
"He picked up a bit of swell," Willette said, where waves were 7-feet high in the morning, but by 11 a.m. had increased to 11-feet high.
"Basically, he limped his way to North Haven over the next two hours," he said.
The Coast Guard's 175-foot cutter Abbie Burgess and a 47-foot vessel responded to the Fox Island Thoroughfare and stood by as the Island Transporter moored, Willette said.
“It was dramatic,” reported Carol Thompson, who was on the ferry from Vinalhaven to Rockland. “The ferry stayed close enough to assist if need be until the Coast Guard arrived to do the same thing, which was about the time that the Transporter got into slightly calmer waters. I’m just thankful no one was seriously injured.”
Event Date
Address
North Haven, ME
United States
