BOSTON — The Coast Guard has approved a plan of the owner of the passenger vessel Massachusetts to tow the vessel to the Fitzgerald Shipyard in Chelsea, Mass., Sat. July 3, 2010.
The Massachusetts is currently being towed to Chelsea by two Acushnet Marine tug boats. The arrival time for ship is unknown at this time.
Crews placed temporary patches on the puntures of the ship's hull and dewatered the Massachusetts to a safe level before the tugs began towing the vessel. Once at the chipyard the plan is to drain the oil and take the vessel out of the water to make repairs.
Coast Guard, Coast Guard Auxiliary, Good Samaritans, and several state and local agencies assisted getting the 168 passengers and six crewmembers of the Massachusetts after it became hard aground on the Devils Back rocks off the coast of Deer Island, Mass. Two injuries were reported.
**To download photos and video click on images below**
|
|
In this video released by the U.S. Coast Guard, Coast Guard, Coast Guard Auxiliary, Good Samaritans, state and local agencies work to remove 168 passengers and six crewmembers from the passenger vessel Massachusetts off the coast of Deer Island, Mass., Saturday, July 3, 2010. The 168 passengers and six crewmembers were taken to Pemberton Pier in Hull, Mass., after the Massachusetts ran aground and began taking on water. Coast Guard video by Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod.
|
|
|
| In this photo released by the U.S. Coast Guard, Coast Guard, Coast Guard Auxiliary, Good Samaritans, state and local agencies work to remove 168 passengers and six crewmembers from the passenger vessel Massachusetts off the coast of Deer Island, Mass., Saturday, July 3, 2010. The passengers and crewmembers were taken to Pemberton Pier in Hull, Mass., after the Massachusetts ran aground and began taking on water. Coast Guard photo by Auxilarist Imants Ansberg. |
 |
|
In this photo released by the U.S. Coast Guard, Coast Guard, Coast Guard Auxiliary, Good Samaritans, state and local agencies work to remove 168 passengers and six crewmembers from the passenger vessel Massachusetts off the coast of Deer Island, Mass., Saturday, July 3, 2010. The passengers and crewmembers were taken to Pemberton Pier in Hull, Mass., after the Massachusetts ran aground and began taking on water. Coast Guard photo by Auxilarist Imants Ansberg.
|
 |
|
In this photo released by the U.S. Coast Guard, Coast Guard, Coast Guard Auxiliary, Good Samaritans, state and local agencies work to remove 168 passengers and six crewmembers from the passenger vessel Massachusetts off the coast of Deer Island, Mass., Saturday, July 3, 2010. The passengers and crewmembers were taken to Pemberton Pier in Hull, Mass., after the Massachusetts ran aground and began taking on water. Coast Guard photo by Auxilarist Imants Ansberg.
|
 |
|
In this photo released by the U.S. Coast Guard, Coast Guard, Coast Guard Auxiliary, Good Samaritans, state and local agencies work to remove 168 passengers and six crewmembers from the passenger vessel Massachusetts off the coast of Deer Island, Mass., Saturday, July 3, 2010. The passengers and crewmembers were taken to Pemberton Pier in Hull, Mass., after the Massachusetts ran aground and began taking on water. Coast Guard photo by Auxilarist Imants Ansberg.
|
|
|
|
In this photo released by the U.S. Coast Guard, Coast Guard, Coast Guard Auxiliary, Good Samaritans, state and local agencies work to remove 168 passengers and six crewmembers from the passenger vessel Massachusetts off the coast of Deer Island, Mass., Saturday, July 3, 2010. The passengers and crewmembers were taken to Pemberton Pier in Hull, Mass., after the Massachusetts ran aground and began taking on water. Coast Guard photo by Auxilarist Imants Ansberg.
|
