ROCKLAND, Maine — The United States Coast Guard announced Monday it has launched a formal investigation into the dismasting of the commercial passenger vessel Grace Bailey.
The schooner, built in 1882, was returning on Oct. 9 from a four-day excursion when its main mast splintered and tumbled onto the deck, killing one person and injuring three other passengers outside Rockland Harbor.
Rear Adm. John Mauger, commander of the First Coast Guard District, has now ordered a formal investigation to determine factors that led to the incident and to identify any other information that can improve maritime safety in the future, according to a release from the Coast Guard.
“As a member of a lifesaving service, I am deeply saddened by this tragedy,” Capt. Amy Florentino, commander of Coast Guard Sector Northern New England, said in the release. “The Coast Guard is committed to conducting a thorough investigation aimed at identifying casual factors that will prevent an accident like this from reoccurring.”
Nicole Jacques, spokesperson for the Grace Bailey’s owners, said it's “conjecture” to offer theories about why the mast failed. The cause will be determined by the Coast Guard, she said.
It's unclear when the mast was last inspected. Those inspections are less frequent than annual inspections and require the mast to be removed from the vessel and inspected on land, Jim Sharp, a former schooner owner who runs the Sail, Power and Steam Museum in Rockland, said.
“It’s unbelievable that this could happen this way. It takes me aback,” Sharp said Wednesday.
The Grace Bailey was involved in three previous accidents in 2022 and 2019 when the schooner was under different ownership, according to Coast Guard records.
The most serious previous incident happened on July 8, 2022, when the Grace Bailey's skipper apparently misjudged distance while maneuvering and struck another schooner anchored in Rockland Harbor, with the Grace Bailey’s front boom hitting the American Eagle. American Eagle’s mainsail suffered a large gash, and Grace Bailey’s boom crashed into the water, according to a Coast Guard report.
The Grace Bailey also ran aground in 2022 and 2019. Both times, there were no injuries and only minor damage, according to Coast Guard reports. The schooner floated free at high tide in both instances.
The vessel was under new ownership this season, according to a spokesperson. It underwent an annual inspection on May 31 and was in compliance with all regulatory requirements, the Coast Guard said.
The mast failure in routine sailing conditions suggests the mast must’ve been weakened, probably by water intrusion and rot, according to Sharp. The Grace Bailey was carrying 33 passengers and crew when the mast snapped the morning of Oct. 9.