Aug 23rd, 2015
Coast Guard Cutter crews from the Escanaba and Tybee tow disabled fishing vessel Chazy’s Toy to safety Aug., 23 2015. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by crew of Coast Guard Cutter Tybee)
BOSTON — Crews aboard two Coast Guard cutters brought an 83-foot fishing vessel safely to anchorage at approximately 8 p.m. Sunday.
Watchstanders at the First Coast Guard District Command Center, were notified at 11:30 a.m. Saturday that the scallop fishing vessel Chaz’s Toy lost propulsion during a living marine resource boarding by the Coast Guard Cutter Escanaba crew 120 miles southeast of Nantucket.
The crew of the 270-ft Escanaba issued a marine assistance request broadcast for Chaz’s Toy soliciting commercial or good Samaritan assistance for the vessel, which went unanswered.
The cutter took the vessel in stern tow at approximately 4:30 p.m. Saturday. The following morning, the crew of the 110-foot Coast Guard Cutter Tybee relieved the Escanaba crew and continued to bring the vessel toward shore.
At around 8 p.m. Sunday, the crew of the Tybee brought Chaz’s Toy safely to anchorage off Nantucket. The owner of the fishing vessel assessed that the damage could not be corrected at sea. The owner is working with a commercial salvage company to determine future action.
“The crew of the Escanaba seamlessly shifted between missions to ensure the safety of the fishing vessel,” said Petty Officer 2nd Class Justin Overdorf, a watchstander at the Coast Guard Sector Southeastern New England command center. “All crews: the Escanaba, Tybee, and Chaz’s Toy exhibited great team work and professionalism.”
The Coast Guard Cutter Escanaba is home-ported in Boston. The Coast Guard Cutter Tybee is homeported in Wood’s Hole. The Chaz’s Toy is home-ported in Beaufort, North Carolina and intending to head to New Bedford to offload their catch.
One of the Coast Guard’s missions is to enforce domestic fisheries laws to ensure the sustainability of Atlantic fisheries. The Coast Guard, in coordination with other federal and state agencies, enforces marine resource management and protection regimes to preserve healthy stocks of fish and other living marine resources.