US Coast Guard approves demolition plan for Maine fishing boat that crashed during weekend storm

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• The fishing trawler Tara Lynn II, which wrecked off the Maine coast during a powerful storm, has been deemed by officials as a total loss.
• The wreck occurred on Saturday off Trundy Point, south of the Portland Head Light, due to strong winds and high waves from a storm.
• The Cape Elizabeth Fire and Rescue Department’s Water Extrication Team used an inflatable boat to rescue the four crew members.

A fishing trawler that wrecked on rocks off the Maine coast during a powerful storm, requiring a harrowing early-morning rescue, is a total loss and will be removed over the next few days, a salvage business owner said Wednesday.

The Tara Lynn II crashed into the rocks early Saturday off Trundy Point, a few miles south of the Portland Head Light. The vessel came to a rest too close to shore for traditional boats to get close enough to retrieve the crew, as winds gusted to 50 mph and 6-foot waves pummeled the shore.

In the end, the Cape Elizabeth Fire and Rescue Department’s Water Extrication Team used an inflatable boat to reach the trawler. It took two trips to shore to rescue all four crew members.

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On Wednesday, the vessel remained in place about 300 feet offshore in Cape Elizabeth. The demolition and removal will take several days, said Parker Poole, who runs the towing and salvage company Determination Marine.

The 55-foot fishing trawler Tara Lynn II is seen after running aground during a coastal storm 300 feet from shore on Jan. 13, 2024 in Cape Elizabeth, Maine. The four crew members were rescued, but the fishing vessel was deemed a total loss. (Parker Poole/Determination Marine via AP)

The fishing vessel was heading to Portland Harbor to avoid a coastal storm when it came too close to shore and crashed onto the rocks. Poole heard the mayday call at 12:30 a.m. Saturday and rushed to the scene.

On a nice day, the commercial fishermen could’ve made it to shore easily and the vessel could have been towed away at high tide, but the dangerous surf and rough winds made for a difficult rescue, Poole said.

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Poole was unable to get his tug boat close enough to help, so he watched from a distance. “It had a good ending. We were very lucky that the (rescue) team was able to get them off the boat,” he said.

The Tara Lynn II was damaged beyond repair. The Maine Department of Environmental Protection and U.S. Coast Guard already signed off on the demolition plan, Poole said.

For the demolition and removal, Poole said he plans to create a path for excavators to cross private property to reach the vessel at low tide. The process will take several days.