The U.S. Coast Guard announced Monday that it has launched a formal investigation into a death that occurred on board a historic Maine schooner last week.
The Grace Bailey, built in 1882, was returning from a four-day excursion on Oct. 9 when its main mast splintered and tumbled onto the deck, killing 40-year-old Dr. Emily Mecklenburg, of Rockland, and injuring three other passengers outside Rockland Harbor. The vessel was carrying 33 passengers and crew at the time.
John Mauger, commander of the First Coast Guard District, has ordered a formal investigation to determine what led to the incident and identify any other information that can prevent a similar tragedy from happening in the future, according to a press release from the agency.
“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 a statement. “The Coast Guard is committed to conducting a thorough investigation aimed at identifying causal factors that will prevent an accident like this from reoccurring.”
The schooner was involved in three previous accidents in 2022 and 2019 when it 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 in 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.
Nicole Jacques, spokesperson for the Grace Bailey’s owners, said last week that it's “conjecture” to offer theories about why the mast failed.
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.
