Tall ship towed to Rockland again RawFaith’s three masts break in gale winds off Mount Desert Rock

ROCKLAND – RawFaith was anchored Thursday inside the breakwater, perhaps for a long spell.

After being towed here Wednesday for the second time after having been rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard, the 100-foot homespun sailing ship has again been issued a captain-of-the-port order prohibiting it from moving until conditions are met.

On Thanksgiving Day 2004, the ship, constructed in the style of a 16th century English race-built galleon, was damaged by stormy seas some 80 miles off the Maine coast. It was towed to Rockland then, too.

Like the earlier crew, none of the five crew members this time around was seriously injured.

RawFaith spent nine months here as it was being fixed. In August, the vessel owner had permission to sail to Jonesport for further repairs.

On Tuesday, the galleon left Jonesport in gale conditions, according to the Coast Guard.

The sailing vessel was bound for Cape May, N.J., where owner George McKay planned to raise money to accomplish his dream of taking disabled children on sailing adventures. The inspiration for the handicapped-accessible ship came from McKay’s daughter, Elizabeth McKay, who suffers from a tissue disorder called Marfan syndrome.

About 35 miles southeast of Bar Harbor, RawFaith lost all three of its masts on Tuesday.

Because of Wednesday’s search-and-rescue response, Capt. Steven Garrity, captain of the port for Maine, issued an order Thursday restricting the ship from moving outside the breakwater until it satisfies two conditions.

Lt. Daniel McLean, supervisor of the Coast Guard’s Marine Safety Detachment in Belfast, said the order specifies that the vessel “in its present state and configuration is a navigational and safety hazard.”

First, RawFaith may not leave Rockland Harbor until it has a satisfactory tow plan submitted and approved by the Coast Guard’s command unit in Maine. Second, RawFaith is not free to sail until it has masts, rigging and associated sail rigging that is outfitted in accordance with a recognized marine standard, McLean said.

To be in compliance, the installation of the entire sail rig must be attested to in writing by a naval architect and certified marine professional engineer or certified marine surveyor, he added.

Although the Coast Guard and state have authority to charge people for certain rescue operations, it apparently is not a consideration with RawFaith at this time.

“If somebody’s in distress, we’re going to rescue them,” Petty Officer Kelly Turner of the Coast Guard’s 1st District public affairs office said Thursday. “We’re not going to charge them unless it’s a hoax.”

The total cost of the rescue was $9,453, Turner said, noting that money is already part of the current budget. The breakdown for personnel and fuel costs is $6,231 for the cutter Seneca and $3,222 for cutter Abbie Burgess.

On Wednesday, a Coast Guard official said RawFaith got under way Tuesday in a gale. The weather near Mount Desert Rock, where the 270-foot cutter Seneca located RawFaith, was 40-plus-knot winds and 9- to 12-foot seas.

When the initial captain-of-the-port order was lifted April 26, RawFaith was in better shape than before the directive. The masts were strengthened and the rudder repaired, and the ship appeared weather-tight, McLean has said. The masts, although stronger, were not large enough for the ship.

When inspected Thursday, McLean found the same weathertight conditions and all the required safety gear, such as life jackets, flares and fire extinguishers. The ship actually exceeded requirements by having two life rafts and an emergency position-indicating radio beacon, which are not required for recreational vessels, he said.

The masts, which had been strengthened by the installation of aluminum sleeves on the tops of the masts, he said, all broke below those sleeves.

The only other damage found was associated scratches and minor damage from the masts falling.