EASTPORT – U.S. Coast Guard officials abruptly halted a fishing trip Tuesday about 13 miles east of Eastport because the vessel failed an at-sea safety inspection.

A 41-foot boat and crew members from the Eastport Coast Guard Station boarded the fishing vessel Four Brats of Edmunds around 12:30 p.m.

The boarding team found the vessel, which had two crew members on board, with exposed electrical wiring and had holes in the walls of the forward compartment.

“As far as I know, it was just a routine boarding,” said Petty Officer Etta Smith, a spokeswoman for the Coast Guard Station in Boston. “We do periodic checks of anyone on the water, really, mainly for safety violations.”

The findings deemed the 34-foot dragger unsafe for sea and the Coast Guard escorted the Four Brats back to Edmunds, near Dennysville in Cobscook Bay. The crew members, who were not identified, were instructed not to get underway until all discrepancies were corrected. No additional penalties or fines were levied.

Smith said the Four Brats was dragging for sea urchins.

A press release issued Wednesday by the Coast Guard reminded fishermen and women of the importance of keeping their vessels in compliance.

“As fishing season approaches, it is critical that all mariners ensure their vessels are safe for sea,” said Petty Officer 2nd Class Walter Kendall, the officer of the day at the Eastport Coast Guard Station. “The ocean can be an unpredictable, unforgiving environment and boaters should be prepared for anything.”

Eric Russell can be reached at erussell@bangordailynews.net or 664-0524.