With a Coast Guard rescue crew standing by, Seastreak safely transferred 95 passengers from a ferry grounded just 200 yards from its pier in Highlands, N.J., Thursday night, Coast Guard officials said.
The grounding came after nearly two days of strong wind and blowout tides in New Jersey bays. The 98’x28’x11’ high speed catamaran Whaling City Express was completing the last commuter run from Manhattan when the grounding was reported around 11:15 p.m. to watchstanders at the Coast Guard Sector New York Command Center.
A crew launched from the nearby Sandy Hook station, and oversaw the passenger transfer from the Whaling City Express to Seastreak’s 140.7’x34.22’x6.43’ New Jersey. During the transfer, the Whaling City Express refloated, and the crew escorted both vessels to the Highlands pier, Coast Guard officials said.
Marine investigators with Sector New York were scheduled to conduct an investigation to ensure the integrity of the vessel before it went back into operation. No injuries or pollution were reported, the Coast Guard said.
