Rough Seas Delay Removal of Capsized Boat in Point Pleasant Beach

Predictions of continuing rough seas and thunderstorms is delaying removal of a in the ocean in Point Pleasant Beach until at least the weekend, according to the Coast Guard.

A contract has been signed with a salvage contractor in New York to arrive on scene with a tug and barge when seas calm down, said Coast Guard Petty Officer Kyle Courtney on Tuesday.

But, judging from current marine and weather predictions, conditions won't be amenable until at least Friday or Saturday for the tug and barge to even arrive on scene, Courtney said.

Then removal is expected to take a day or two.

Marine predictions report a high likelihood of thunderstorms Wednesday and Friday, with seas expected at five to eight feet on Wednesday, four to seven feet on Thursday, three to five feet on Friday and two to four feet on Saturday.

The Atlantic Traveler got knocked onto the jetty rocks in the Manasquan Inlet early last Wednesday morning, capsized and bobbed at the edge of the jetty at the mouth of the inlet, until sometime Thursday afternoon. By then, it shifted over to the ocean side of the jetty, with green netting tangled around its propeller.

Three crew members, William Hill, 58, Brick; Matthew Morris, 19, Point Pleasant; and William A. Lewis, 30, Marshallberg, N.C., were rescued by the Coast Guard and did not need medical attention.

The 64-foot fishing vessel lost its clutch and steering, leaving the crew helpless to control it. The exact reason for the mechanical failure is not yet known.

Once the boat is salvaged, investigators will board it, hoping that a complete inspection will yield clues about what caused the clutch to malfunction, Courtney said.