The 92-foot clam dredger Wando River grounded on Sow and Pigs Reef off Cuttyhunk Friday afternoon, Coast Guard officials said. The grounding may have been caused by an autopilot issue — no injuries were reported, according to Petty Officer Zachary Hupp. Hupp said the vessel may have suffered propeller damage, but was free of the reef by the time a Coast Guard vessel reached it. It was unclear whether the tide or the crew freed the vessel, he said. Hupp said another fishing vessel came to the aid of Wando River, but could not come close due to the shallows of the reef.
The Wando River got hung up on the northwest tip of Sow and Pigs, Senior Chief Justin Longval told The Times. Longval, commander of Station Menemsha, said a 47-foot response boat with a boarding team launched from Menemsha in response to the distress. The Coast Guard boat escorted the Wando River to New Bedford Harbor while it was being towed by another fishing vessel, he said. Menemsha coasties boarded the Wando River on the way to New Bedford and found no significant damage and no violations, he said.
