The stricken fishing boat was towed off shore, but has now sunk off the Manasquan-Lavalette-Seaside Shorbet Inlet.
A buoy marker and what appears to be a floating electronic GPS device indicate the location of the 77-foot Susan Rose, a commercial fishing vessel that became anchored to the sand at Point Pleasant Beach last week, after it sank offshore. A video of the scene appears above, showing the equipment, the rescue vessel and its location. (Note: Some ad blockers may interfere with the video player.)
A buoy and navigational marker float above the wreck of the Susan Rose off Point Pleasant Beach, November 20, 2023. (Photo: Shorebeat)
While trying to free the boat from the sand in the early morning hours of Sunday, the boat sank in an area approximately 800 feet from shore in a depth of 100 feet of water. The ship’s antennas are barely visible above the waterline, although they may be slightly more exposed at low tide, and the buoy and GPS are attached to a blue tow line that also bobs on the surface.
According to the US Coast Guard, rescue crews were able to empty the boat’s fuel tanks before the ill-fated recovery operation, to avoid potential environmental risks. The USCG issued a notice to mariners warning them of the location of the boat, which is now south of its original location where it came ashore last week. The boat’s location near the entrance to Mansquan Inlet could pose a potential hazard to navigation, although it is close enough to shore that most vessels do not approach from such an angle.
The propellers of both boats have reportedly – at one time or another – become entangled in the tow line over the past two days, but there have been no reports of any vessel colliding with the sunken fishing vessel.
A 77-foot commercial fishing vessel ran aground in Point Pleasant Beach, New Jersey, November 17, 2023. (Photo: Shorebeat)
A buoy and navigational marker float above the wreck of the Susan Rose off Point Pleasant Beach, November 20, 2023. (Photo: Shorebeat)
A buoy and navigational marker float above the wreck of the Susan Rose off Point Pleasant Beach, November 20, 2023. (Photo: Shorebeat)
A 77-foot commercial fishing vessel ran aground in Point Pleasant Beach, New Jersey, November 17, 2023. (Photo: Shorebeat)
A buoy and navigational marker float above the wreck of the Susan Rose off Point Pleasant Beach, November 20, 2023. (Photo: Shorebeat)
A 77-foot commercial fishing vessel ran aground in Point Pleasant Beach, New Jersey, on November 17, 2023. (Photo: Shorebeat)
A buoy and navigational marker float above the wreck of the Susan Rose off Point Pleasant Beach, November 20, 2023. (Photo: Shorebeat)
A buoy and navigational marker float above the wreck of the Susan Rose off Point Pleasant Beach, November 20, 2023. (Photo: Shorebeat)
The Coast Guard has not released any findings on why the boat, based in Port Judith, Rhode Island and historically used as a squid fishing vessel, did not reach the inlet mouth and became beached several city blocks below the south pier at Point Pleasant Beach. The TowBoatUS vessel could be seen crossing Manasquan Inlet before stopping at the site Monday afternoon, although it did not appear that any major operations to raise the vessel were imminent.
