Please select your home edition
Edition
Maritimo M75

Whoops! Tall ship aground

by Boston Globe/Sail-World Cruising on 7 Aug 2009
Unicorn aground - the area is notorious for its tricky currents close-by rocks SW
Whoops! That degree of heel and no sails?

A tall ship devoted to teaching girls to sail very embarrassingly ran aground on rocks this week near Woods Hole in Massachusetts USA, and the Coast Guard was called to take most of the crew off the vessel.


The 118-foot Unicorn, with 16 female crew, became lodged on the rocks about 400 yards off Nonamesset Island, the most easterly of the Elizabeth Islands. The ship’s crew radioed the Coast Guard at 10:30 a.m. that they needed assistance, officials said.

A 41-foot Coast Guard boat from the Woods Hole station arrived minutes later and began removing people from the ship, which was en route from Boston to Newport.

Nine teenagers and an adult chaperone were taken to Woods Hole and interviewed by an investigator, and six crew members stayed on board to assist the Coast Guard.

Petty Officer Connie Terrell said that the boat was tugged off the rocks shortly after 1:30 p.m, and that the crew reboarded. No injuries were reported, and the cause of the grounding was under investigation.

The area is renowned for its tricky tidal currents and complicated buoyage, and there have been many incidents recorded in the same spot.

The tall ship was being taken to Vineyard Haven to be checked for damage, Coast Guard officials said.

'Another investigator was sent to the Unicorn, to see if there was any damage and if it is still seaworthy,’’ Petty Officer Connie Terrell said.

The Unicorn was built in 1947 and is part of the Sisters Under Sail program. Dawn Santamaria, the Unicorn’s owner and the founder of the program, said she was aboard the ship as it cut between Woods Hole and Nonamesset Island.

'We were just on the edge of the channel, and we hit some rocks,’’ Santamaria said.
Pantaenius Sail 2025 AUS FooterRS Sailing 2021 - FOOTERVaikobi 2024 December

Related Articles

SailGP's return to Auckland for Season 6 confirmed
ITM is the NZ's Grand Prix's Title Partner, marking a fourth year supporting Black Foils. After a record breaking debut, the ITM New Zealand Sail Grand Prix Auckland has been confirmed to be returning in 2026 and is set to be bigger than ever.
Posted on 26 Jun
Rolex SailGP Championship 2026 dates confirmed
Including a return to fan-favorite destination, Auckland SailGP has released further details of forthcoming 2026 Season, including the return of fan-favorite locations, multi-year hosting agreements secured across all regions, and an evolved regional structure to raise the stakes for athletes and fans alike.
Posted on 26 Jun
BOISW - New Committee announced for 2026
New Committee working hard behind the scenes to rework the 2026 Bay of Islands Sailing Week . A newly appointed committee is already working hard behind the scenes to rework the 2026 Bay of Islands Sailing Week event while honouring the traditions that have made it so special to the sailing community.
Posted on 26 Jun
Pip Hare Announced as Patron of WORLDSTAR 2026
A meaningful return to her roots with the Royal Western Yacht Club of England The Royal Western Yacht Club (RWYC) is absolutely delighted to welcome solo ocean racing legend Pip Hare as the Patron of WORLDSTAR 2026—our flagship round-the-world sailing event. This is more than a title; it's a homecoming.
Posted on 26 Jun
Kieler Woche Day 7
British mixed dominance in dinghy and catamaran After the second day of the Sailing Grand Slam in the Olympic mixed classes, Martin Wrigley and Bettine Harris are leading the 470 class even more dominantly than John Gimson and Anna Burnet in the Nacra 17 on Thursday (June 26).
Posted on 26 Jun
29th Superyacht Cup Palma day 1
Cervo and Open Season take opening day honours The Superyacht Cup Palma 2025 swung into action today, with captains and crews across the varied and inspiring fleet seizing the opportunity to take the measure of the competition out on the racecourse.
Posted on 26 Jun
J/70 Mixed-Plus Worlds at Lake Garda Day 1
Yupi leads after a perfect opening day in Torbole Lake Garda delivered its finest conditions for the opening day of the first-ever J/70 Mixed-Plus World Championship: three races completed in a steady, warm Ora breeze peaking at 20 knots.
Posted on 26 Jun
Tschüss 2 - Transatlantic Titans
Line Honours for Christian Zugel's Volvo 70 in the Transatlantic Race 2025 Volvo 70 Tschüss 2 (USA), owned by Christian Zugel and co-skippered by Johnny Mordaunt, has taken Line Honours in the West to East Transatlantic Race 2025 in an elapsed time of 07 Day 15 Hrs 29 Mins and 10 Secs.
Posted on 26 Jun
Craig Wood Makes History
The first triple amputee to sail solo non-stop and unsupported across the Pacific Craig is the first triple amputee to sail solo non-stop and unsupported across the Pacific, completing the 7506nm journey from Mexico to Japan in 90 days.
Posted on 26 Jun
NTG Global Graduate Program
Shape your career and propel yourself into the world of innovation North Technology Group, a global leader in advanced composite technology, is offering an exciting and dynamic graduate program that will shape your career and propel you into the world of innovation.
Posted on 26 Jun