On Monday, October 9, 2023, the schooner Grace Bailey was returning to Rockland, ME, from a four-day Fall Foliage cruise, when an upper section of the main mast broke and fell to the deck, killing one passenger and injuring five others. Last Thursday, the US Coast Guard’s Office of Investigations and Casualty Analysis published a report of the investigation into the dismasting of the 1882-built schooner. 

The report concluded that the mast failed due to severe internal rot, which significantly weakened the structural integrity of the mast, making it prone to failure under stress. Based on the observed mast conditions and assumed fungal growth rates, it was clear that rot had existed for several years.

Also, inadequate protection, treatment, and inspections allowed undetected
rot to spread throughout the Grace Bailey mainmast, ultimately leading
to failure.

The report also noted that while Douglas fir pole masts should include a treated sapwood shell to shield the heartwood from decay, the masts of Grace Bailey had almost all sapwood removed during lathing. 

The report stated that “deterioration went unnoticed and unaddressed” due to a lack of thorough inspections. It also said oversight and reporting about mast inspections and inspection processes were not adequately documented.

“Inspections were not adequately documented, and there were no formal expectations set for reporting inspection findings. This lack of oversight likely contributed to delayed or inadequate responses to emerging issues, allowing hazards to persist and escalate unchecked,” the report states.

The report also states that “it is not recommended that criminal prosecution be taken against any person or entity.” But the report faults not just the operators of the vessel but also the Coast Guard itself. It states that Coast Guard mast inspection procedures were “insufficient for detecting rotted conditions in Grace Bailey’s masts.”

The 118′ long schooner was built in Patchogue, Long Island, New York, in 1882 by Oliver Perry Smith and named for owner Edwin Bailey’s daughter, Grace.

The demasting killed Dr. Emily Mecklenburg, 40, of Rockland.