Officials: Fuel, Oil From Capsized Boat Mostly Dissipated

The minimal leaks of diesel fuel and oil from a capsized boat in Manasquan Inlet have mostly dissipated into the inlet and ocean, Coast Guard officials said, as efforts are made to locate sunken boat equipment so they can reopen the waterway.

The vessel had 3,000 gallons of diesel fuel and 350 gallons of oil on board, Coast Guard Petty Officer First Class Brian Martin said.

A tug and barge to move the 64-foot, steel-hulled Atlantic Traveler from the edge of the inlet's south jetty may arrive by Friday, but it's expected to take until early next week to get the commercial fishing boat, built in 1970, off the rocks, said Martin. By 5 p.m. Wednesday, the position of the boat had shifted slightly to the south. The wrecked hull floated in the ocean just off the south jetty, rather than inside the inlet, where it had been for much of the day.

Meanwhile, the inlet is closed to all outbound marine traffic and it may stay that way until the boat is moved out, Martin said.

State marine police have been trying to use sonar to locate boat equipment, such as cables, but the rough waters where the ocean and inlet meet are making that difficult, Martin said.

The problem started when the fishing vessel, the Atlantic Traveler, was outbound and a hydraulic hose broke, causing the boat to lose steering, Martin said.

The crew at 4:53 a.m., reporting they were heading towards the south jetty, which is on the Point Pleasant Beach side. By 5 a.m., a 47-foot Coast Guard Motor Life Boat arrived on the scene, hooked up a three and a quarter inch, double-braided nylon line and, at 5:03 a.m., tried towing the vessel, Martin said.

At 5:06 a.m. the Atlantic Traveler hit the south jetty and waves knocked the boat up onto the rocks, Martin said. As the boat began slipping down the rocks, the Coast Guard line broke under the strain and the boat slid down and capsized, Martin said.

When the boat capsized, the Coast Guard was already on the scene and pulled them out of the water which was about 52 degrees, Martin said.

William Hill, 58, of Brick, Matthew Morris, 19, of Point Pleasant, and William A. Lewis, 30, of Marshallberg, N.C., were rescued but declined medical treatment.