A 32-meter yacht that ran aground this Thursday in the port of Horta in the Azores was eventually freed in the afternoon, the Harbor Master of Horta said.
“Only in the afternoon, with a team of divers, it was possible to assess the situation,” explained Amilcar Gomes Bras, the captain of the port of Horta, adding that the divers put an iron to the bow of the vessel and “Thanks to the power of the sea, we managed to free the ship”, taking advantage of the tide.
The American-flagged Ann S. Pierce was attempting to dock at Horta’s wharf at around 9:00 am when it ran aground in shallow water close to an incline used for mooring boats.
According to a source from Portos dos Açores, the captain of the yacht refused to moor in the place indicated by the director of the marina, and moved to an area with a lower quota than the ship’s draft (four meters), probably also driven by the wind. it was blowing, it was felt at the time.
The captaincy of Porto da Horta and Portos dos Azores still tried to tow the yacht with a small tug, but without success.
“Another assessment will be made now at the berth, when the ship is moored, to see the extent of the damage inflicted on board the vessel,” explained the Harbor Master of Horta, adding that only after this technical assessment will be known. whether the yacht will have permission to return for viewing or not.
The Ann S. Pierce was built in Canada in 1982 as a fishing boat but was later adapted into a luxury yacht.