Tag Archives: Capt. Michael Briggs
A whelk fishing vessel hit a bell buoy off the Vineyard
The vessel was on autopilot when the incident occurred, according to the vessel’s master Michael Briggs. Briggs said he was at the stern of his boat when it hit the buoy. The boat, which has no name across the transom, is up on jacks in Vineyard Haven. A section of the bow has been smashed, leaving a green-smudged hole. Briggs said the boat, a 35-footer, dates from the mid 1970s and is wooden with a fiberglass skin. He said his bilges couldn’t keep up with the incoming water after the buoy strike and he had to radio for help. Eventually he said he jammed a t-shirt into the hole to staunch the inflow. photos, >click to read< 15:17
