U.S. Coast Guard rescues nine people from Canadian tall ship

Nine people were rescued from a Halifax-based tall ship as it was buffeted by stiff winds and high waves early Monday about 93 kilometres east of Gloucester, Mass.

The U.S. Coast Guard said it was notified at about 12:35 a.m. that the engines on the Liana's Ransom were disabled, the generator was failing and one of its main sails had wrapped around the mast.

It launched two lifeboats to tow the vessel back, but spokesman Ross Ruddell said rough sea conditions forced them to cut the tow line. The lifeboat crews told the people on board the 26-metre steel-hulled schooner to put on immersion suits so they could be transferred to the lifeboats.

Ruddell said the coast guard crew faced winds of about 55 kilometres per hour and waves that were swelling to three metres as they tried to get the nine crew members off the ship and onto the two motorized boats.

"Because of the weather, we had to break the tow; the seas were just too rough to safely tow the people and the vessel back," said Ruddell.

"It's always dangerous when you have to pull people off a boat in the middle of a weather event ... but we're glad that we got everyone off safely and that they're all going to be OK."

Ruddell said one man suffered a head injury when he tried to jump on board the rescue boat and was flown to Massachusetts General Hospital by helicopter, while the remaining eight crew members were brought back to Gloucester. He said the man had improved and was released from hospital.

"They were shaken, understandably, but they were pretty happy that we were able to get there and make sure that they're all going to be able to continue seeing their family and friends," said Ruddell.

A message posted Tuesday on a Facebook page called Schooner Liana's Ransom said the ship left Halifax on Friday for the Caribbean but ran into engine trouble off Gloucester.

"Captain Ryan Tilley, in consultation with the U.S. Coast Guard, made the decision to evacuate the crew for their safety," says the message, posted by Joseph Tilley. "One crew member suffered a concussion during the evacuation. ... At this time, we can happily report that everyone is safe and secure ashore."

He says arrangements have been made to have the vessel towed into the nearest harbour. A locator beacon was left on Liana's Ransom to be tracked and towed back to port.

Ruddell said the ship was headed to Provincetown, Mass., on its way to the Caribbean. Its website says the ship offers day sails and weekly charters for up to 70 passengers and is "crewed by a colourful pirate crew in period costumes."

The website says the schooner was built in 1998 in Houston, Texas, and was sailed home to Nova Scotia in late 2006. It says the ship was certified by Transport Canada to carry 70 passengers and "has all of the latest safety features and navigation aids."