Sunapee
An excursion vessel that ran aground on Lake Sunapee on Thursday was freed on Friday morning with no damage done to either the boat or the water intake pipes on which it beached, authorities said.
The MV Mt. Sunapee found itself grounded in about 4 feet of water, about 300 feet from shore, atop pipes that feed the Mount Sunapee Resort’s snow-making system, according to a Thursday statement from the state marine patrol.
For comparison, depth maps kept by New Hampshire Fish and Game place those shallows at closer to 20 feet on average.
The craft was freed the following day with the help of divers and inflatable lifts, Marine Patrol Sgt. Dave Ouellette said.
He advised people to be mindful of obstacles in the water.
“There is some concerns with the lower-than normal water levels within the state based on lack of snow runoff and rainwater,” he said. “The Marine Patrol is advising boaters to use caution.”
Shortly after noon on Friday, the Sophie C, a 76-foot-long motor vessel operated by Mount Washington Cruises, ran aground on a rock near Loon Island on Lake Winnipesaukee, according to a marine patrol statement.
There were no injuries, and the boat was helped off the rock by another vessel, authorities said.
Later on Friday afternoon, Peter Fenton of Sunapee Cruises said his family’s cruise boat had been set loose around 10 a.m. that day.
He confirmed there had been no damage to the MV Mt. Sunapee, and said it was scheduled to go out on the lake that evening.
“We’ve been cleared by marine patrol, so we’re ready for operation,” he said.
Fenton attributed the grounding mainly to the low water levels and bad luck.
“It was just a very not-lucky circumstance,” he said in a telephone interview. “I don’t know what you want to call it. (The pilot) just happened upon (the pipes) in exactly the wrong place.
“Just an unlucky combination of happenings.”
Authorities said there had been no injuries during the collision, and Fenton said there had been little disruption to guests, either.
The 58 passengers who were stranded on board quickly were brought back to shore on the cruise company’s other boat, the MV Kearsarge.
“We gave them some dessert and drinks,” Fenton said.
Jay Gamble, general manager at the Mount Sunapee Resort, said there had been little to no damage to the ski area’s water pipes.
“Minimal to no damage to either party,” he said. “We’re happy to move on.”
Rob Wolfe can be reached at rwolfe@vnews.com or at 603-727-3242.