Salvors have refloated and recovered a small tugboat that sank nearly a year ago just off the shores of Ogunquit, Maine.
The 25'x14' tug Georgie was under tow and uncrewed when it sank near Perkins Cove on the Southern Maine Coast, on Dec. 8, 2024. The vessel had an estimated 400 gals. of diesel on board, according to a NOAA incident report.
Last week, crews from Determination Marine LLC, Portland, Maine, and Fuller Marine Services Inc., Boothbay, Maine, began dewatering efforts to raise the stricken vessel, according to a social media post from the Ogunquit Fire Department.
"They’re working hard to get her afloat tonight," the fire department wrote on Saturday. "Conditions are challenging, but determination is high."
Photos shared by the fire department on Sunday showed the tug had been refloated using inflatable lift bags. A Fuller liftboat and Determination's 44' workboat New Ledge assisted in the recovery efforts.
Built in 2008 by Progressive Industrial Inc., Palmetto, Fla., as the McDevitt Boys for Acushnet Marine Inc., Boston, the tug was sold in 2020 to Patriot Marine Corp., Winthrop, Mass., and renamed Georgie. The twin-screw vessel was powered by two Cummins ISB-6.7 diesels and rated at 600 hp.
