SW-INC-0339SeaWise Incidents

Scotch Mist - A worn shaft seal floods a yacht 170 miles out — a dropped pump buys time, a cutter takes the crew off

The 60-foot sailing yacht Scotch Mist began flooding through a deteriorating propeller-shaft seal about 170 nautical miles south of Block Island. A Coast Guard aircraft dropped a dewatering pump, and the cutter William Chadwick took all four crew aboard, cold and shaken but alive.

verified · 4 sourcesN4
Vessel
Scotch MistSailing yacht
When
2026North Atlantic
Outcome
Rescued
Position
About 170 nautical miles south of Block Island, Rhode Island
Sea area
Offshore, south of Block Island
Coordinates
38.40°N, -71.55°WApproximate position
Summary

What happened.

The 60-foot sailing yacht Scotch Mist flooded through a deteriorating propeller-shaft seal about 170 nautical miles south of Block Island, Rhode Island. A Coast Guard aircraft dropped a dewatering pump while the cutter William Chadwick diverted and took all four crew aboard, treating them for shock and hypothermia. No lives were lost.

The 60-foot sailing yacht Scotch Mist was well offshore — about 170 nautical miles south of Block Island, Rhode Island — when she began taking on water through a deteriorating propeller-shaft seal, the packing gland where the shaft passes through the hull. That is one of the classic quiet flooding sources: below the waterline, out of sight, and capable of letting in more than the bilge pumps can clear. The crew got a distress call out. A Coast Guard HC-144 from Air Station Cape Cod flew out to drop a dewatering pump and hold communications, buying time, while the cutter William Chadwick diverted to the scene and took all four people aboard. They were treated for shock and hypothermia. The seamanship lesson sits in the failure point: shaft seals, stern glands and skin fittings age and let go, and far offshore a slow flood becomes an emergency long before help can steam to you. Knowing where every underwater fitting is, carrying a pump with real capacity and soft plugs to slow the ingress, and calling early — while there is still time for an aircraft to reach you — are what turned this into a rescue rather than a loss of life.

ConditionsThe 60-foot sailing yacht Scotch Mist reported flooding through a deteriorating propeller-shaft (stern gland) seal roughly 170 nautical miles south of Block Island, Rhode Island. A Coast Guard HC-144 Ocean Sentry from Air Station Cape Cod delivered a dewatering pump and relayed communications while the Coast Guard Cutter William Chadwick diverted, came on scene and took all four people aboard; they were treated for signs of shock and hypothermia. Facts from the U.S. Coast Guard (news.uscg.mil), New England Boating and Newport Buzz. Exact date not established in the sources reviewed; year 2026 assumed.
SeaWise noteThe stern gland and skin fittings are where boats quietly flood. Know where every underwater fitting is, carry a high-capacity pump and soft wood plugs, and check the shaft seal as part of your maintenance. Offshore, call for help early — a slow flood becomes unstoppable long before a ship can reach you.
Lessons learned

What it teaches.

  • 1
    The propeller-shaft seal (stern gland) is a classic hidden flooding source — below the waterline and easy to ignore until it lets go. Know where every underwater fitting is, inspect the gland, and carry a dewatering pump and soft plugs sized to slow ingress while you organise help.
    flooding
  • 2
    Far offshore, time is the scarce thing. This crew called early enough for an aircraft to drop a pump and a cutter to divert and take them off. Send the distress while the flood is still being fought, not once the boat is nearly gone.
    communications rescue
Sources

Where this comes from.

News· South America sailing newsCoast Guard Rescues 4 From Sinking Sailboat 170 Miles Offshore Rhode IslandVisit ↗News· National EnquirerCoast Guard Rescues 4 From Sinking Sailboat 170 Miles Offshore Rhode IslandVisit ↗News· PatchCoast Guard Rescues 4 From Sailboat Sinking Off Block IslandVisit ↗News· Newport BuzzCoast Guard Rescues 4 After 60-Foot Sailboat Begins Taking on Water Near Block IslandVisit ↗

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Record IDSW-INC-0339
Curated bySeaWise editorial
Confidenceverified · 4 sources
Record typeIncident

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