Crime & Safety

Vessel Reported Overdue Has Been Located in Choppy East Hampton Harbor

Coast Guard reports the 77 year old captain just took longer than usual to travel from Montauk to East Hampton due to the weather.

On Monday afternoon, a 77 year old man and his sailboat were reported overdue during a trip from Montauk to Three Mile Harbor in East Hampton, but by the evening, he had been located en route to his original destination.

Petty Officer Thomas McKenzie, a spokesperson for the Coast Guard, which had issued alerts for the overdue vessel all afternoon, said the 47-foot sailboat, "Friday," simply was taking longer due to the rough waters. The National Weather Service issued a Gale Watch and small craft advisory on Monday for Long Island Sound east of Port Jefferson.

The double-masted vessel left Montauk this afternoon, though McKenzie said he was not sure of exactly what time or when the man's wife had reported her husband's boat overdue. He had been heading west towards Three Mile Harbor. 

Find out what's happening in East Hamptonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The East Hampton Town Police Department's marine unit searched for the boat, and found him in the waters of Accabonac Harbor around 4 p.m. McKenzie said they were escorting him to Three Mile Harbor. Ed Michels, the chief harbormaster, could not immediately be reached for comment.

According to the weather service, winds are NW 15 to 25 knots with gusts of 25 to 30 knots. On Monday night, winds are expected to increase with gusts up to 35 knots with a chance of flurries overnight. 

Find out what's happening in East Hamptonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.