Menemsha Crowd Raises Sunken Sailboat

<p> A 23-foot sunken sailboat in Menemsha harbor was hauled up on Wednesday morning by a crew that included Menemsha Coast Guard, the town harbor master and the captain of a fishing boat and his mates.</p> <p> Chet Wisniewski, 88, of Menemsha, said his sailboat, called Water Music, sank at noon in its slip on Saturday for no apparent reason.</p>

A 23-foot sunken sailboat in Menemsha harbor was hauled up on Wednesday morning by a crew that included Menemsha Coast Guard, the town harbor master and the captain of a fishing boat and his mates.

Chet Wisniewski, 88, of Menemsha, said his sailboat, called Water Music, sank at noon in its slip on Saturday for no apparent reason.

A number of people were involved in the effort to raise the boat, including Alec Gale, who owns the 55-foot Jane Lee, a commercial sea clammer and summer fish transport boat. The Jane Lee is equipped with a powerful hydraulic lift which was used to pull up the sailboat by her stern. A diver and team of Coast Guardsmen with a pump worked to dewater the vessel. Harbor master Dennis Jason also assisted.

“I don’t think I am going sailing for the rest of the season,” Mr. Wisniewski said as he watched it all happen.

— Mark Alan Lovewell

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