The remains of the pleasure craft Argo have washed up on the rocky shore of Peaks Island in Casco Bay.

U.S. Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr. Scott Pierce said that the vessel broke from its mooring on Tuesday and was floating off Peaks Island. Officials responded to make sure no passengers were in danger and discovered that it had not been manned.

The boat “Argo” rains aground on the “back shore” of the island Tuesday. Derek Davis/Staff Photographer

The boat actually first sank over the winter and had been raised and moored by its owner, Pierce said. All possible contaminants were removed.

After floating for awhile Tuesday, the boat came to rest against a bed of rocks. Pierce said the owner tried to remove the boat but was unsuccessful.

Later Tuesday evening, a powerful storm came through and destroyed what remained, according to Pierce.

“Vessel groundings and subsequent salvage are ultimately the responsibility of owner,” he said in a news release. “The Coast Guard will provide oversight of salvage operations as needed to ensure all safety and cleanup protocols are properly followed. Fortunately in this case, there was never any potential for pollution because those risks had already been mitigated.”

He said the Coast Guard will monitor the clean-up efforts to make sure they are “complete and there are no subsequent hazards to navigation or risks to the environment.”

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