Commercial fishing boat Susan Rose grounded at Point Pleasant Beach

Dan Radel, Asbury Park Press
Updated ·2 min read
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POINT PLEASANT BEACH ‐ A commercial fishing boat that beached here early Friday morning drew a crowd of curious onlookers on what was a sun-splashed fall day.

The boat is a 98-foot commercial trawler that a witness says was approaching the Manasquan Inlet but instead it came ashore at the north end of Point Pleasant Beach. The vessel was being rocked back and forth by waves, which were battering the boat as it sat, mired in wet sand.

The boat is named Susan Rose and hails from Port Judith, Rhode Island, according to MarineTraffic.com, which monitors boat traffic, and commercial fishermen from the Point Pleasant Fishermen's Cooperative Dock.

Capt. Jim Lovgren, who sits on the Co-op's executive board, said the boat is part of The Town Dock fleet in Narragansett and is here in New Jersey fishing for sea bass and fluke, and has been delivering its catch to the co-op dock. The Town Dock was not able to be reached for comment.

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U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer Matthew West said they received an emergency call for the grounding at about 5 a.m. He said all four crew members were safely removed from the vessel by the Point Pleasant Beach Fire Department. West said the owner is working with a salvage company to have the boat towed.

The Susan Rose gets battered by waves after it beached in Point Pleasant Beach just south of the Manasquan Inlet Friday morning, November 17, 2023.
The Susan Rose gets battered by waves after it beached in Point Pleasant Beach just south of the Manasquan Inlet Friday morning, November 17, 2023.

West said the incident is still under investigation as far as what caused the boat to ground.

A witness, Ryan Mack who lives in town here, said the boat appeared to miss the Manasquan Inlet and then came up on the sand just after 5 a.m. He said the tide was a little higher then.

However, the tide was going out when the Asbury Park Press observed the vessel at 10:30 a.m. Lovgren said they may have to wait until high tide tonight to do try and pull the boat out.

This is a breaking news story. Check back with APP.com for more details,

When Jersey Shore native Dan Radel is not reporting the news, you can find him in a college classroom where he is a history professor. Reach him @danielradelapp; 732-643-4072; dradel@gannettnj.com.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Point Pleasant Beach news: Ship grounding Friday morning