Search widens for fishing boat, crew

The Coast Guard launched a search yesterday for a fishing boat last seen in Nantucket Sound. The Lady of Grace, a 75-foot dragger based in New Bedford, has a crew of four aboard.

The boat's last known location was 12 miles south of Hyannis, and it had been due back in New Bedford at 5 a.m. yesterday.

Early yesterday morning the crew of another fishing boat, Lisa Ann II, reported it had been communicating routinely with Lady of Grace by e-mail, and became worried when their latest e-mail drew no response.

Yesterday afternoon, a Coast Guard Falcon jet reported seeing an oil sheen and debris field about 2 miles from the missing boat's last known location.

Petty Officer Zach Zubricki , a Coast Guard spokesman, said that searchers were not sure the debris field was related to the missing boat, but they had sent three 41-foot utility boats to scour the area. A 110-foot patrol boat has also been dispatched to help, and a Jayhawk helicopter has been assisting in the search since early yesterday morning.

Lady of Grace ran into trouble a few weeks ago, when a faulty generator left the boat disabled. It was towed into Martha's Vineyard by a Coast Guard cutter on Jan. 8, the Coast Guard said. The boat is owned by Santos Fishing Corp. There is no telephone listing for the company in New Bedford.

Charlie Foley , a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Taunton, said a gale warning was in effect Friday night until about 1 a.m. yesterday. Northwest winds were blowing at about 25 to 30 miles per hour, with gusts to 35, and seas were 4 to 7 feet with freezing spray, he said.

As the Coast Guard ramped up the search yesterday afternoon, conditions were milder, with west winds at 10 to 15 miles per hour, and seas 3 to 5 feet.

The Coast Guard has also issued an urgent marine information broadcast, asking vessels in the area to be on the lookout for Lady of Grace. The names of its crew were being withheld in deference to their families.