NTSB: Hydraulic Leak Caused Loss of Fishing Vessel Off Maine

The fire that destroyed the fishing vessel Three Girls off the coast of Maine in 2024 was likely caused by a spray of hydraulic oil, according to an investigation by the NTSB. The crew all abandoned ship and survived, in no small part because of timely and creative action by the vessel’s master. 

On August 11, the Three Girls was under way in the Gulf of Maine on a routine trip, and had five crewmembers and a fishery observer aboard. At about 2050 hours, the crew was hauling in nets and running all hydraulic systems at full power when the captain smelled something burning. He checked the engine room and encountered thick smoke – so thick that he could not clearly see where the fire was coming from. He determined that the blaze was too serious to fight, and he ordered the crew to prepare to abandon ship.

The master went to the wheelhouse to make a mayday…