The owner of a boat that recently dragged its mooring and is beached said that with any luck, it will be out of Pemaquid soon.

James Sheehy, owner of both Boothbay Harbor's Westward and Pemaquid Harbor's Columbia said with any luck, both ships could soon be leaving.

The Columbia recently dragged its mooring on Wednesday, March 18 during a wind storm. It is now grounded on the muddy banks near Pemaquid.

“(The Columbia) dragged her mooring a little bit, but it was checked out by people (in Bristol) and everything checked out OK,” he said. “The plan is to to pull her out with the next big tide.”

Sheehy said obstacles in Pemaquid Harbor mean the ship will need a lot of water underneath it to navigate through.

Sheehy said the ship has garnered attention from a potential buyer, who showed interest in bringing the Columbia to the Great Lakes.

While the ship is still grounded, the Coast Guard confirmed that the Columbia wasn't leaking any chemicals, such as oil, into the water. Sheehy said the ship is essentially watertight, except for a spot on the deck when it rains.

The Westward, which has been in Boothbay Harbor, might not be much to look at, but the ship's isn't going to sink, Sheehy said.

“The hull is still in perfect condition,” he said.

The Westward broke free from its mooring in January 2015 before running aground in Boothbay Harbor. The ship also broke its mooring in 2013.

Sheehy said the Westward would hopefully be Portland-bound soon.

“It's been a tough couple of years with those ships, but things are starting to turn around,” he said.

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