Tall Ship Loses Power, Hitting Boats In Newport Harbor

While maneuvering in Rhode Island's Newport Harbor, the tall ship SSV Oliver Hazard Perry lost power late Sunday, colliding with nearby boats before running aground.

Coast Guard officials say the three-masted, 200-foot civilian training vessel, "was leaving Bowen's Wharf Seafood Festival with 12 crew members aboard when it lost power and began to drift."

The Perry "hit multiple other boats before grounding near Perrotti Park," the Coast Guard said.

There were no reported injuries or fuel leaks, the Coast Guard said, adding that the accident was being investigated.

The ship was completed in 2015 after an eight-year build. It has a steel hull but was constructed in the spirit of a wooden naval vessel of the early 1800s.

The Perry, which is the largest civilian sailing school vessel in the United States, is named after Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry, who led an American flotilla to victory against the British at the Battle of Lake Erie during the War of 1812.

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