Boston Harbor Cruise Ship Crashes, Newton 8th Graders Aboard

NEWTON, MA — A cruise ship with around 320 people on board, mainly eighth graders from Day Middle School in Newton crashed into multiple sailboats in Boston Harbor, Thursday morning.

No students were injured in the crash, but the cruise ship had to be towed back to the dock, according to officials.

Around 11:30 a.m. the Coast Guard was called to the Boston Harbor with reports that the Boston cruise ship "The Odyssey" had crashed into several moored sailboats.

"The cruise ship is back moored at its pier and the Coast Guard is investigating," Coast Guard Petty Officer Nicole Groll told Patch.

The crew is still trying to figure out what happened. One witness told Patch that he watched as at least one person had to abandon ship as the cruise ship barreled down on the sailboat he was working on.

Don Symmington owner of Boston Harbor Boat Rentals was transiting across the harbor and slowed down when he noticed the Odyssey backing up.

"What caught my attention was the five blasts of the horn, which indicate danger," he told Patch. "I turned to look and realized, 'oh they're not warning someone else they are warning that they themselves are the danger.'"

He watched as the cruise ship backed into a sailboat from the sailboat club and a worker who was on the boat had to scramble to jump off and into his launch and sped away to get out of the way of the ship.

And the boat kept going backwards.

Symmington said he watched as the ship finally came to a halt and then very quickly the area crew came over and tossed them the line and pulled them out from the mooring field and into open water where the ship finally got working again.

"These things can happen. It was a transmission error, but I've never seen that happen," he told Patch.

He said it looked like the captain turned the engine off when they noticed the error, but with all the weight of the ship and the wind pushing in the same direction the momentum really kept the boat from stopping.

"Fortunately, there was no real damage," said Symmington.

School officials and the Newton Superintendent of Schools did not respond to request for comment.

The students stayed aboard and continued their lunch and music but the excursion just didn't last quite as long as planned. A number of students were picked up by their parents at the end of the event, others returned students to the school at 1 p.m. as planned.

Each year the school hosts end of the year excursions if the majority of students have exhibited respectful and safe behavior throughout the year, according to the school website.

This one, likely won't be one they'll forget for a while.

Read the full email from the school:

Dear 8th Grade Parents,
I just learned from Mr. Harding, our 8th Grade Assistant Principal on the cruise with the 8th grade today, that their boat hit some sailboats while leaving the dock. Everyone is ok and there were no injuries. The students were relocated safely to the lower deck. The boat is being towed back to dock, and the students and faculty will continue their event with lunch and music until 1:00 p.m. at which time they will return to school for dismissal as planned.
Please call the school if you have any questions.
Best,
Jackie Mann

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File photo of sailboats on the Charles by Jenna Fisher/Patch