Why would they leave in such terrible weather!Big boat for sure, but it is NASTY out there....

Nine people were rescued from a Halifax-based tall ship as it was buffeted by stiff winds and high waves early Monday about 93 kilometres east of Gloucester, Mass.

The U.S. Coast Guard said it was notified at about 12:35 a.m. that the engines on the Liana’s Ransom were disabled, the generator was failing and one of its main sails had wrapped around the mast.

It launched two lifeboats to tow the vessel back, but spokesman Ross Ruddell said rough sea conditions forced them to cut the tow line. The lifeboat crews told the people on board the 26-metre steel hulled schooner to put on immersion suits so they could be transferred to the lifeboats.

Ruddell said the coast guard crew faced winds of about 55 kilometres an hour and waves that were swelling to three metres as they tried to get the nine crew members off the ship and onto the two motorized boats.