The pride of the Japan Coast Guard was dented Friday when one of its patrol boats took on water after colliding with a much smaller fishing boat in calm water and with good visibility.
The 966.5-ton Ojika collided with the 240-ton fishing boat Zentoku Maru early Friday morning near Ishinomaki Bay in Miyagi Prefecture, prompting 34 crew members to temporarily abandon ship as water flooded in, coast guard officials said.
All crew members were rescued uninjured by the Zentoku Maru, they added.
Water rose to levels up to 40 cm under the port deck before the ship stabilized, the officials said.
The crew of the Ojika returned to the boat after confirming that water levels had steadied and began pumping out the water, officials at the coast guard's regional headquarters in Shiogama, Miyagi Prefecture, said.
The officials said the bow of the Zentoku Maru struck the port side of the Ojika at around 3:50 a.m. The cause of the collision was not immediately known.