Maui-Lanai ferry runs aground near entrance to Maalaea Harbor

The Coast Guard said it is responding to the Maui-Lanai ferry, which ran aground Monday morning near the entrance to Maalaea Harbor.

At 5:05 a.m., the Coast Guard received word that the small passenger vessel Expeditions Five, a 55-foot ferry with three crew members on board, had run aground.

A 29-foot Coast Guard response boat from Station Maui was dispatched and confirmed that the vessel was hard aground with its anchor deployed but its hull still intact.

The Expedition Five has a maximum diesel fuel capacity of 250-gallons, but there is no sheen or pollution reported coming from the vessel, the Coast Guard said.

The vessel’s management has contacted its insurance company to coordinate a plan for salvage efforts. But that may not come until early Tuesday morning. The next high tide is forecast for 4 a.m.