A small sailing vessel dragged its anchor and came to rest on the jetty at the entrance to Menemsha Harbor Wednesday morning; the vessel later sank when the U.S. Coast Guard and the Aquinnah harbor master tried to tow it into port, a Coast Guard spokesman said.

The Coast Guard received a call about a 20-foot sailboat on the rocks on the Aquinnah side of the jetty at 8:25 a.m. There was one person aboard. He got off the boat and walked along the jetty to shore.

Strong winds had developed overnight in coastal waters off the Vineyard. The National Weather Service recorded winds steady at 23 knots and gusts of 32 knots at about the time the boat ran aground.

Coast Guard petty officer Andrew Barresi had no information about the name of the vessel or the owner, but said he did not want to use a commercial salvage company.

The Aquinnah harbor master towed the damaged vessel off the rocks and handed the tow over to personnel from Station Menemsha.

“Our 45-foot rescue boat towed it,” Petty Officer Barresi said. “It started taking on water, so we had to cut the line, and it sank. He’s going to be working with a commercial salvage company to develop a plan.”

Petty Officer Barresi said the sunken vessel is not a hazard to navigation in the area.

The vessel is completely underwater, according to a Menemsha harbor master assistant.

Another vessel dragged its anchor into the mooring area near the harbor entrance, Wednesday morning, but there was no damage from that incident.