PORTLAND (AP) – High winds that pounded much of coastal Maine caused thousands of power outages and contributed to the grounding of a 47-foot Coast Guard rescue boat on rocks off a Casco Bay island, officials said Tuesday.

There were no reports of injuries when the boat ran aground Monday night and started taking on water in rainy, windy conditions off Hope Island while responding to a call for help.

A wind gust of 51 mph was recorded during the peak of Monday night’s gale, and another storm bearing down on the region brought prospects of another round of strong winds Tuesday night, according to the National Weather Service.

The rescue boat ran into trouble as it was responding to a report of a sailboat dragging its mooring off Harpswell, according to Paul Conner, a Coast Guard spokesman. A good samaritan helped with the stricken sailboat, while the Portland Fire Department’s rescue boat came to the aid of the Coast Guard vessel Portland.

A Jayhawk helicopter provided light to aid in the rescue of four crew members from the disabled boat at 12:38 a.m., officials said.

Coast Guard officials said the vessel began taking on water after striking a submerged object. By Tuesday afternoon, the Coast Guard had repaired the damaged hull to allow the vessel to be floated at high tide Tuesday afternoon.

“This incident again reminds us of the many hazards the sea presents,” said Capt. Patrick Trapp, commander of the Coast Guard station in South Portland.

The winds knocked tree limbs onto power lines, with Central Maine Power reporting about 13,000 customers without electricity at the peak.

By Tuesday at 5 p.m., CMP crews had reduced the number of customers in the dark to about 3,500 – about half of them in the Alfred service area and half of them in the Brunswick service area, a CMP spokesman said.

Strong winds combined with high tides contributed to coastal flooding. A coastal flood watch was posted for Tuesday night along the southwestern Maine coast as a stubborn low pressure system moved slowly northward.

The winds died down by morning, but Eric Schwibs of the weather service said another storm was moving in as part of what he described as a “long drawn-out event.” Strong gusts were expected Tuesday night and rain showers were predicted for the entire week.

The only hope for sunshine outside of Aroostook County will come this weekend in between rain showers, he said.