The Bounty was about 90 miles southeast of Hatteras, North Carolina, or roughly 160 miles from the center of Sandy, a Category 1 hurricane bearing down on the U.S. East Coast, the Coast Guard said.

The three-masted, 180-foot (55-metre) vessel was believed to be taking on water and was without propulsion, stuck in 40 mile-per-hour winds and 18-foot (5.5-metre) seas, the Coast Guard said.

An HC-130 Hercules aircraft had been in contact with the crew while flying overhead, and the Coast Guard was determining which rescue vessel or aircraft was best placed to respond, Petty Officer David Weydert said.

"The crew is safe and accounted for. They have abandoned ship," said a posting on the ship's Facebook page. "They are in their sea survival suits and in a life boat."

Charley Noble