A fine day of fishing from the Lady Frances ended abruptly at about 11 a.m. Monday when the 100-foot excursion boat out of Galilee and a 70-foot yacht out of Newport collided on Block Island Sound.

A good Samaritan rescued more than 20 people, including schoolchildren, after their charter boat sank Wednesday evening in the Chesapeake Bay, authorities said. The U.S. Coast Guard said it received an alert with a GPS locator and a distress call: "Mayday, mayday, mayday. This is the motor vessel Karen N. We have sunk off of Bloodsworth Island."

It’s not only drones and driverless cars that may become the norm someday - ocean-faring ships might also run without captains or crews.