ST..JOHNS (CBC) - Heavy ice off Newfoundland's Northern Peninsula caused a sealing vessel to sink Thursday and slowed a provincial ferry to a crawl after it became stuck.

The White Bay Challenger sank after a piece of ice pierced its hull as the sealing boat was on its way to the Northern Peninsula town of Englee.

"They were unable to keep her afloat and all seven crew were then abandoned to the [coast guard vessel] Anne Harvey. When they left the scene, it was pretty well submerged. So at this point we feel that she's probably sunk," said Kevin Barnes of Maritime Search and Rescue.

Nobody was injured.

Meanwhile, the MV Apollo, which serves southern Labrador and northern Newfoundland, was slowly inching its way toward St. Barbe Thursday evening after it got stuck in thick ice at the entrance to the community's harbour.

"They're at the entrance there to St. Barbe Harbour and unfortunately the pressure is on the ice, and the ferry was beset. And the George R. Pearkes, which is the coast guard ice breaker, was just ahead of it and only making about 50 or so feet every time he tried to move forward," said coast guard superintendent of ice operations, Denise Veber.

Veber said the ice breaker would continue efforts to get the MV Apollo to port Thursday night.

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