HILO, Hawai'i — Fuel removal from the grounded fishing vessel Sky Sun was expected to be completed yesterday, the U.S. Coast Guard said.

A Coast Guard federal on-scene coordinator and state on-scene coordinator were working with the owner to have the remaining fuel and oil products removed from the 67-foot fishing boat, which ran aground early Thursday.

Petty officer Brooksann Anderson said the Coast Guard was monitoring the effort to make sure the owner was taking responsibility and was aware of the potential hazards to the environment.

She said the fuel removal operation, which began Friday, was expected to be completed by yesterday. "They estimated about 700 gallons on board," Anderson said. "So I'm sure now it's got to be nearing the end."

Absorbent booms were positioned around the grounded vessel on Friday after a "very light sheen" was detected in the water around the boat, off the Puna coast of the Big Island, the Coast Guard said.

The boat struck land at around 5 a.m. about two miles south of Cape Kumukahi Point. The Hawai'i County Fire Department rescued six people aboard. None was injured.

Planning is under way to move the boat from the area reef a half-mile north of the state Marine Life Conservation District at Wai'opae Tidepools once the fuel has been removed.