UPDATE: The tugboat was freed from the sandbar and towed away from the beach, the Lavallette Beach Patrol said around 2:30 p.m.

The tugboat stuck on a sandbar just off the shore in Lavallette isn't going anywhere for at least a few more hours.

The U.S. Coast Guard made multiple unsuccessful attempts to free the 96-ton Sea Cypress with two other tugboats on Tuesday morning. Another attempted won't be made until around 5:30 or 6 p.m, a spokesman said. High tide in Lavallette on Tuesday is at 6:09 p.m.

"The combination of an onshore breeze, heavy surf and the tides has definitely affected (the rescue effort)," Petty Officer 2nd Class David Micallef said early Tuesday afternoon.

Two rescue boats with lines attached are holding the 75-foot Sea Cypress in place about 100 feet off the Philadelphia Avenue beach until another attempt is made to free it. One is Bayou Dawn owned by Dawn Services.

Four people who remain aboard the Sea Cypress are uninjured.

Sea Cypress' trouble began around 3:30 a.m. Tuesday when a propeller stopped working after its tow line got tangled in it. The tug, which was about 4 to 5 miles off shore at the time, then became disabled and began drifting toward shore, according to Miacallef.

Earlier, a crowd gathered on the beach to watch the Coast Guard attempt to jar the tugboat loose. The Lavallette beach is closed to swimmers Tuesday.

The Sea Cypress is owned by Garber Bros. of Morgan City, Louisiana. The company is off the Jersey Shore to help with sand dredging.

Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook.