<p>The ferry Martha’s Vineyard was out of service and undergoing inspection Sunday after the vessel lost power off East Chop Saturday night and had to be towed back to harbor.</p>
The ferry Martha’s Vineyard was out of service and undergoing inspection Sunday after the vessel lost power off East Chop Saturday night and had to be towed back to harbor.
Steamship Authority general manager Robert Davis said there were no injuries in the incident, which left more than 80 people waiting aboard the anchored vessel into the early hours of Sunday morning. The cause of the power loss remains under investigation.
Steamship Authority general manager Robert Davis walks aboard Martha's Vineyard Sunday afternoon.
Steamship Authority general manager Robert Davis walks aboard Martha's Vineyard Sunday afternoon.
“For both engines to go at once is unusual,” Mr. Davis told the Gazette Sunday by phone from Vineyard Haven. A short time later Mr. Davis was seen boarding the Martha’s Vineyard before the vessel was towed out of the harbor by the tug boat Roy Boys. The ferry's anchor was still dangling into the water.
Mr. Davis said the Martha’s Vineyard lost power to the main engines about 15 minutes after the vessel left Vineyard Haven for the 8:30 p.m. trip to Woods Hole. An emergency generator maintained power to the ferry but was not able to generate propulsion, he said. The ferry dropped anchor to keep from drifting.
The boat was just off East Chop when the incident took place. There were 72 passengers, 11 crew members, three food service employees, and 12 cars aboard.
The emergency generator maintained power to the ferry but was not sufficient to keep heat on in the vessel, Mr. Davis told the Gazette. Passengers were required to put on life jackets as part of standard emergency procedure.
Ferry Martha's Vineyard was towed back to Vineyard Haven Harbor early Sunday morning.
Ferry Martha's Vineyard was towed back to Vineyard Haven Harbor early Sunday morning.
The Coast Guard cutter Hammerhead and a response crew from station Woods Hole responded to the scene, as well as tugboats from Tucker Roy Marine Towing and Salvage in New Bedford and Tisbury Towing.
The first of three tugboats arrived at about 10 p.m., Mr. Davis said, but it took until 1 a.m. for the tugboat from New Bedford to arrive. After the crews maneuvered the Martha’s Vineyard into the right position the boat was towed back to Vineyard Haven, arriving shortly before 2 a.m.
Passengers disembarked without incident, according to the Steamship Authority, and the boat line arranged hotel lodging for passengers who needed a place to stay overnight
Mr. Davis said he came over to Vineyard Haven on the 6 a.m. ferry Sunday to talk with passengers as they came back to the ferry terminal to head off-Island. “From all accounts they were all saying that in light of the situation some things were going well. The crew was keeping them informed and things like that.”
On Sunday Steamship Authority personnel and engineering staff, as well as the vessel engineer, were going through the systems, Mr. Davis said. The main engines and the generator were operating and were being tested in Vineyard Haven, he said, and the crew would also perform maneuvers at the request of the Coast Guard.
The Martha’s Vineyard will later sail to Woods Hole, where it will be met by the Coast Guard and inspected again before the vessel is cleared for service.
Mr. Davis said the ferry would be out of service until at least early Sunday evening. The freight ferries Katama and Sankaty have been running in its place.
Three tugboats towed the Martha's Vineyard to port.
Three tugboats towed the Martha's Vineyard to port.
Mr. Davis said the boat line apologizes to the passengers onboard, and he thanked the Coast Guard and tug companies for their assistance. Further information about the cause of the incident and when the vessel will return to service will be released as it is available, he said.
The 25-year-old ferry had recently returned to service after a $17.4-million, top to bottom refurbishment.
The incident Saturday night came on the heels of a series of ferry incidents for the Steamship Authority. The ferry Woods Hole briefly grounded and was out of service for several hours on Thursday, and went out of service again Friday and Saturday after an onboard operating error. The Woods Hole was cleared to return to service late Saturday, Mr. Davis said.
Comments
Instead of wasting $60
deshandra brown EdgInstead of wasting $60 million on a new building, maybe a better idea would be to spend some of that money on preventive maintenance and when doing mechanical refurbishment (as stated in the article), get better reliable equipment with redundancy.
What a thin article from the
PETER JONES BelmontWhat a thin article from the "award winning newspaper"! A ferry breaks down in the middle of the night and has to be towed back to port and this is the most detailed article that the Gazette can publish about the island lifeline? Take a look at the depth and detail of the article in the MV Times to see real journalism.
Peter, the MV is one of many
CD Nelson Edgartown/WestonPeter, the MV is one of many ferries making up the "island lifeline". Most of us understand what living on an island entails, unlike living in Belmont. High up on the list is patience. Jabbing one of the island newspapers that did cover the story is unproductive. I read both papers (as I see you do). Between them I feel well informed. If you don't like the Gazette keep to your Times.
Really Mr. Jones? It sounds
GinnyReally Mr. Jones? It sounds as if you could be either a self styled maritime expert or perhaps a relative of one of the MV Times reporters. In fact Ms. Wells has included all the relevant and substantive information in her piece about the MARTHA'S VINEYARD's break down last night in Vineyard Sound. It had every thing that the MV Times piece had and a photo that appeared to have been taken this morning. Rather than bashing another publication a more important question is why the vessel, just barely back to work after a $17.5 million dollar "mid life refit," had such a significant break down. It is indeed fortunate that it didn't happen earlier in the day when the wind (out of the west) was blowing strongly giving ferry riders a rough ride. Instead the SSA seems to have done all the right things to safeguard those on board because without propulsion the vessel could have been on the rocks and/or in very real danger.
The SSA must now be significantly in debt (and at the bonding limit) because of the cost of the WOODS HOLE, the MARTHA'S VINEYARD refit and the Woods Hole terminal project. I'm sure that, given a bit of time to research and analyze the situation Ms. Wells and the GAZETTE will provide an informative article about where the SSA stands financially. It could be a nasty picture for the islands, with some scary implications.
I think the people who work
charlie callahan so boston/edgartownI think the people who work for the steamship authority do as good a job as they can, considering the frenzy some people are in to get on or off the boats and the rudeness of a lot of the people taking the ferry, the way they talk to the workers. It's not an easy job dealing with a lot of these snobs who think they are something special. Hats off to the ferry workers. A boat is a machine and machines break down
Clearly you weren’t privy to
KS EdgartownClearly you weren’t privy to the scene that unfolded at the docks today then. While there are surely good people, I couldn’t disagree more that the SSA and its’ workers are doing a good job. Take one look at the mass of cars and foot traffic left in the midst of scheduling challenges such as today with one boat down and another resuming service only midday. The SSA lacks any operations or logistics in getting people on or off island in a timely manner wth some “cancelled” reservations waiting over 5 hours to get on or off. Instead of addressing issues as they arise (such as making alternative plans for boats scheduled on downed ferries when they know a ferry is out of service), posting travel alerts to let people know of 3+ hour wait times (including foot traffic), or actually informing those in line of approximate wait times or systems in place it’s a complete and utter circus. Adjusting to a FIFO (first in; first out) system in an instance such as today when reservations were void and no boats were running as originally stated and scheduled would have allieviated so much of this mess. Simple communication and courtesy would have avoided many of those “snob” issues too. Yes it’s a business and things go wrong from time to time but even the most basic businesses have plans to ensure smooth operation and customer service during those times.
The Islander never broke down
Islander On IslandThe Islander never broke down
Lol. My favorite comment.
Mark Hampstead nhLol. My favorite comment. Miss the Islander. It was usually able to operate in conditions the newer boats couldn't, and always got us home. I do like the new boats. But sometimes I miss the old days
You're right. I miss the
KG Stamford, CTYou're right. I miss the Islander! :-)
That was the best boat. Too
deshandra brown EdgThat was the best boat. Too bad management doesn't get it. Maybe they should rename this after the old Uncantena.. with an appropriate revision...' Junkantena'.
Actually, much as I loved the
GinnyActually, much as I loved the ISLANDER (and before her the dignified and graceful, much loved steamers) she did have her issues. If you do some basic research (ask some of her skippers) she could be problematic in some maneuvers and some weather. Also, and this would be human error, she did have some mishaps including some time on the rocks in WH and OB as well as other issues. She wasn't perfect but, as the late Ed Coogan described her, she was [always]our ride home. By the way, the boat that no one mentions but which is efficient, runs (and docks) effortlessly and is certainly cost effective, is the GOVERNOR. She's my (and a lot of other islanders) new favorite. Yes, she has had a few issues (she is a mechanical object with more than two moving parts) but compared to the high tech behemoths the WOODS HOLE and ISLAND HOME, she's our "ride home," and a five star ride home at that!
If you live on an island expect some transportation issues -- the weather patterns, affected by climate change are changing, which impact the safe operation of any maritime transportation system -- so get over it. Be thankful that the SSA personnel -- the ferry crews -- knew what to do in what could have been a really dangerous situation, and did it with care and skill. The somewhat chaotic situation in the parking lot, while regrettable, isn't life or death critical. Think of the chaos of summer traffic and crowds and the delays the other day weren't nearly so bad.
The Governor was actually in
Ferry Historian New YorkThe Governor was actually in the movie "An Officer and Gentleman" before coming east to run between the Islands off Cape Cod.
Actually, and now that I
GinnyActually, and now that I think about it I think that the late Eddie Coogan used to describe the ferries as "our only ride home." Think about it and be both patient and tolerant.
It's amazing how many experts
Native Guy EdgartownIt's amazing how many experts we have when something goes wrong. OK lets see, the boats travel back and forth daily..(count the trips) year round. Yes there are incidents, some man , some machine. But the boats still keep going back & forth. Yes the Islander was a work horse, seemed to go in any weather and always seemed to get us home. Low to the sea and double ended. A great design for our waters.(My opinion) But she even broke down time to time. She was dear to us Islanders but time caught up with her. An of course $$$$$$$$$ to keep her worthy of her task was becoming an issue for
the SSA. Yes, a lot of the decisions made by the SSA leadership seem out of touch with the real needs. And don't worry, and extra costs will be passed on to us! But no one was hurt and show goes on. All & ALL the Gleaming White Ships do get us home (sometimes not on time). P.S. New Regs. and Lawyers have had their influence on the ability of the boats to make make rough water runs.(my opinion) Fair Winds And Tides !
The Islander unfortunately
Coast Guard Reserve MenemshaThe Islander unfortunately hit some rocks outside of OB that were found to be mis-marked on the nautical charts. They were blown up years later.
With no heat on the ferry,
Christine Powers WalthamWith no heat on the ferry, those stranded (for five hours) passengers must have been freezing on such a cold night. Were they at least able to get hot cups of coffee?
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