As the Steamship Authority continues its search for a new general manager, several key department heads this week outlined steps needed to secure a stable future for the ferry line. 

The authority is juggling several large priorities with only about two months left in general manager Robert Davis’s contract. Mr. Davis, who has run the boat line since 2017, is set to step down in October and become a senior advisor. 

A search committee has identified five top candidates for the position, and was supposed to discuss the interview process in a closed-door session Thursday.

While that process plays out, the Steamship board of governors and the port council heard reports on Tuesday from chief operating officer Mark Amundsen, port captain Paul Hennessy and other high-ranking ferry line officials on progress toward the SSA’s goals for improved relationships with the port communities, a greener fleet and a plan for financial sustainability in the years to come. 

The standardization of ferries could be coming down the pike.

Ray Ewing

The standardization of ferries could be coming down the pike.

Ray Ewing

James Malkin, who represents Martha’s Vineyard on the board of governors, noted the complexities of the plan. 

“When we met... first to discuss a strategic plan, I said [it] should be fairly simple. It’s run the boats on time, keep them running on time [and] have people that want to work here, Mr. Malkin said during the joint meeting in West Barnstable. 

“That seemed to be a pretty good strategy for me, but the things we have in here are important,” Mr. Malkin said.

Lowering greenhouse gas emissions from the ferry service has been a large priority for both Islanders and residents of Woods Hole. The authority is working now to establish the design criteria for new ferries, Mr. Amundsen said, in preparation for creating a formal process to replace diesel-propelled boats with hybrid-propulsion vessels.

Along with hybrid boats, the Steamship is steering towards a future with a more standardized fleet. The authority’s strategic plan calls for investing in identical ships that can swap parts and crews as needed. 

The recently-acquired freight boats Barnstable, Aquinnah and Monomoy — the first two are now in service, and the latter is expected to leave Alabama Shipyard in Mobile later this month — have put the boat line’s progress toward standardization at about a third of the fleet, Mr. Hennessy said.

Originally built for the offshore oil and gas industry, the identical triplets have been modified to meet Coast Guard standards for passenger ferries. 

“We can take the crews that work on the Barnstable and automatically switch them to the Aquinnah without any recency training [or] any basic training, because it’s the same vessel,” Mr. Hennessy said.

The boats have had some kinks to work out since they have been introduced, undergoing both loading delays and some mechanical issues, but Mr. Hennessy said he expects those to be resolved.

“As far as the engineering [aspect], if we do have an issue with the Barnstable, and that same issue comes up on the Aquinnah, they know what to do when they troubleshoot,” he said.

The boat line also is midway through developing its plan to meet statewide targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, Mr. Amundsen said. 

The Massachusetts mandate calls for a 50 per cent reduction in emissions by 2030 and net emissions of zero by 2050, meaning that in less than 25 years the Steamship Authority will be expected to have achieved reductions that completely offset the gases it will continue to emit.

To reach that target, the Steamship Authority’s strategic plan calls for applying green principles across all of its facilities, including terminals and buses. Upcoming terminal upgrades in Vineyard Haven and Nantucket are designed to make those operations greener, Mr. Amundsen said.

The talk around the strategic plan offered a window into tomorrow's Steamship Authority.

Ray Ewing

The talk around the strategic plan offered a window into tomorrow's Steamship Authority.

Ray Ewing

The new terminal in Woods Hole, expected to open in less than a year, is designed to have net zero emissions and the boat line also has begun acquiring electric buses for its passenger parking shuttles.

Director of shoreside operations Alison Fletcher reported that the new reservations system — a long-sought goal that has eluded the Steamship Authority for years — is expected to be online in the fourth quarter of 2026.

“I think that’s going to help us optimize our freight deck and usage space as well,” Ms. Fletcher said.

The reservations system will come with the Steamship Authority’s new website, which is in the early stages of development, information technology director Stephen Colman said.

“We selected a vendor [and] we’re in the process of gathering system requirements,” Mr. Colman said.

Treasurer/comptroller Mark Rozum reported continued progress toward a multi-year financial forecast for the Steamship Authority, as well as the ongoing quest for grant funding and strategic partnerships.

In December 2023, the boat line hired Caroline Muldoon as its first grants administrator. Ms. Muldoon recently was able to secure $1.2 million in state transportation grant money for the Fairhaven area, which the Steamship Authority used on equipment for its maintenance yard there, Mr. Rozum said.

The boat line partnered with the Vineyard Transportation Authority to buy electric buses with funds from the $14 billion Volkswagen clean air settlement, and Ms. Muldoon also is working with human resources director Janice Kennefick on employee training grants, Mr. Rozum said.

Ms. Kennefick told the board and port council that the boat line is also making progress on keeping the employees it hires, with a current retention rate of 79 per cent.

“We’re trending in a positive direction, so that’s a good sign,” she said.

Her next initiative, she said, will be to form employee focus groups to give SSA workers a voice in decision-making and to learn more about what contributes to job satisfaction.

Another human resources goal, raising management visibility in the workplace, will need to wait until after a new general manager is hired to replace incumbent Robert Davis, who on Nov. 1 is moving to an advisory position in which he will report to the new general manager.

In the new position, Mr. Davis will continue to make his recently-approved annual salary of $239,480 along with benefits, including the use of a sport utility vehicle at the Steamship Authority’s expense. He will also be eligible for a raise in July 2026 before the contract is set to expire at the end of April 2027.