The Steamship Authority had to cancel several trips aboard its newest ferry this week after a hydraulic leak was found on the vessel. 

On Thursday, the ferry line discovered the leak in the steering pump and filter of the M/V Aquinnah, cancelling four trips on the Vineyard route. This is the second time the freight ferry has been pulled out of service for mechanical issues since it was put into service last month. 

On Friday, the Steamship Authority called in the Sankaty ferry, a smaller freight vessel, to cover the Aquinnah’s trips, but warned that some travelers’ trips could be changed due to the lower capacity. 

Steamship spokesperson Sean Driscoll said the issue was being addressed on Friday. 

The Aquinnah is one of three freight ferries that the Steamship Authority purchased to update the aging fleet. The ferry, which started plying the waters between Woods Hole and the Island in June, previously served as an offshore oil vessel, before being converted into the open-backed freight ferry.

The Aquinnah’s first mechanical issue after joining the fleet came on its second day on the job. Workers discovered a blockage in the ferry’s sanitation pipes on June 22.