Martha's Vineyard Steamships and Ferries

Browse the Vineyard Gazette's coverage of the steamships and ferries that have shuttled residents and visitors across Vineyard Sound.

The steamer Nobska stranded off Oak Bluffs beach in 1971

Richard Beattie Photo

Ferry Islander Nears Historic Mark: She Becomes Ship of Longest Service

Tom Dunlop | Friday, October 9 1998 - 1:44pm

She was christened by the eight-year-old daughter of Jimmy Cagney. A truckload of 200 live quail once opened up her freight deck (“They were pulling them out of the rafters,” Donna Honig of Edgartown said of the crewmen that trip in 1991. “They were diving after them”). And once on a night back in the fall of 1972, an assassination nearly took place on her darkened hurricane deck when a man, angered by Robert S. McNamara’s role in the Viet Nam war, tried to throw the former Secretary of Defense over the side.

To these events, add one more that will happen at the end of this month:

Steamships and Ferries

M/V Islander

Broken Ferry Pushes All Trips to Vineyard Haven

Ethan Genter

Steamship Authority staff were investigating a coolant issue on the M/V Nantucket, temporarily taking the ferry out of service.

SSA Approves Third Freight Boat Conversion Contract

Ethan Genter

The ferry line board of governors Thursday approved a $17 million retrofit of a former offshore oil vessel. The ferry, which will be called the M/V Monomoy, will eventually join two other newly converted freight vessels that are set to join the Steamship fleet later this year.

Vehicle Reservations on Hold After Ferry Breakdown

Ethan Genter

Steamship workers discovered Friday that the Eagle ferry’s bow thruster was leaking gear lubricant, forcing the boat to go to the shipyard for repairs.

Steamship Works to Improve Communication on Ferry Cancellations

Louisa Hufstader

At the ferry line’s board of governors meeting Tuesday, Steamship staff said they were increasing the number of employees who can green light cancellations, expanding the call center hours and making other attempts to improve communication with customers about the status of ferries.

Storm Halts Ferries, Floods Roads

Ethan Genter

The National Weather Service reported winds up to 52 miles per hour at the airport.

Seastreak Commuter Service Seeks Its Sea Legs

Louisa Hufstader

While most of commuters to the Island take Steamship Authority ferries from Woods Hole, a few dozen are now making their way to and from the Vineyard via New Bedford aboard the Whaling City Express, a high-speed catamaran for passengers only.