Mechanical issues cancel over eight Steamship trips

Updated 5:54 pm

Mechanical problems caused cancellations to two Steamship Authority ferries Monday and Tuesday. 

The Island Home, one of the largest vessels in the ferry line’s fleet, canceled eight trips starting with the 6 am departure from Woods Hole due to a generator issue. One trip included the 8:15 am departure from Woods Hole, a commuter-heavy trip. Ferry staff at the Woods Hole docks initially told passengers it would be a 20 minute delay before the boat was canceled. The latest of the canceled Island Home trips was the 5 pm departure from Vineyard Haven. 

Sean Driscoll, Steamship Authority communications director, told the Times Tuesday morning the ferry line was awaiting approval from the U.S. Coast Guard to sail. Driscoll said Island Home went back into service temporarily, before the Coast Guard issued a subsequent “no sail” order for the vessel. The first of the afternoon batch of cancellations was the 1:15 pm departure from Woods Hole.

In the meantime, the freight ferry Governor will be brought in as a substitute vessel starting with the 7:15 pm departure from Woods Hole while repairs are done on the Island Home. 

“Vehicle and walk-on passenger cutoffs may occur due to the lower capacity on the M/V Governor,” an online post from the ferry line reads. “All remaining trips on the Woods Hole-Martha’s Vineyard route for today are unavailable for booking.”

The Island Home has been hit by generator issues earlier this summer, with one set of weekend cancellations that lead to problems for 76 vehicle reservations. 

Meanwhile, an issue with the throttle of the ferry Martha’s Vineyard shut down the 9:45 pm departure from Woods Hole on Monday night. Driscoll said repairs had to be made overnight. The vessel’s 6 am departure from Vineyard Haven was also canceled. 

The ferry line is also experiencing delays. The 8:35 am trip to Oak Bluffs aboard the Nantucket left Woods Hole 45 minutes late. Driscoll said the delay was due to issues with loading passengers and vehicles.

Updated with additional information from the Steamship Authority regarding the Island Home’s cancellations.