Steamship Authority (Redirected from The Woods Hole, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket Steamship Authority)
Overview | |
---|---|
Area served | Cape Cod and the Islands |
Locale | Southeastern Massachusetts |
Transit type | Ferry |
Number of lines | 2 |
Chief executive | Robert B. Davis (General Manager) |
Headquarters | One Railroad Avenue, Woods Hole, MA 02543 |
Website | www |
Operation | |
Began operation | 1960[1] |
Number of vehicles | 10 ferry vessels[2] |
The Steamship Authority, officially The Woods Hole, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket Steamship Authority (SSA), is the statutory regulatory body for all ferry operations to and from the islands from the Massachusetts mainland, as well as being an operator of ferry service from the mainland Cape Cod to the islands of Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket, and the only ferry operator to carry automobiles to the islands.[3] The Authority also operates several freight vessels, thus serving as the main link for shipping any commercial goods to Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket that are not transported by air.
Contents
History
The present Woods Hole, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket Steamship Authority was formed from the New Bedford, Martha's Vineyard, and Nantucket Steamboat Co., which in turn was a consolidation of earlier companies dating to the early 19th century, just before the railroad arrived. Early steamers included the Marco Bozzaris, Telegraph, Massachusetts, George Law, Naushon, Helen Augusta, Metacomet (1854), Canonicus (1856), Eagle's Wing (1854–1861), Monohansett, River Queen, Island Home, Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket, Gay Head, Uncatena, Sankaty, Nobska, New Bedford, Naushon, Mercury, and Hackensack. The motor vessel MV Islander retired in 2007.[4] The last steamship in regular service was the SS Nobska which ran the Woods Hole to Nantucket route until the early 1970s.
In 2007, it was reported that the Steamship Authority ferries were dumping sewage into Nantucket Sound, along with other seafaring vessels. From 2011 forward the SSA converted its vessels with holding tanks for all sewage effluent, to be discharged into new pumping facilities at each port.[citation needed]
Service to Martha's Vineyard
Frequent passenger and auto ferry service is operated to the Martha's Vineyard towns of Vineyard Haven year round, and to Oak Bluffs from Memorial Day to Labor Day from the mainland terminal in Woods Hole, Massachusetts. Sailing time is approximately 45 minutes to both Vineyard Haven and Oak Bluffs. In early 2001, the SSA purchased the 130-foot MV Schamonchi, along with the New Bedford-Martha's Vineyard route. They operated passenger-only service on this route until 2003, and generated operating losses of about $800,000 per year in the three years that it operated the route. The ferry has since been sold, and a year-round high-speed catamaran service is now operated between New Bedford and Vineyard Haven and seasonally to Oak Bluffs by The New England Fast Ferry Company[5]
Ferry cancellations of 2018
During the first four months of 2018, 549 ferry trips were cancelled between Martha’s Vineyard and Falmouth due to mechanical problems on the ferry boats. The majority of the mechanical problems occurred on the Woods Hole-Vineyard Haven route. The rate of cancellations in 2018 was approximately 15 times the yearly average of breakdowns and cancellations.[6]
Service to Nantucket
Year round passenger and auto ferry, as well as freight service is operated to Nantucket from the mainland terminal in Hyannis, Massachusetts. Sailing time to Nantucket takes approximately 2 hours and 15 minutes. A one-hour, passenger only catamaran service, is operated with the new (2006) MV Iyanough from mid April through late December from Hyannis to Nantucket.
On the night of June 16, 2017, Iyanough crashed into a jetty in Hyannis harbor, injuring fifteen of the fifty-seven people aboard.[7][8][9][10]
Massachusetts regulatory body
In addition to running ferry service, the Steamship Authority (hence the name) also regulates many commercial aspects of ferry operations to and from the Islands, those that are not regulated by the US Coast Guard.[1] All scheduled passenger ferry operations to and from the Islands must, by law, be approved by the Steamship Authority.[1] This generally precludes any ferry service that would directly compete with the Steamship Authority, essentially giving it a legal monopoly on all auto ferry service to the Islands. However, approval has been granted to other companies to operate smaller passenger ferry operations to the islands, including Freedom Cruises (Harwich Port to Nantucket), Seastreak (New Bedford to Oak Bluffs), the New England Fast Ferry (North Kingstown, Rhode Island to Oak Bluffs), the Pied Piper Edgartown Ferry (Falmouth to Edgartown). Hy-Line Cruises (Hyannis, Nantucket, and Oak Bluffs) and the Island Queen (Falmouth to Oak Bluffs) are allowed to provide certain services as grandfathered carriers due to their existence prior to the SSA's creation. Additional services provided by Hy-Line are licensed by the SSA. Seasonal ferries between Provincetown and Boston and Plymouth do not fall under the jurisdiction of the Authority.
Fleet
This article possibly contains original research.January 2008) ( |
The Steamship Authority currently operates ten vessels.[2] Six are used predominantly for transport of passengers and personal cargo. Five of these (namely, Island Home, Martha's Vineyard, Eagle, Nantucket, and Woods Hole) are auto/passenger ferries featuring roll-on/roll-off ramps for cars traveling to the islands, as well as climate-controlled seating and a bar and concession stand for passengers. The sixth vessel, the MV Iyanough, is a passenger-only catamaran operating fast ferry 35 knots (65 km/h; 40 mph) one-hour service between Hyannis and Nantucket.
The remaining four ferries (namely, Katama, Gay Head, Sankaty, and Governor) are open-top roll-on/roll-off ferries, primarily for larger trucks and freight. However, ordinary passengers taking vehicles to the islands are usually permitted to travel on them, space permitting.
Current
Image | Vessel | Island Service Began | Island Service Ended | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
MV Nantucket | 1974 | Present | ROPAX ferry currently operating between Hyannis and Nantucket (summer) or Woods Hole and Martha's Vineyard (winter). | ||
MV Eagle | 1987 | Present | ROPAX vessel operating between Hyannis and Nantucket. | ||
MV Katama | 1988 | Present | Sister ship of MV Gay Head. Currently used as a freight vessel operating between Woods Hole and Martha's Vineyard. | ||
MV Gay Head | 1989 | Present | Sister ship of MV Katama. Currently used as a freight vessel operating between Hyannis and Nantucket. Built 1981 by Moss Point Marine (Escatawpa, Miss), converted 1987 by McDermott Shipyard (Morgan City, La.) | ||
MV Martha's Vineyard | 1993 | Present | ROPAX ferry currently operating between Woods Hole and Martha's Vineyard. | ||
MV Sankaty | 1994 | Present | Similar in size and shape to Gay Head and Katama. Currently serves as a freight vessel between Woods Hole and Martha's Vineyard. | ||
MV Governor | 1998 | Present | Former Governor's Island ferry. Currently used as a freight vessel and backup passenger vessel operating between Woods Hole and Martha's Vineyard. | ||
MV Island Home | 2007 | Present | Double-ended ROPAX ferry currently operating between Woods Hole and Martha's Vineyard. | ||
MV Iyanough | 2007 | Present | Catamaran fast ferry operating between Hyannis and Nantucket. Named after Hyannis sachem Iyannough | ||
MV Woods Hole | 2016 | Present | ROPAX vessel currently operating between Hyannis and Nantucket. |
Historic
Image | Vessel | Island Service Began | Island Service Ended | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Eagle | 1818 | 1818 | |||
Connecticut | 1824 | 1828 | |||
Hamilton | 1828 | 1828 | |||
Marco Bozzaris | 1829 | 1832 | |||
Telegraph | 1832 | 1857 | aka Nebraska | ||
Massachusetts | 1842 | 1858 | |||
Naushon | 1846 | 1848 | Renamed News Boy after sale. | ||
Osceola | 1848 | ||||
Eagle's Wing | 1854 | 1861 | |||
Metacomet | 1854 | 1857 | |||
Island Home | 1855 | c. 1895 | |||
Jersey Blue | 1856 | 1857 | |||
Monohansett | 1862 | c. 1902 | |||
Martha's Vineyard | 1871 | c. 1920 | |||
River Queen | 1871 | 1893 | |||
Island Belle | 1876 | Renamed Coskata | |||
Nantucket | 1886 | after 1905 | |||
Gay Head | 1891 | 1924 | |||
Uncatena | 1902 | 1928 | Last sidewheeler. | ||
Sankaty | 1911 | 1924 | Renamed Charles A. Dunning after sale. | ||
Islander | 1923 | 1956 | Renamed Martha's Vineyard in 1928.[11] | ||
Nobska | 1925 | 1973 | Renamed Nantucket, then Nobska. Whistle now in use on the Eagle.[11] | ||
New Bedford | 1928 | 1942 | Participated in Atlantic Convoys during WWII | ||
Nantucket | 1928 | 1957 | Previously Nobska | ||
Naushon | 1929 | 1942 | Participated in Atlantic Convoys during WWII | ||
Mercury | |||||
Gay Head (LSM 286) | 1947 | ||||
Hackensack | 1947 | c. 1951 | First double-ender. Renamed Islander. | ||
MV Islander | 1950 | 2007 | First diesel. | ||
SS Nantucket | 1957 | 1987 [12] | Renamed Naushon in 1973[12] or 1974[11]. | ||
MV Uncatena | 1965 | 1993 | Lengthened by 52 feet in 1971.[11] | ||
Auriga | 1973 | c. 1989 | |||
Flying Cloud | 2000 | 2007 | Catamaran Fast Ferry, now Gran Cacique IV in Venezuela. | ||
Schamonchi | 2001 | 2003 | Built in 1978, operated privately before being acquired by the Steamship Authority. Later sold into private ownership.[13][14] |
References
- ^ a b c "About". The Woods Hole, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket Steamship Authority. Retrieved December 12, 2015.
- ^ a b "Vessels". The Woods Hole, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket Steamship Authority. Retrieved December 12, 2015.
- ^ The Steamship Authority, Serving the Islands of Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket Archived 2012-12-30 at the Wayback Machine. Official website.
- ^ Seccombe, Mike (March 2, 2007). One Ferry Begins, Another Ends: Events Run Through Monday. Vineyard Gazette Online.
- ^ Kinsella, James (July 5, 2005). An Old Ferry Sails to New York; Schamonchi Reborn as Party Boat. Vineyard Gazette Online.
- ^ Rocheleau, Matt (2018-05-11). "Cancellations on Martha's Vineyard ferry skyrocket". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 2018-05-11.
- ^ "Coast Guard makes more details of ferry crash public". 12 June 2019. Retrieved 4 August 2019.
- ^ "Ferry crashes in Hyannis Harbor - The Boston Globe".
- ^ "At least nine people were injured in a high-speed ferry crash in Massachusetts". 17 June 2017.
- ^ "At least six injured after ferry crashes into jetty in Mass".
- ^ a b c d "Final Chapter: The Islander and Other Bygone Ferries". (August 1, 2010). Martha's Vineyard Magazine.
- ^ a b "Steam-Powered Ferry Makes Its Final Run". (October 31, 1987). The Boston Globe.
- ^ "Final Chapter: The Islander and Other Bygone Ferries". (August 1, 2010). Martha's Vineyard Magazine.
- ^ "Steamship Authority Will Buy Schamonchi; Deal Opens Door to New Bedford Service". (January 11, 2001). Vineyard Gazette.
Further reading
- Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Office of the State Auditor (December 15, 2011). Woods Hole, Martha's Vineyard, and Nantucket Steamship Authority: for the period January 1, 2010 through December 31, 2010 (Report).