The Woods Hole, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket Steamship Authority

Last updated
The Woods Hole, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket Steamship Authority
MV Sankaty.jpg
Overview
Area served Cape Cod and the Islands
Locale Southeastern Massachusetts
Transit type Ferry
Number of lines2
Chief executiveRobert B. Davis (General Manager)
HeadquartersOne Railroad Avenue, Woods Hole, MA 02543
Website www.steamshipauthority.com
Operation
Began operation1960 (1960) [1]
Number of vehicles10 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.

The Islands (Massachusetts)

The Islands is the collective name for the set of large islands south of Cape Cod in the southeast corner of the U.S. state of Massachusetts: Nantucket, Martha's Vineyard, the Elizabeth Islands, and a small number of minor islands. The Islands are the location of numerous beach resorts, celebrity second homes, and preserved buildings dating back to the whaling era.

Cape Cod Cape in the northeastern United States

Cape Cod is a geographic cape extending into the Atlantic Ocean from the southeastern corner of mainland Massachusetts, in the northeastern United States. Its historic, maritime character and ample beaches attract heavy tourism during the summer months.

Marthas Vineyard island south of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, United States

Martha's Vineyard is an island located south of Cape Cod in Massachusetts that is known for being an affluent summer colony. Martha's Vineyard includes the smaller Chappaquiddick Island, which is usually connected to the Vineyard, though storms and hurricanes have separated them, as in 2007. It is the 58th largest island in the United States, with a land area of about 96 square miles (250 km2), and the third-largest on the East Coast of the United States, after Long Island and Mount Desert Island. Martha's Vineyard constitutes the bulk of Dukes County, Massachusetts, which also includes the Elizabeth Islands and the island of Nomans Land.

Contents

History

The Steamship Authority's former terminal in Woods Hole, razed in 2018. Steamship Authority, Woods Hole MA.jpg
The Steamship Authority's former terminal in Woods Hole, razed in 2018.

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.

<i>Monohansett</i> (steamboat)

Monohansett was a sidewheel steamer operating as a ferry serving the island of Martha's Vineyard during the late nineteenth century. She was named after Monohansett Island, a tiny 12-acre (4.9-hectare) island off Naushon Island.

<i>River Queen</i> (steamboat) boat

The River Queen was a sidewheel steamer which became closely associated with President Abraham Lincoln and General Ulysses S. Grant while operating on the Potomac River, and was used for an unsuccessful peace conference during the last year of the American Civil War. Later it operated as a ferry serving the islands of Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket during the late 19th century. Late in its career, it returned to the Potomac as an excursion vessel, and in 1911, it was destroyed in a fire.

<i>Island Home</i> (steamboat)

The Island Home was a sidewheel steamer operating as a ferry serving the islands of Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket during the second half of the nineteenth century.

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]

Memorial Day United States federal holiday remembering those who died in military service

Memorial Day is a federal holiday in the United States for remembering and honoring the military personnel who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. The holiday is observed on the last Monday of May. Memorial Day was observed on May 30 from 1868 to 1970.

Labor Day Public holiday in the United States

Labor Day in the United States of America is a public holiday celebrated on the first Monday in September. It honors the American labor movement and the contributions that workers have made to the development, growth, endurance, strength, security, prosperity, productivity, laws, sustainability, persistence, structure, and well-being of the country. It is the Monday of the long weekend known as Labor Day Weekend. It is recognized as a federal holiday.

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.

Hyannis, Massachusetts Village in Massachusetts, United States

Hyannis is the largest of the seven villages in the town of Barnstable, Massachusetts, in the United States. It is the commercial and transportation hub of Cape Cod and was designated an urban area as of the 1990 census. Because of this, many refer to Hyannis as the "Capital of the Cape". It contains a majority of the Barnstable Town offices and two important shopping districts: the historic downtown Main Street and the Route 132 Commercial District, including Cape Cod Mall and Independence Park, headquarters of Cape Cod Potato Chips. Cape Cod Hospital in Hyannis is the largest on Cape Cod.

Catamaran multi-hulled watercraft featuring two parallel hulls of equal size. It is a geometry-stabilized craft, deriving its stability from its wide beam, rather than from a ballasted keel as with a monohull sailboat

A catamaran is a multi-hulled watercraft featuring two parallel hulls of equal size. It is a geometry-stabilized craft, deriving its stability from its wide beam, rather than from a ballasted keel as with a monohull sailboat. Catamaran is from a Tamil word, kattumaram, which means "logs tied together".

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

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

ImageVesselIsland Service BeganIsland Service EndedNotes
MV Nantucket August 2017.png MV Nantucket 1974PresentROPAX ferry currently operating between Woods Hole and Nantucket (summer) or Woods Hole and Martha's Vineyard (winter).
MV Eagle.jpg MV Eagle1987PresentROPAX vessel operating between Hyannis and Nantucket.
MV Katama.jpg MV Katama 1988PresentSister ship of MV Gay Head. Currently used as a freight vessel operating between Woods Hole and Martha's Vineyard.
MV Gay Head1989PresentSister 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 Vineyard1993PresentROPAX ferry currently operating between Woods Hole and Martha's Vineyard.
MV Sankaty.jpg MV Sankaty1994PresentSimilar in size and shape to Gay Head and Katama. Currently serves as a freight vessel between Woods Hole and the Islands.
MV Governor 2014.png MV Governor 1998PresentFormer 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.jpg MV Island Home 2007PresentDouble-ended ROPAX ferry currently operating between Woods Hole and Martha's Vineyard.
MV Iyanough 2007PresentCatamaran fast ferry operating between Hyannis and Nantucket. Named after Hyannis sachem Iyannough
MV Woods Hole 2016PresentROPAX vessel currently operating between Woods Hole and Nantucket or Woods Hole and Martha's Vineyard.

Historic

ImageVesselIsland Service BeganIsland Service EndedNotes
Eagle18181818
Connecticut18241828
Hamilton18281828
Marco Bozzaris18291832
Telegraph18321857aka Nebraska
Massachusetts18421858
Naushon18461848Renamed News Boy after sale.
Osceola1848
Eagle's Wing18541861
Metacomet18541857
Souv-Island Home.jpg Island Home 1855c. 1895
Jersey Blue18561857
HSL-s70203-Monohansett maybe at West Chop Wharf.jpg Monohansett 1862c. 1902
Souv-Martha's Vineyard.jpg Martha's Vineyard 1871c. 1920
Hsl-River queen-neg.jpg River Queen 18711893
Island Belle1876Renamed Coskata
Hsl-mv5032.jpg Nantucket 1886after 1905
Mv5035-Steamer Gay Head.jpg Gay Head 18911924
Hsl-pc-steamboat pier and Uncatena pre-1908.jpg Uncatena 19021928Last sidewheeler.
Hsl-Sankaty-neg.jpg Sankaty 19111924Renamed Charles A. Dunning after sale.
Islander 19231956Renamed Martha's Vineyard in 1928. [11]
Nobska gov.jpg Nobska 19251973Renamed Nantucket, then Nobska. Whistle now in use on the Eagle. [11]
New Bedford19281942Participated in Atlantic Convoys during WWII
Nantucket19281957Previously Nobska
Naushon19291942Participated in Atlantic Convoys during WWII
Mercury
Gay Head (LSM 286)1947
Hackensack1947c. 1951First double-ender. Renamed Islander.
Islander 2009.JPG MV Islander 19502007First diesel.
MV Naushon Sept 1979.jpg SS Nantucket 19571987 [12] Renamed Naushon in 1973 [12] or 1974 [11] .
MV Uncatena 19651993Lengthened by 52 feet in 1971. [11]
Auriga1973c. 1989
Flying Cloud20002007 Catamaran Fast Ferry, now Gran Cacique IV in Venezuela.
Schamonchi20012003Built in 1978, operated privately before being acquired by the Steamship Authority. Later sold into private ownership. [13] [14]

Related Research Articles

Oak Bluffs, Massachusetts Town in Massachusetts, United States

Oak Bluffs is a town located on the island of Martha's Vineyard in Dukes County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 4,527 at the 2010 United States Census. It is one of the island's principal points of arrival for summer tourists, and is noted for its "gingerbread cottages" and other well-preserved mid- to late-nineteenth-century buildings.

Tisbury, Massachusetts Town in Massachusetts, United States

Tisbury is a town located on Martha's Vineyard in Dukes County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 3,949 at the 2010 census.

MV <i>Islander</i>

The M/V Islander was a 201-foot (61 m)-long ferry formerly operated by the Woods Hole, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket Steamship Authority (SSA). It was built in 1950 by Maryland Drydock Company and was a ferry for the Woods Hole, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket Steamship Authority, primarily on the Martha's Vineyard run, until March 5, 2007, when it was replaced with the new M/V Island Home, a new ferry which is both larger and faster than the "Islander". The Islander at its peak was able to transport over 700 passengers and 85 vehicles.

MV <i>Nantucket</i>

MV Nantucket is a 230-foot-long (70 m) ferry owned and operated by The Woods Hole, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket Steamship Authority. It was built in 1974 by Belinger Shipyards in Jacksonville, Florida. She serves the islands of Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard. She was named after a 19th-century paddlewheel steamer serving this route, the sidewheeler Nantucket.

<i>Marthas Vineyard</i> (steamboat)

The Martha's Vineyard was a sidewheel steamer operating as a ferry serving the island of Martha's Vineyard during the second half of the nineteenth century.

Nantucket (steamboat) paddle steamer

The Nantucket was a sidewheel steamer operating as a ferry serving the islands of Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket during the end of the nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth century. On the Vineyard it docked at Cottage City, Vineyard Haven, and the West Chop Wharf.

<i>Sankaty</i>

Sankaty was a propeller-driven steamer that served as a ferry to Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket in Massachusetts; in Rockland, Maine; Stamford, Connecticut and Oyster Bay, Long Island in the United States from 1911 to 1940. During World War II, the ship was requisitioned by the Royal Canadian Navy for service as a minelayer and maintenance vessel along the Canadian Atlantic coast. Following the war the ship returned to a ferry, working the Wood Islands, Prince Edward Island and Caribou, Nova Scotia route in Canada from 1947 until 1964. While being towed to the breaker's yard, the ship sank off the coast of Nova Scotia on October 27, 1964.

MV <i>Katama</i>

The M/V Katama is a freight ferry boat operated by The Woods Hole, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket Steamship Authority. The ship is named after the Katama region of Martha's Vineyard. The ship entered service in 1982 and was acquired by the Steamship Authority in 1988. She is 215.8 feet (65.8 m) long, 52 feet (16 m) wide and has a speed of 13.5 knots (25.0 km/h). She was designed by Guarino & Cox as a platform supply vessel and is a sister ship to M/V Gay Head.

Hy-Line Cruises

Hy-Line Cruises is a family owned and operated Massachusetts ferry and cruise company. The company currently operates the second largest passenger ferry service between mainland Cape Cod and the islands of Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket. The company also operates sightseeing cruises and fishing charters. The company's main office is located at 22 Channel Point Road in Hyannis.

MV <i>Governor</i>

The MV Governor is a passenger ferry that operates in Massachusetts. She was formerly the MV Crown City between 1954 and 1970, and the MV Kulshan between 1970 and 1982.

<i>Nobska</i> (steamship) United States national historic site

The Nobska was a steamship that plied the waters of Nantucket sound as part of The Woods Hole, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket Steamship Authority's fleet between 1925 and 1973 as a ferry. She was eventually scrapped in 2006 despite efforts to save her. She was America's last East Coast coastal steamer, had been on the National Register of Historic Places in Maryland, and had been considered one of America's 10 most endangered maritime resources by the National Maritime Alliance and National Trust for Historic Preservation.

SS <i>Nantucket</i> (1957)

The SS Nantucket was the last steam-powered ferry in regular operation on the East Coast of the United States. She was owned and operated by the Woods Hole, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket Steamship Authority between 1957 and 1987.

MV Woods Hole is a passenger and vehicle ferry operated by the Woods Hole, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket Steamship Authority.

MV Iyanough is a high-speed ferry that operates for the Woods Hole, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket Steamship Authority on a route between Hyannis and Nantucket, Massachusetts.

MV Grey Lady IV is a high-speed catamaran ferry operated by Hy-Line Cruises that runs on a route between Hyannis and Nantucket, Massachusetts.

SS Martha's Vineyard was a ferry that operated in New England for much of the 20th century.

MV <i>Lady Martha</i>

MV Lady Martha is a high speed catamaran ferry operated by Hy-Line Cruises out of Hyannis, Massachusetts.

Uncatena may refer to:

References

  1. 1 2 3 "About". The Woods Hole, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket Steamship Authority. Retrieved December 12, 2015.
  2. 1 2 "Vessels". The Woods Hole, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket Steamship Authority. Retrieved December 12, 2015.
  3. ↑ The Steamship Authority, Serving the Islands of Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket Archived 2012-12-30 at the Wayback Machine . Official website.
  4. ↑ Seccombe, Mike (March 2, 2007). One Ferry Begins, Another Ends: Events Run Through Monday. Vineyard Gazette Online.
  5. ↑ Kinsella, James (July 5, 2005). An Old Ferry Sails to New York; Schamonchi Reborn as Party Boat. Vineyard Gazette Online.
  6. ↑ Rocheleau, Matt (2018-05-11). "Cancellations on Martha's Vineyard ferry skyrocket". The Boston Globe . Retrieved 2018-05-11.
  7. ↑ "Coast Guard makes more details of ferry crash public". 12 June 2019. Retrieved 4 August 2019.
  8. ↑ "Ferry crashes in Hyannis Harbor - The Boston Globe".
  9. ↑ "At least nine people were injured in a high-speed ferry crash in Massachusetts". 17 June 2017.
  10. ↑ "At least six injured after ferry crashes into jetty in Mass".
  11. 1 2 3 4 "Final Chapter: The Islander and Other Bygone Ferries". (August 1, 2010). Martha's Vineyard Magazine.
  12. 1 2 "Steam-Powered Ferry Makes Its Final Run". (October 31, 1987). The Boston Globe.
  13. ↑ "Final Chapter: The Islander and Other Bygone Ferries". (August 1, 2010). Martha's Vineyard Magazine.
  14. ↑ "Steamship Authority Will Buy Schamonchi; Deal Opens Door to New Bedford Service". (January 11, 2001). Vineyard Gazette.

Further reading

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.