Steamship Authority (SSA) ferry service between Martha’s Vineyard and Woods Hole got off to a rocky start Monday. The boatline cancelled the 7 am Woods Hole departure of the Martha’s Vineyard and her 8:15 am return from Vineyard Haven, due to a generator problem.
The vehicle and passenger ferry resumed service that morning with her 9:30 am departure from Woods Hole, SSA general manager Wayne Lamson said. The problem was an emergency generator.
Mr. Lamson said that Monday morning, the chief engineer conducted a routine check of the emergency generator prior to the Martha’s Vineyard’s first scheduled sailing, at 6 am.
“The emergency generator is tested on a weekly basis,” Mr. Lamson said in a email to The Times. “The batteries were low and, at first, the emergency generator did not start. The chief engineer was eventually able to get the emergency generator started after the U.S. Coast Guard had been notified of the problem by the crew.”
Mr. Lamson said the Coast Guard gave the SSA permission to proceed to Woods Hole with passengers and vehicles onboard. However, the incident required a Coast Guard inspector to meet the vessel in Woods Hole before she could be cleared to resume service.
Mr. Lamson said the SSA was able to clear up the backlog quickly.