Following a nonstop, six-day, 2,200-mile journey from the Conrad shipyard in Morgan City, La., the Steamship Authority’s newest ferry, the MV [motor vessel] Woods Hole arrived at the boatline’s maintenance facility at Fairhaven about 6 am Monday morning.
A commissioning ceremony is scheduled for noon Monday at the Woods Hole terminal followed by an open house. She will then depart for Martha’s Vineyard and the Vineyard Haven terminal, where the public will be invited to tour the $40.4 million ferry that afternoon from 3 pm to 4:30 pm. On Tuesday, the Woods Hole will travel to Nantucket for a public inspection.
The single-ended ferry is expected to enter service on the Vineyard–Woods Hole route on Friday, June 17. She will service the Nantucket route in the fall and return to the Vineyard for the winter season.
The Woods Hole has an uncovered back deck, and is capable of carrying 384 passengers and 50 to 55 cars or 10 semi-trailer trucks, or a combination of trucks and vehicles. It will serve as a replacement for the aged Governor, which will become a reserve vessel.
“It’s performing exceptionally well,” Marc Hanover, Vineyard SSA member, told The Times Monday. “I think she’ll be a model for future boats.”
Mr. Hanover said the versatility of the new hybrid ferry — not strictly a freight or passenger boat — is a strong point. The single-ended design will help her to handle sea conditions on the Nantucket route. “I think she’ll be a real workhorse,” he said.
Robert Ranney, Nantucket SSA member, said, “And for all you whistle lovers, a classic steam whistle rescued from the steamer State of Pennsylvania, courtesy of Bill Ewen, has already been installed on Woods Hole, so listen for that.”
Mr. Ewen is author of the book, “Steamboats to Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket.”
Click here for a video clip of the new ferry provided by the SSA.
