A photo circulating around Vineyard and Nantucket social media this week showed the Steamship Authority’s new hybrid passenger-freight boat Woods Hole ploughing bow-down through relatively calm waters as she departed Oak Bluffs Friday. The photo elicited numerous comments of concern, and some speculation as to to the cause. The SSA said there was no cause for concern.
Asked to comment on the photos and the possible cause of the bow-down angle, Wayne Lamson, SSA general manager, told The Times, “It is a new vessel. Like anything new, the captains are gaining more experience each day with different weight configurations on the freight deck and how the ballast system on the vessel can be used most effectively to provide the proper trim for efficient and safe operations. It appears that we are starting to see some positive results from a few adjustments that have been made since the vessel’s first day of operation last Friday.”
