The elder statesman of the Steamship Authority (SSA) fleet, the MV Governor, returned to service Thursday night after an engine problem sent it to Fairhaven for repairs. The Governor is the oldest vessel the SSA has afloat. Built in 1954 for service in San Diego, it was first called the MV Crown City. The vessel then went up to Washington State and was renamed MV Kulshan. From there the vessel went to Governor’s Island in New York harbor and was renamed the MV Governor. The SSA kept the name when it acquired the vessel in 1998.
One of the closest calls the Governor ever had was in the summer of 2008 when just after it left its slip in Woods Hole, the vessel lost power and collided with the Island Home. Nobody was injured, but the Governor was laden with hazardous cargo at the time.
As The Times reported, SSA general manager Wayne Lamson described the incident as a “fender bender” resulting in minor damage.
