Update 9 am
It’s like 2018 all over again.
The MV Governor, brought in to fill the void left by still unresolved mechanical issues with the MV Woods Hole, broke down Wednesday morning leaving passengers stranded.
“Ship’s battery was dead this morning, required replacement,” Sean Driscoll, a spokesman for the SSA, told The Times.
After missing several morning crossings, the Governor began loading at 8:45 am and left the slip at 9 am. Meanwhile, the MV Martha’s Vineyard was left in the outer harbor of Woods Hole waiting for the slip to open up.
I have a vehicle that was made in 2013. Last fall, a little light with a battery symbol started to appear on my dashboard. Sure enough , the battery was about to fail, and I replaced it BEFORE it failed. How hard is it to test batteries? That’s not part of the regular maintenance routine ? There had to be “symptoms” during the cold weather, when batteries lose some of their kick.
I assume this was a lead acid battery.
A lead acid battery is typically good for about 8 years.
An org. like the Steamship should know the age of every battery in their fleet, –including busses — and at least have the testing of them as they age be part of routing maintenance.
I wonder if they ever drain the water out of the water traps — perhaps not necessary with such a large motor. I don’t know– but it makes me wonder about what else is neglected.