Updated 9:01 pm
Special freight barges from New Bedford may soon service the Vineyard, bringing more trucks to and from the Island.
During a Port Council meeting Tuesday, Steamship Authority (SSA) officials recommended that 41 North Offshore, a New Bedford company, be licensed to provide on-demand freight barge services to Vineyard Haven and Oak Bluffs.
Robert Davis, the SSA general manager, acknowledged that he had neglected to notify Oak Bluffs officials about the possibility of bringing freight barges to the town before making the recommendation.
Tisbury officials expressed concern over the proposal. Jay Grande, the town administrator, had previously said allowing more trucks into Vineyard Haven port could worsen already congested traffic, especially in the summer.
The Port Council postponed a decision until the SSA gathered more information.
The SSA previously gave 41 North a license to deliver freight to and from Nantucket over the next three years.
Woods Hole residents have long called for freight to be delivered from New Bedford, rather than requiring trucks to drive through the Cape Cod town. The 41 North barges wouldn’t replace the SSA freight boats, although the company said it might ease pressure on them.
Under the proposal, 41 North would provide an on-demand service for freight trucks until the end of 2026. Each boat would carry a maximum of 80,000 pounds, the federal limit for a fully loaded tractor-trailer, and would not carry oversize materials.
The barges would load and unload in Oak Bluffs in the summer, and in Vineyard Haven for the rest of the year.
Chace Jabbotte, a 41 North representative, said the company primarily transports freight for special events, such as trucks carrying wedding supplies or food. It also transports construction equipment, like excavators and skid steers.
Jabbotte said demand is usually higher in the summer, but construction companies use the boats during the fall and winter.
State Rep. Dylan Fernandes, D-Falmouth, voiced support for the proposed service at a public hearing on April 24 at SSA offices in Falmouth. Fernandes spoke on Zoom. “I am convinced they will carry out these new duties between the Vineyard and … New Bedford with the same level of work ethic and responsibility and capability that they’ve proven to do on the Nantucket route,” Fernandes said at the hearing. He said the proposed service would strengthen the “lifeline” between the Vineyard and the mainland.
But opposition has emerged. Tisbury Towing and Transportation, which already runs cargo barges from New Bedford to Vineyard Haven, has written to oppose the proposal. Tisbury officials also sent letters of opposition to the SSA.
Tisbury Port Council representative John Cahill said 41 North has not provided enough detail on how the proposed freight boats would impact road and marine traffic in Vineyard Haven, noting that the harbor is already busy with recreational boaters and the regular ferry.
He suggested the 41 North vessels should consider operating from the Tisbury Marine Terminal on Beach Road, away from downtown.
“That would be Tisbury’s preferred location, and I think we should make every effort, as Port Council members and the Steamship Authority, to exhaust all possibilities of working with that side of the harbor,” Cahill said.
Joe Sollitto, the Oak Bluffs representative on the Port Council, said the town’s select board had not been notified about the proposal, and he needed further input from Oak Bluffs officials before casting a vote. However, he said he wasn’t opposed to the idea.
Nathaniel Lowell, the Nantucket representative, said 41 North boats have helped his town. “Whatever’s coming on this barge is coming somehow, anyway,” he said. He said the number of trucks wouldn’t increase because of the additional freight service.
Both down-Island town representatives pitched the idea of working with Vineyard Wind to allow 41 North to use one of their slips in Vineyard Haven for the proposed freight service.
Davis, the SSA general manager, said he hoped to discuss bringing boats to the Tisbury Marine Terminal. Ralph Packer, who owns the facility, told the Times he would discuss the possibility with the Steamship Authority in a few days.
The Tisbury Marine Terminal, which is currently building a ramp for greater service capacity, is also where Tisbury Towing operates.
As for Vineyard Wind’s slips, Davis said he had not contacted the offshore wind company.
Under its deed, Vineyard Wind is not allowed to run marine barge or marine fuel services without Packer’s consent.
A previous version of this story misidentified Ralph Packer as Robert Packer.
