Updated Nov. 19
Steamship Authority workers were busy at work on a breezy Friday morning to get the newest addition to the ferry line’s fleet ready to sail on the Nantucket route.
The Barnstable arrived at the Steamship Authority vessel repair facility in Fairhaven on Wednesday afternoon, concluding a two-week trip from Alabama Shipyard.
A video filmed by Jason Leadbetter of Wicked Boats and Planes shows the Barnstable sailed through South Coast waters with blaring horns, and was escorted part of the way by Fairhaven emergency response boats on Wednesday.
While there were delays in getting the new vessel to New England, Steamship crew members will now be training with hopes of readying the Barnstable for wintertime sailing.
The Barnstable is the first of three sister vessels to arrive in Massachusetts. It is uncertain exactly when the Aquinnah, which will sail on the Martha’s Vineyard route, is expected to start sailing north. It was expected to sail north next month, but needs further testing and must undergo sea trials. Meanwhile, the Monomoy is undergoing refurbishment in Alabama, and is expected to undergo sea trials in June 2025.
The ferry line’s leadership previously underscored that the vessels’ identical systems will make training on the new vessels a faster process than for previous ferries.
These ferries will replace three of the current freight ferries in the Steamship fleet: the Sankaty, the Gay Head, and the Katama. The older vessels were labeled by consultants as nearing obsolescence in 2022.
The Gay Head and the Katama are already on the market.
The ferry line has budgeted a total of $80.99 million, including $12.7 million for contingency spending, on the three refurbished freight ferries. The ferry line estimates that the projects will cost a total of $77 million.
Updated with additional information from the Steamship Authority about the Aquinnah.
