After nearly a week of mechanical issues, the Steamship Authority passenger ferry Island Home returned to service Friday.
“The MV Island Home has been cleared to resume service starting with its 10:45 am departure from Woods Hole [on Friday],” the ferry line’s online post reads. “We know it has been a challenging few days for our customers and our maintenance and terminal staff, and we appreciate everyone’s hard work and patience.”
It is unclear what mechanical issue for the Island Home was resolved. Steamship Authority communications director Sean Driscoll was not immediately available to comment. Previously, he told The Times a reduction pressure relief valve needed to be replaced, but replacing the part on Wednesday did not solve the issue.
The freight ferry Katama had been running as the replacement vessel since Tuesday, although it also experienced mechanical issues that canceled trips. The Steamship Authority also used another freight ferry, the Sankaty, to run an extra trip on Thursday night to help accommodate cars that had not been able to travel.
The Island Home’s mechanical problem began seemingly on Monday.
