For a boat that previously served in warmer climates, the chilly New England weather has been one issue facing the Steamship Authority’s newest freight vessel, the Barnstable, since it was added to the fleet.
Steamship Authority General Manager Robert Davis said during a Tuesday morning Port Council meeting that there was an issue with the boat’s thermostat control valve, which led to the seal on the reduction gear lube oil cooler to break and cause a leakage.
It’s one of a number of kinks that the Steamship is working out with the boat, including that it goes slower than anticipated and does not carry as much weight.
Davis said that issues in the freight ferry operation are being resolved, and Steamship officials don’t expect these issues to impact the other freight vessels being refurbished at Alabama Shipyard, the Aquinnah and the Monomoy which are expected to be part of the Vineyard route.
The mechanical issue had led to the Barnstable missing its first scheduled trip to Nantucket last month while repairs were made.
A part of the problem was that the vessel wasn’t ready to handle the colder environment in Massachusetts and a block heater was needed to keep the lubricants flowing.
“These vessels previously operated down in the Gulf [of Mexico] and weren’t used to having these cold temperatures,” Davis said.
While the mechanical issues have since been fixed, Davis said the vessel’s carrying capacity and the Steamship crew and terminal personnel are also getting over a “learning curve” on how to best load the vessels.
The Barnstable currently carries between 650,000 and 700,000 pounds each trip and adjustments are being made with naval architects, such as to the ballast system, to allow the vessel to load additional weight.
“As a result of those adjustments, the revisions to the vessel’s stability letter will certify it to carry up to 1 million pounds,” Steamship Authority Communications Director Sean Driscoll said.
Davis said the issues were primarily present during the early morning trips carrying freight trucks, including those holding hazardous materials.
Additionally, Steamship staff found the vessel was initially traveling up to 11.5 knots, slower than the 12 to 13 knots needed to meet the schedule.
Mark Amundsen, Steamship director of marine operations, attributed the speed issue to the shortening the vessel underwent during the refurbishment in Alabama, like removing a 24-foot midbody that reduced weight and made the hull shorter.
Amundsen said they are looking over the vessel’s engine . possibly in another week to get the vessel to their desired speed.
Still, loading times have improved since the start of sailing. It originally took Steamship workers up to 40 minutes to load vehicles onto the Barnstable.
Some Port Council representatives were not too worried about the “bugs” that needed to be resolved, saying it shouldn’t be surprising that issues arose considering the changes made to the new vessel.
“It’s really imperative for everybody to be patient, to let the bugs be taken care of,” Eric Dawicki, Fairhaven Port Council representative, said.
“We likely won’t have these types of problems with the follow-on boats,” Greg Egan, Barnstable Port Council representative, said.
Other Port Council members highlighted the need for issues to be fixed.
“We have to get the bugs out, but there are a couple of wasp nests that definitely need to get fixed,” Nathaniel Lowell, Port Council chair and Nantucket representative, said.
Falmouth Port Council Representative Robert Munier underscored the ferry line needed to get a handle on the matter while work was still being done on the Aquinnah and the Monomoy.
“Now is the time to understand the scope of the problem so that we can make whatever adjustments we can make to the two other vessels while they are still in the yard,” he said.
Davis said all of what the Steamship is learning from the Barnstable, like using block heaters and having spare cooler seal parts, will be utilized for the Aquinnah and the Monomoy.
As the ferry line tackles the issues surrounding the Barnstable, Steamship Authority Communications Director Sean Driscoll told the Times on Wednesday there won’t be large cost spikes to the already expensive refurbishment of the vessels.
“The costs are not expected to be material,” Driscoll said. “The alterations are largely operational, and no delay is expected.”
The Aquinnah is expected to start serving the Vineyard route this summer. A start date for the Monomoy hasn’t been determined yet.
