There’s been a new ferry horn blaring in the Vineyard Haven and Woods Hole ports the past few days.
For the first time, the new freight vessel, the Barnstable, has been switched onto the Vineyard route. The Steamship Authority christened the new boat in December in Hyannis, and it has since served on the Nantucket route.
Steamship spokesperson Sean Driscoll said that they have moved the Barnstable over to the Vineyard route for logistical reasons, and also so they can train crew for when the next vessel comes online.
The Barnstable is one of three freight boats purchased from Hornbeck Offshore Services in Louisiana. The next in line is the Aquinnah, which is expected to be part of the Vineyard route. Driscoll said on Monday that the vessel is currently sailing north from Alabama, and while the Steamship is planning a christening event, no date has yet been set.
According to the SSA, the Barnstable holds around 80 passengers, and accommodates about 50 vehicles.
The purchase of the three vessels, which also included the Monomoy, was made possible in part through an agreement with the Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority that yielded $28.1 million in federal funding, according to the SSA.
The ferry line had budgeted $80.99 million, including $12.7 million for contingency spending, on the three refurbished vessels.
The refurbishment of the Barnstable cut down 245 feet from the Barnstable’s original size. The Steamship also boasts the Barnstable has two Caterpillar engines with 2,000 hp, and three 950-hp thrusters with state-of-the-art systems.
“The refurbishment of the Barnstable cut down 245 feet from the Barnstable’s original size. ”
Um, cut down TO 245 feet from its original size. No one cut down 245 feet out of that vessel.
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