Oak Bluffs Select Board member Mark Leonard turning the winch. —Eunki Seonwoo 
Left to right, Oak Bluffs port council member Joe Sollitto, SSA general manager Alex Kryska, and SSA board Vineyard representative Ted Gavin. —Eunki Seonwoo 
The first batch of passengers to disembark in Oak Bluffs this year. —Eunki Seonwoo 
The Martha’s Vineyard sailing into Oak Bluffs. —Eunki Seonwoo 
The first set of passengers disembarking into Oak Bluffs. —Eunki Seonwoo 
The first batch of passengers to disembark in Oak Bluffs this year. —Eunki Seonwoo
In another sign of the upcoming summer season, the Steamship Authority (SSA) brought a little more fanfare to the annual opening of the Oak Bluffs terminal this year.
The SSA hosted its inaugural “First Ferry” event on Thursday, with organizers celebrating as the crew of the ferry Martha’s Vineyard brought Oak Bluffs’ first batch of passengers. The first vehicle to disembark was a FTI Coach charter tour bus.
“It’s the first boat of the year into Oak Bluffs. It’s cause for celebration,” Alex Kryska, SSA general manager, said, noting that a similar celebration took place when the fast ferry Iyannough made its first trip of the year between Hyannis and Nantucket. In Oak Bluffs, a blue banner reading “Ship-ship hooray,” and pleated American flags decorated the terminal.
Ted Gavin, the Vineyard’s representative on the Steamship Authority board, called the traffic brought in by the SSA a “lifeline for Oak Bluffs businesses.”
The event was a collaborative effort between the ferry line and Oak Bluffs’ economic development council, a group formed last month that aims to advise the Oak Bluffs Select Board in revitalizing the town’s businesses. It is currently a working group, and no official members have been appointed by the board yet.
Mark Leonard, the Oak Bluffs Select Board member who turned the final crank of the winch to connect the Martha’s Vineyard vessel to the transfer bridge at the dock, spoke to The Times about the recent turnover of businesses in the town. While there are new restaurants that are planned to join downtown Oak Bluffs, Leonard noted the shuttering of several longtime, year-round staples, such as Phillips Hardware.
With the seasonal nature of the Vineyard, Leonard noted the ferry line plays a vital role for Oak Bluffs’ economic future.
“It’s really the heartbeat and the start of our summer season,” he said. “Our businesses rely on it. Our residents rely on it as our continued lifeline.”
Sarah Hughes, vice president of Marsh McLennan Agency who enthusiastically welcomed the passengers, said while talks are early, there is an incredible amount of passion for the town’s future.
The Oak Bluffs terminal will be open through October 22.