Steamship Authority treasurer Robert Davis has emerged as the top candidate to succeed general manager Wayne Lamson, who retires next June.

At the board’s monthly meeting Tuesday, held at the Katharine Cornell Theatre in Vineyard Haven, an internal search committee recommended Mr. Davis as the sole candidate after a review of internal candidates who applied for the position.

“After an extensive review the committee unanimously concluded that only one applicant has all the qualifications necessary,” said George Balco, a member of the port council from Vineyard Haven who sits on the search committee. “That candidate is Mr. Robert Davis.” Vineyard SSA governor Marc Hanover is also on the search committee.

Boat line governors will schedule a public meeting in the next few weeks to interview Mr. Davis. They could take several actions, including appointing Mr. Davis or opening up a search for candidates from the outside.

On Tuesday there was no sentiment expressed for expanding the search.

In other business, Mr. Lamson said boat line staff will reevaluate ferry schedules approved at the September meeting, in light of long standby lines and boats filled to capacity during the transition from summer to fall schedules this week.

“We clearly are not meeting the demand for service leaving the Island during these transitional times,” Mr. Lamson said. “We’re not necessarily saying we should extend the Oak Bluffs service, we could run [additional] service out of Vineyard Haven.

One resident praised the authority staff for dealing with a difficult situation in the middle of the week.

“Last Wednesday was the craziest, busiest day of the year,” said Michael Carroll, an Island contractor.

Mr. Lamson also announced that a hearing has been set for an appeal from a group of Woods Hole residents over state environmental approval for the project to overhaul the Woods Hole terminal.

The state Department of Environmental protection has issued a permit for the work, but the village resident group is objecting, citing concerns about noise and traffic. A hearing at the administrative law level is set for Jan. 5.

If it is not resolved, the dispute could delay the $68 million, six-year project, set to begin this winter.

Mr. Lamson said he and SSA general counsel Steven Sayer will continue to meet with the petitioners to try to reach some kind of settlement.

Director of maintenance and engineering Carl Walker said the freight ferry Katama will remain in dry dock, possibly until Nov. 1, for repairs that proved more extensive than planned.

“We ran into a lot of bad steel, that’s what’s holding the boat up,” Mr. Walker said. “A lot of the areas that we could not see before this work are now opened up and we’re replacing bad steel.”

Repairs were originally expected to cost $1.5 million, but the number has now climbed to nearly $2 million.

Mr. Lamson also reminded ferry users that the SSA airport reservation office will close on Oct. 31, as a cost saving measure. Walk-up reservations will now be handled from the Vineyard Haven terminal.

Mr. Lamson said the staff was looking into a suggestion to use the Oak Bluffs terminal in the off season to handle walk-up reservations, but he said keeping the building open may not be cost effective.