With two main Vineyard ferries laid up in Fairhaven, the Steamship Authority said it would continue to use a privately-contracted high-speed passenger service to the Island at least through midweek.
The passenger-only fast ferry Whaling City Express will operate hourly between Vineyard Haven and Woods Hole through Wednesday, the boat line said Monday.
The ferry Woods Hole is in Fairhaven for repairs while the Island Home, due to come out of drydock for routine maintenance by this week, has been delayed. The ferry Martha's Vineyard, which has gone in and out with mehcanical problems, was operating Monday along with the two freight boats.
Meanwhile, traffic disruptions continue for vehicle traffic to and from the Island. The boat line said it had moved more than 50 car reservations to available slots to accommodate Monday daytime traffic. Standby lines remained open, but there were delays and traffic backups as the boat line worked to keep up with the demands of a routine work week in early April. Travelers with car reservations were advised to call and check ahead of time on the status of their ferry.
There was no immediate estimate on Monday for when the Woods Hole and the Island Home might return to service.
Problems have plagued the ferries for nearly two weeks, with the Woods Hole and Martha’s Vineyard repeatedly returning to service after repairs only to be pulled again a short time later.
SSA general manager Bob Davis said last week that said the Island Home’s return to service was originally set for last Friday, but during testing and a Coast Guard inspection Thursday it was determined that software for the valve thruster on the Vineyard Haven end of the vessel required an update that either wasn’t done or did not take.
“We have to have a technician come back to update that software before the vessel can be cleared,” Mr. Davis said.
The Woods Hole, a freight/car/passenger hybrid that is nearly two years old, has also been in and out of service for nearly two weeks, beginning with an incident in which the ferry grounded briefly in Vineyard Haven harbor. The ferry was pulled out of service last Tuesday after returning to service two days earlier. Mr. Davis said the problem was with a control panel.
The Martha’s Vineyard resumed her route Thursday morning after nearly two weeks of being in and out of service because of mechanical issues. There was a brief scare Saturday evening when a warning light cancelled the 5 p.m. trip from Woods Hole to Vineyard Haven, but technicians were able to fix the issue and the ferry continued to run as scheduled.
The boat line is posting advisories on its website. Customers can check the status of their vehicle reservation online or by calling 508-477-8600 or 508-693-9130 from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
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