The U.S. Coast Guard has cleared the M/V Governor for service after a leak was detected on the vesssel as it was berthed in the Vineyard Haven harbor Wednesday morning.

The SSA cancelled the vessel’s scheduled 11:05 trip from Vineyard Haven to Woods Hole, as well as its 12:20 return trip back to the Island, according to updates from the boat line. The boat was taken out of service while the ferry service conducted repairs and deployed oil booms around the vessel.

But speaking to the Gazette by phone, Mr. Driscoll said that SSA staff had completed the necessary repair and that the Coast Guard had cleared the boat to return to service as of 12:55 p.m. Wednesday.

"As soon as the oil booms are gathered from the water it can go," Mr. Driscoll said.

In an earlier email Wednesday morning, SSA spokesman Sean Driscoll confirmed that the ferry service was investigating a “sheen in the water” around the vessel, which was docked in Vineyard Haven as it awaited its 11:05 a.m. trip to the mainland. The ferry service ushered passengers and vehicles off the boat. 

“I’m not clear what the substance is at this time. It’s related to a leak in the lube oil cooler on the vessel,” Mr. Driscoll wrote.

On Thursday, Mr. Driscoll confirmed that the leak was lube oil.

The boat line has deployed oil containment booms in the water as it conducts the repair, Mr. Driscoll said. He confirmed that the Coast Guard had been notified of the leak.

Later Wednesday, Mr. Driscoll said that the booms had contained the spill, absorbing the substance that leaked from the lube oil cooler. 

Dating to 1954, the double-ended M/V Governor has a wide freight deck and is the oldest Steamship Authority vessel in service.

Vineyard Haven harbor master John Crocker had also responded to the leak Wednesday morning.