A Steamship Authority ferry was damaged Monday afternoon when it was docking at the Oak Bluffs terminal.

The M/V Nantucket was coming into the Oak Bluffs terminal on Seaview avenue for its 3:15 p.m. arrival when the stern swung out of position and hit a concrete piling, the authority said in a statement.

The “hard landing” was caused by tidal and wind conditions at the time and resulted in minor damage to the vessel's protective rub railing. There were no reported injuries to the 121 passengers aboard, according to the Steamship Authority, and the 44 vehicles on the boat were able to be unloaded.

The ferry, with permission from the U.S. Coast Guard, returned to Woods hole with another 45 vehicles and 364 passengers, and then was later taken out of service for a 3-inch fracture in a metal seam above the waterline on the ship’s interior hull. 

The ferry missed eight of its scheduled sailings to deal with the issue, but was back in service for the 9:30 a.m. trip Tuesday to the Island.

The authority stressed that the seam damage never presented a danger to passengers or the crew. There was also no damage to the dock in Oak Bluffs.
Steamship crews rewelded the seam Tuesday morning and the repair was approved by the coast guard.

The customers who were on the canceled trips were able to be placed on other trips, according to the ferry line.