The Steamship Authority is taking another look at M/V Governor, amid a public clamor over the prospect of selling the much-loved freighter and keeping only the M/V Sankaty as a backup for the regular fleet.
“We heard a lot of public support both ways,” general manager Alex Kryska said at Tuesday’s Steamship Authority board meeting in Falmouth, promising a thorough review.
The advisory port council last week had asked for a cost-benefit analysis of the 72-year-old Governor and the 45-year-old Sankaty before making any recommendations to the governing board. On Tuesday, Mr. Kryska said the authority would study the 52-year-old M/V Nantucket as well and bring the results for all three ferries to the port council next month.
“We wanted to take a little deeper dive into the review of our three oldest vessels, the Governor, the Sankaty and Nantucket and… make a clear analysis,” said Mr. Kryska, who left open the possibility of keeping one, two or all three of the old boats.
It costs more than $1.25 million a year to maintain a ferry on standby status, not including berthing costs of some $30,000 a month, Mr. Kryska told the port council last week.
A preliminary report by Steamship Authority estimated the resale value of the Governor at $325,000 and the Sankaty’s at $340,000.
Also Tuesday, Steamship Authority officials welcomed new Martha’s Vineyard board member Ted Gavin and thanked the Island’s outgoing member, James Malkin, for his six years of service.
Mr. Malkin was appointed by the Dukes County Commission in 2020, served two terms as board chairman and also chaired the search committee that identified Mr. Kryska as a finalist late last year.
After Mr. Malkin announced late last year that he would not seek another term, the county commission interviewed several candidates before appointing Mr. Gavin earlier this month.
Board members commended Mr. Malkin for his contributions to the Steamship Authority, his commitment to representing the Island and his cooperative approach to board service.
“He’s been a great contributor to the board [and] a mentor to me, as well as a friend,” chair Peter Jeffrey said.
Vineyard port council members Joe Sollitto of Oak Bluffs and John Cahill of Tisbury made the trip to Falmouth to express their appreciation in person.
“Your leadership focused on important priorities, hiring a new general manager, hiring the first [chief operating officer], implementing a modern reservation system, overseeing [information technology] improvements, all while guiding the Steamship Authority through the pandemic, recovery and operating challenges,” Mr. Sollitto told Mr. Malkin.
Several Steamship Authority executives also spoke warmly of Mr. Malkin’s service, including Mr. Kryska, who got to know him during the general manager search and interview process last year.
“He’s a great source of knowledge and a great support,” Mr. Kryska said,
Mr. Malkin used his own time at the microphone to refocus the spotlight on Steamship Authority employees.
“This organization works because of people who work here every day, every shift,” Mr. Malking said. “I think the Steamship Authority provides, based on all the research I’ve done, the most reliable service of any ferry system in this country.”
This article appears in March 20, 2026.
Why is it so expensive for standby ferry berthing costs of $30,000 a month? Doesn’t the SSA own our docks in New Bedford? At $30/mo maybe we should be looking to buy dockage instead of renting. Also every surveyor’s value has been overly optimistic and the old ferries never sell for that price. Maybe an old ferry is worth more to us islanders than anyone else.
IMO the Governor is an iconic MV travel highlight.
My favorite by car – by far.
Lord knows she is needed for the summer crowds.
I hope the SSA decides to keep her.
So here’s a ferry (Governor) that does the trip in 30 minutes versus 45 min. It loads swiftly as you don’t need (4) people trying to park you between a pole and a steel wall. It never, ever, my goodness ever needs to back up to dock and unload. Passengers can sit inside and it’s even got a bathroom. Last by not least, the view from your car, yeah, it’s that good. So logically, you can do this SSA, just keep the boat. Thanks.
Good news here. The Governor is too valuable (reliable) to be cast aside!
The way S.S A has run the last few years they should keep both vessel’s for emergency. If they can afford to keep Davis on as a consultant for a half a million bucks…they can afford to keep both boats!
I only worked at SSA for 27 years starting on the UNKIE AND ISLANDER, what would I know?
The Governor was my favorite boat in Summer because she could be loaded in half the time of a Back – on and teach people how to drive mudboat!
The SSA. Did something right when they converted her from diesel electric to MTU engines w clutches/ reverse. Her speed increased at least five knots! She can leave 15 minutes late and make the schedule! She is deep and streamlined, offering far less drag( better speed and fuel economy) the mudboats push half the sea in front of them making huge bow waves. She is wet , granted that .
Indeed paying 30,000/month for docking fees are absurd buy the facility where you dock
Keep the Governor. It is by far the best ferry in the fleet.
The governor has so much history from wsf to the coast guard using her. We should keep her as she is the fastest boat in the fleet, the history is on her walls just take a look
This is usually the most pleasant car ferry experience in the fleet. There is nothing better than getting a good spot on the starboard side (going over) with tremendous views from the car. She is also fast and graceful despite her simple appearance. One has to be careful not to book her in bad weather as she is first cancelled but when used right….she is the best. She is, remarkably, 72 years old! The article also forgets to mention the interesting factoid that she served as a movie scene set while known as the Kulshan in 1982 featuring Deborah Winger and the late Lisa Blount in the highly successful Oscar nominated film Officer and a Gentleman. While she is not quite as iconic as the late great Islander…..she is a special part of the MV experience and I hope we can keep her.
Let’s not forget the other side: Can’t be used on the Nantucket run; can’t be used in the bad weather months; can’t be used in rough weather.
I love traveling on the Goveernor. She is fast and reliable. I wrote a letter to the Gazette in defense of keeping her back in 2015 when they were thinking of scrapping her back then. I thought I would copy that letter here, for those who may not know her very interesting history.
Aug 5, 2015-I was really happy to read in the Gazette (July 24) that there might be a possibility of keeping the freight ferry Governor running rather than selling her for scrap. I love the Governor. I often go out of my way to book trips on her when she is running. I have taken countless photos of her from land and sea. She has an interesting, if not convoluted history. She was built in 1954, and put into service as a ferry between San Diego and Coronado, Calif. Her name at that time was M/V Crown City, and she ran that route from 1954 to 1970. When a bridge was finally built between the two cities, she was sold to Washington State Ferries, and renamed the M/V Kulshan. She was used as a ferry in Puget Sound from 1970 to 1982 on the two-mile route between Whidbey Island and Mukilteo, a suburb of Seattle. According to the evergreen.com fleet site which has a write-up on all Washington state ferries past and present, she “has the unique distinction of being the most loathed ferry to ever sail Puget Sound waters.”
Apparently her accommodations were too spare for many travelers, and her deck too open, so in rough seas, you might get a bit wet. But still, being only a 1.5-mile trip, I can’t imagine what all the fuss was about. The route between Woods Hole and Martha’s Vineyard is much longer. Her open deck, and her shape are what I love about her, and the feeling of being close to the water. Despite her “despised” state, she does have a claim to fame. While out serving in Puget Sound, she appeared in the 1982 film, An Officer and a Gentleman, with Debra Winger walking her deck. In 1982, she was sold to the United States Coast Guard to serve as a ferry for Governors Island in New York. She was towed through the Panama Canal, and then joined the two other ferries traveling between Governors Island and Battery City Park in lower Manhattan, and was renamed the M/V Governor.
When the Coast Guard closed their base in 1996, she became surplus. She was purchased in 1998 by The Woods Hole, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket Steamship Authority. She seems to have many loyal fans, besides me and her crew. Last summer a large group of people had gathered at the overlook out on West Chop hoping to catch a view of the Charles W. Morgan sailing by on its historic trip to Vineyard Haven. While we waited, the Governor came into view as she made her way to Woods Hole. Person after person mentioned how much they loved her, and some were horrified to hear that the SSA might be taking her out of service, and selling her for scrap. I am hoping the board at the SSA will seriously consider keeping her in service. She is a wonderful, hardworking vessel, and in my eyes, a beautiful one. She may have been despised out in Puget Sound, but she seems to be very well-loved here on the Vineyard. -Randon Rynd