New Ferry's Design: Last Call for Comment
SRC="http://www.mvgazette.com/news/2004/08/06/content/new_ssa_vessel_sm.jpg"By ALEXIS TONTI
The new Steamship Authority ferry will bear the signature stripe of
the Islander, a tribute to the retiring vessel that has plied the route
between the Vineyard and Woods Hole for 54 years. But the similarity
ends there. The new boat will be faster and with increased capacity for
cars, paving the way for what boat line managers say will be a more
efficient operating schedule.
A meeting to hear public comment on the final design for the new
ferry will be held on the Vineyard next Thursday, August 12. The meeting
begins at 6:30 p.m. at the boat line terminal in Vineyard Haven.
The plan for the replacement vessel has been brought to the Vineyard
at several key points in the design process since early concept drawings
were first unveiled nearly two years ago. The new ferry is expected to
cost between $22 million and $25 million. It is planned to be built and
ready for service by spring 2006.
The Vineyard meeting marks the last stop before acting general
manager Wayne Lamson asks for board approval to put the design out to
bid at the regular SSA meeting later this month on Nantucket.
The ferry design was prepared by the Elliott A. Design Group of
Seattle, Wash. It calls for a double-ended ferry, eliminating the need
for turning around before entering the slip in either port. The ferry
would be 250 feet long and 64 feet wide, with a capacity of 60 cars on
the freight deck. Two hydraulic lift car decks would provide space for
an additional 16 cars.
Currently, the Islander can handle about 50 cars.
As planned, the new ferry will be capable of making the trip between
Woods Hole and the Vineyard in about 35 minutes (moving at its fastest
at a speed of 16 knots). It would have two direct drive diesel engines.
Boat line managers envision that with the boat making more trips in
an operating day and - when needed - carrying more cars,
other ferries in the SSA fleet will be taken off the run, ultimately
cutting costs.
Early drawings for the ferry called for one center pilot house. But
in response to safety concerns raised by the crew and by the public, the
design was changed to accommodate two pilot houses, one at either end of
the boat.
The lift decks also mark a change from the earliest proposal.
When SSA managers first started pushing the lift decks, in January
2003, the potential for extra car capacity became a point of some debate
on the Vineyard. Island leaders and residents raised concerns about
adding cars to roads already congested in the summer - and
pointed in particular to Five Corners, the overburdened intersection
just down the road from the Vineyard Haven terminal, the main port of
entry for SSA vessels.
But SSA managers say the lift decks would not be used on every run.
Instead they would provide flexibility, allowing crew members to alter
the vehicle loading configuration depending on the balance of trucks and
cars on any given trip.
In addition, the lift decks would provide a cushion to accommodate
extra demand during heavy travel periods, such as summer holiday
weekends, or to catch up after weather cancellations.
But the boat line does not plan to increase the total amount of cars
and trucks it carries to the Island.
"We plan to show the same vehicle carrying capacity by taking
vessels off the route. This way we would save money, but provide the
same overall number of spaces to hopefully meet the current
demand," said Mr. Lamson.
SSA director of engineering Carl Walker said that when the lift
decks are not in use, there will be at least a 14-foot overhead for
trucks. When the decks are dropped down, the overhead would decrease to
about eight feet. Cars being staged on the lift decks would drive on,
park and - once secured - be lifted up one level, so that
drivers and passengers then would exit directly onto the mezzanine deck.
There will be indoor seating for 600 passengers, including space
designated as a quiet room, "for people who want to get away from
the noise, businesspeople who want an area to work in or students who
need to study," said Mr. Lamson.
Vineyard SSA governor Kathryn A. Roessel yesterday agreed that the
vessel design is intended to provide flexibility and efficiency, but
said she was not entirely pleased with its overall look.
Ms. Roessel added: "I just hope that the people of this Island
will feel like they're home when they get on this boat in the same
way that they feel like they're home when they get on the
Islander."
The Islander, built in 1950 at a cost of $687,510, was designed by
architect Eads Johnson. The vessel was the first diesel-powered ferry
built specifically for the Woods Hole to Vineyard Haven route.
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