Applications to represent the Vineyard on the Steamship Authority board of governors are multiplying. Four more Islanders sent letters of interest this week to the Dukes County Commission.

The Steamship Authority announced Tuesday that its northernmost Woods Hole berth, slip number three, will be closed to ferries from Jan. 29 until Feb. 21, resulting in slight changes to the ferry schedule.

Amid a growing crisis of confidence among Islanders and summer travelers, the Steamship Authority this week saw a website crash and the announcement that Marc Hanover is stepping down.

Amid rising turmoil, Vineyard SSA governor Marc Hanover said Wednesday that he will not seek reappointment after all, and will step down next month when his term is up.

Steamship Authority governors voted Thursday to issue up to $26 million in bonds to fund ongoing waterside construction at the Woods Hole terminal and repay $5.66 million in bonds issued in 2009 that will mature over the next few years.

Groundhog Day came early for Steamship Authority customers seeking summer reservations for automobiles. The boat line website crashed at 5 a.m. Tuesday.

Updates on the Woods Hole terminal reconstruction project and ongoing internal management improvements are on the agenda when SSA governors meet in Falmouth this morning.

A contest appears to be shaping up for who will represent Martha’s Vineyard on the Steamship Authority board of governors for the next three years. Vineyard governor Marc Hanover will apply.

The Steamship Authority freight ferry Gay Head had a minor scrape with a construction barge at the Woods Hole terminal over the weekend. Windy conditions were a factor in the incident.

Thousands of ferry cancellations between Woods Hole and Martha’s Vineyard over the past two years have had Islanders questioning the reliability of their lifeline.