Two of the Steamship Authority's new vessels entered dry dock earlier this month in Alabama and could be running to the Island's next summer.

Four experienced Steamship Authority deck officers — licensed mariners responsible for safety and navigation aboard ferries — will not be reporting for duty this spring, potentially affecting the summer operating schedule.

The Steamship Authority board of governors is expected to vote Thursday on a shipyard contract to convert two of the boat line’s three recently-purchased service vessels into freight boats.

Electric ferry operators from Denmark, Maine and Washington state shared their experiences Friday in a half-day public conference aimed at encouraging the Steamship Authority to begin reducing dependency on fossil fuel.

The Steamship Authority board of governors will hold a special meeting next week to vote on a contract to convert three newly purchased vessels into freight ferries.

The lowest bid to do the work is about $20 million for each boat, general manager Robert Davis said Tuesday.

The Oak Bluffs Select board held a special meeting on August 24 to discuss with Beach Road Weekend proprietor Adam Epstein a schedule of nighttime water taxis from Oak Bluffs to transport festival attendees.

The Steamship Authority is preparing to purchase two Louisiana-based offshore supply vessels for conversion into freight ferries to replace the aging M/V Gay Head and M/V Katama.

The Oak Bluffs select board discussed diverting ferries in late August to accommodate Beach Road Weekend, but stopped short of endorsing or condemning the idea.

The Island Queen ferry has updated the ways passengers can book tickets in advance.