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News & Features
Ferries you might encounter
Lyanough
She's served the 26-mile route between Hyannis and Nantucket since March 28, 2007, with a one hour crossing time. An all-aluminum catamaran, she was constructed by Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding of Somerset, Mass., to a design by Incat-Crowther PTY. Ltd of Sydney, Australia. She has a 154-foot length with a beam of 39.04 feet. She is powered by 4 MTU 12 V 4000 engines delivering a total of 9,400 horsepower with a service speed of 35 knots. She is capable of carrying a total of 393 passengers. Luggage room has space for 30 luggage carts or 20 luggage carts and three bicycle carts (10 bicycles per cart). Passenger amenities include 350 indoor seats, flat panel LCD TV's, a snack bar area and Free Wi-FI Internet access.
Island Home
She's served the seven-mile route between Woods Hole and Martha's Vineyard since March 5, 2007. She was built by VT Halter Marine Inc, of Moss Point, Miss., to a design by the Elliott Bay Design Group of Seattle, WA. She is 255 feet long with a beam of 64 feet. She is powered by two EMD diesel engines delivering a total of 6,000 horsepower with a top speed of 16 knots. For her route, she has the fastest crossing time of approximately 30 to 35 minutes. The freight deck can accommodate 60 vehicles with an additional 16 on hydraulic lift decks, for a total capacity of 76 vehicles. The freight deck can be configured to hold motor coaches, trucks or semi-trailers. She is capable of carrying a total of 1,200 passengers. Passenger amenities include a contemporary interior design, ergonomic seats in comfortable arrangements, a quiet area, spacious bathrooms and free Wi-Fi Internet access.
Martha's Vineyard
The SSA took delivery of the M/V M.V. from Atlantic Marine, Jacksonville, Fla., in 1993. She is assigned to Woods Hole - Martha's Vineyard service and is classed as a conventional, diesel, twin-screw, passenger/vehicle ferry. A quick look reveals a basic similarity in hull dimensions, speed and capacities to the 1974 vintage M/V Nantucket. Her 230-foot length, 60-foot beam, 3,000-horsepower EMD powerplant, 14-knot speed, and vehicle deck load generally mirror the older vessel. There the similarity ends, however, as more modern amenities and necessities such as improved ADA access, interior and exterior seating upgrades, interior passenger space size, free Wi-Fi Internet access and enhanced maneuvering characteristics make the M/V M.V. a more passenger-friendly vessel.
Eagle
Eagle has served as the Nantucket-runs workhorse since 1987. She was designed by Boston naval architect, John Gilbert, and built by McDermott Shipyard in Louisiana. The over-standard-height freight deck and additional pilothouse level are immediately apparent and may look somewhat awkward; but, underwater, her bulbous bow, small sponsons, and "bustle" aft provide a surprisingly comfortable ride in the Nantucket Sound seaway. Passengers can relax in the Eagle's Nest, the upper-deck satellite-TV lounge and enjoy free Wi-Fi Internet access. The original Eagle was a steam "side-wheeler" and one of the first ferry vessels to serve the Islands.
Nantucket
She was designed by Jack Roper and built in Jacksonville, Fla., arriving in Woods Hole as state-of-the-art in 1974. The SSA was still transitioning from the era of steam to the modern age of diesel power, and Nantucket incorporated many new features that are still viable today. She underwent an engine change to EMD power in 1988, ADA access has been improved, and minor changes were made, but she is, essentially, the original vessel. Her 230-foot length, 60-foot beam, 14-knot speed, and easy handling have proved to be the right combination for service to both Islands where she has served with distinction. Nantucket normally serves her namesake island on the summer schedule and Martha's Vineyard in winter when the vessels on the "short run" are in for annual maintenance. Free Wi-Fi Internet access is available.
Governor
She joined the SSA fleet in 1998 as a back-up vessel on the Vineyard route. The double-ended Governor is the longest and widest vessel in the SSA fleet at 242 feet x 65 feet and the only vessel with diesel-electric power. Her life began in 1954 running from San Diego to Coronado. When a bridge was built spanning her original route, she moved to Seattle-based Washington State Ferries. As new vessels arrived, she was sold to the U.S. Coast Guard for the New York Harbor Governor's Island service, and she became surplus with the closing of Governor's Island. Three Caterpillar diesels power two electric propulsion motors giving her a 12-knot speed. She has limited passenger accommodations, but sports a large freight deck capable of quickly clearing the standby line on busy days. Free Wi-Fi internet access is available.
Katama
The Katama of today is a 235-feet x 40-foot, 13.5-knot freight vessel. In 1981, she started life as an Offshore Supply Vessel running to oil rigs and platforms in the Gulf of Mexico. 1988 marked her first conversion to ferry service when the SSA added a rounded stern to fit loading ramps and a small passenger area. Ten years later, a 50-foot midsection was added along with an engine upgrade to more powerful EMDs. Katama is certified for 149 persons on board and serves (on most schedules) Martha's Vineyard as a truck and back-up car carrier. She also performs important tasks such as moving all of the Island's SEMASS recycling plant trash across the Sound; bringing hazardous propane and petroleum products to heat island homes and power island vehicles; and moving every sort of general cargo to power Gay Head: A Katama sister-vessel running to the Gulf of Mexico offshore oil fields, Gay Head was brought to the SSA a year after Katama arrived. Both vessels were designed by Guarino & Cox of New Orleans, but built in different yards for different owners. Gay Head performs the same freight vessel service as her sister, running most of the year to the island of Nantucket. She also received a 50-foot midsection and an engine upgrade in the late 1990s. Although she is certified for the same passenger load as Katama, her inside accommodations are larger and her engine room conversion layout has been improved. Free Wi-Fi Internet access is available.
Sankaty
She was the third former offshore supply vessel to join the SSA's current fleet as a freight vessel. This 1981 Rysco Shipyard vessel (197 x 40) came to the SSA in 1994. Although she started life as a slightly larger vessel than Katama or Gay Head, she has not undergone the lengthening conversion of the other two SSA freight vessels Her initial conversion design by Boldcraft was more extensive in the realm of passenger amenities, and she is certified for 300 persons. Sankaty serves the SSA as a "relief and standby" vessel. She has a more limited vehicle carrying capacity than the other freight vessels and spends the majority of her service performing off-season overhaul relief. Free Wi-Fi Internet access is available.
Courtesy of The Steamship Authority, Serving the Islands of Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket, www.steamshipauthority.com
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