The Woods Hole, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket Steamship Authority

The M/V Sankaty at the dock in Woods Hole.

The Woods Hole, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket Steamship Authority, referred to coloquially as The Steamship Authority or simply the SSA, is the statutory regulatory body for all ferry operations to and from the Islands from the Massachusetts mainland, as well as being an operator of ferry service from the mainland Cape Cod to the islands of Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket, and the only ferry operator to carry automobiles to the island.^[1] The Authority also operates several freight vessels, thus serving as the main link for shipping any commercial goods to Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket that are not transported by air.

History

The present Woods Hole, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket Steamship Authority was formed from the New Bedford, Martha's Vineyard, and Nantucket Steamboat Co., which in turn was a consolidation of earlier companies dating to the early 19th century, just before the railroad arrived. Early steamers included the Marco Bozzaris, Telegraph, Massachusetts, George Law, Naushon, Helen Augusta, Metacomet (1854), Canonicus (1856), Eagle's Wing (1854–1861), Monohansett, River Queen, Island Home, Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket, Gay Head, Uncatena, Sankaty, Nobska, New Bedford, Naushon, Mercury, and Hackensack.^[2][3] The steamship Islander retired in 2007.^[4]

In 2007, it was reported that the Steamship Authority ferries were dumping sewage into Nantucket Sound, along with other seafaring vessels. But in fact, the SSA has sewage treatment facilities on every vessel, so that discharges contain only "grey" water, NOT raw sewage. From 2011 forward the SSA will be converting its vessels with holding tanks for all sewage effluent, to be discharged into new pumping facilities at each port. ^[5]

Service to Martha's Vineyard

Frequent passenger and auto ferry service is operated to the Martha's Vineyard towns of Vineyard Haven year round, and to Oak Bluffs from Memorial Day to Labor Day from the mainland terminal in Woods Hole, Massachusetts. Sailing time is approximately 45 minutes to both Vineyard Haven and Oak Bluffs. In early 2001, the SSA purchased the 130-foot M/V Schamonchi, along with the New Bedford-Martha's Vineyard route. They operated passenger-only service on this route until 2003, and generated operating losses of about $800,000 per year in the three years that it operated the route. The ferry has since been sold, and a year-round high-speed catamaran service is now operated between New Bedford and Vineyard Haven and seasonally to Oak Bluffs by The New England Fast Ferry Company^[6]

Service to Nantucket

Year round passenger and auto ferry, as well as freight service is operated to Nantucket from the mainland terminal in Hyannis, Massachusetts. Sailing time to Nantucket takes approximately 2 hours and 15 minutes. A one hour, passenger only catamaran service, is operated with the new (2006) MV Iyanough from mid April through late December from Hyannis to Nantucket.

Massachusetts regulatory body

In addition to running ferry service, the Steamship Authority (hence the name) also regulates many commercial aspects of ferry operations to and from the Islands, those that are not regulated by the US Coast Guard.^[7] All scheduled passenger ferry operations to and from the Islands must, by law, be approved by the Steamship Authority.^[7] This generally precludes any ferry service that would directly compete with the Steamship Authority, essentially giving it a legal monopoly on all auto ferry service to the Islands. However, approval has been granted to other companies to operate smaller passenger ferry operations to the islands, these include Freedom Cruises to Nantucket, and the New England Fast Ferry and the Pied Piper Edgartown Ferry to Martha's Vineyard. In addition, Hy-Line Cruises (out of Hyannis to both Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard and between the two islands) and the Island Queen (out of Falmouth to the Vineyard) are allowed to provide certain services as grandfathered carriers due to their existence prior to the SSA's creation. Additional services provided by Hy-Line are licensed by the SSA. Finally, seasonal ferries from Provincetown to Boston and Provincetown to Plymouth are also permitted to operate as they do not fall under the jurisdiction of the Authority.

Fleet

The Authority currently operates nine vessels.^[8] Four of these are auto/passenger ferries featuring roll-on/roll-off ramps for cars traveling to the islands, as well as climate-controlled seating and a bar and concession stand for passengers. The fifth vessel, the M/V Iyanough (built in 2007) is a passenger-only catamaran operating fast ferry (35-knot) one-hour service between Hyannis and Nantucket. - M/V Island Home, built in 2007 - M/V Iyanough, built in 2007 - M/V Martha's Vineyard, built in 1993 - M/V Eagle, built in 1987 - M/V Nantucket, built in 1974

Four of the other ferries are open-top roll-on/roll-off ferries, primarily for larger trucks and freight. However, ordinary passengers taking vehicles to the islands are usually permitted to travel on them, space permitting. - M/V Katama, built in 1981, acquired by SSA in 1988 - M/V Gay Head - M/V Sankaty, built in 1981, acquired by SSA in 1994 - M/V Governor, built in 1954, acquired by SSA in 1998

Steamship Authority powered vessels serving Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket
Vessel	Island Service Began	Island Service Ended	Notes
Eagle	1818	1818
Connecticut	1824	1828
Hamilton	1828	1828
Marco Bozzaris	1829	1832
Telegraph	1832	1857	aka Nebraska
Massachusetts	1842	1858
Naushon	1846	1848	Renamed News Boy after sale.
Osceola	1848
Eagle's Wing	1854	1861
Metacomet	1854	1857
Island Home	1855	c. 1895
Jersey Blue	1856	1857
Monohansett	1862	c. 1902
Martha's Vineyard	1871	c. 1920
River Queen	1871	1893
Island Belle	1876		Renamed Coskata
Nantucket	1886	after 1905
Gay Head	1891	1924
Uncatena	1902	1928	Last sidewheeler.
Sankaty	1911	1924	Renamed Charles A. Dunning after sale.
Islander	1923	1947	Renamed Martha's Vineyard
Nobska	1925	c. 1974	Renamed Nantucket, then Nobska.
New Bedford	1928	1942	Participated in Atlantic Convoys during WWII
Nantucket	1928
Naushon	1929	1942	Participated in Atlantic Convoys during WWII
Mercury
Gay Head (LSM 286)	1947
Hackensack	1947	c. 1951	First double-ender. Renamed Islander.
M/V Islander	1950	2007	First diesel.
Nantucket	1957	1987 [9]	Renamed Naushon
Uncatena	1965	1993
M/V Nantucket	1974	Present
Auriga	c. 1980's	c. 1989
Eagle	1987	Present
M/V Katama	1988	Present
Gay Head	1989	Present
Martha's Vineyard	1993	Present
Sankaty	1994	Present
M/V Governor	1998	Present	Former Governor's Island ferry
Flying Cloud	2000	2007	Catamaran Fast Ferry, Nicknamed the "Black Cloud" because of engine problems; sold in Venezuela
M/V Island Home	2007	Present
M/V Iyanough	2007	Present	Catamaran Fast Ferry, Named after Hyannis sachem Iyannough

References

1. ^ The Steamship Authority, Serving the Islands of Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket. Official website.
2. ^ Vineyard Gazette Online
3. ^ Vineyard Gazette Online
4. ^ Seccombe, Mike (March 2, 2007). One Ferry Begins, Another Ends: Events Run Through Monday. Vineyard Gazette Online.
5. ^ Nantucket Sound sewage dumping
6. ^ Kinsella, James (July 5, 2005). An Old Ferry Sails to New York; Schamonchi Reborn as Party Boat. Vineyard Gazette Online.
7. ^ ^{a b} The Steamship Authority, Serving the Islands of Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket. Official website.
8. ^ The Steamship Authority, Serving the Islands of Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket
9. ^ "Steam-Powered Ferry Makes Its Final Run". (October 31, 1987). The Boston Globe.

External links

• Steamship Authority home page