<p>Nearly 25 years after the M/V Martha’s Vineyard began her daily seven-mile passages between Woods Hole and the Vineyard, the Steamship Authority ferry is getting a $17.4 million makeover.</p>
Nearly 25 years after the M/V Martha’s Vineyard began her daily seven-mile passages between Woods Hole and the Vineyard, the Florida-built Steamship Authority ferry is getting a $17.4 million, top-to-bottom makeover that’s designed to keep it plying the route for at least another quarter-century.
Passenger deck stripped to the studs.
Passenger deck stripped to the studs.
“The vessel was first placed into service back in 1993,” SSA general manager Robert Davis told the Gazette. “Since that time, it’s carried a lot of passengers and logged a lot of miles.” The ferry has traveled some 780,000 miles, he said.
The refurbishment has been underway since early September at Senesco Marine in North Kingstown, R.I. The work is designed to more than double the ferry’s lifespan, increasing it by 25 to 30 years, while improving passenger comfort and navigational safety.
After the Martha’s Vineyard arrived at Senesco, the ferry was boarded pierside by about 125 shipyard workers, SSA maintenance and engineering director Carl Walker told boat line governors at their monthly meeting in Oak Bluffs two weeks ago.
The Senesco crew’s first job was to saw off the ferry’s old pilot house and cabin, quickly adding a new, prefabricated pilot house with larger windows and smaller mullions designed to improve visibility for pilots.
The ferry then was moved into Senesco’s drydock, where workers stripped its decks to bare steel and found that more of the decking than expected was so corroded it had to be replaced. This additional work represents the lion’s share of about $1 million in change orders that have arisen during the refurbishment.
New pilot house put in place.
New pilot house put in place.
“We have to do what it takes to make a 25-year boat,” Mr. Walker said. That includes new generators and electrical systems, remodeled decks, hull cleaning and replacing steel around the ferry’s windows.
Passengers and observers won’t see a radically changed vessel when the Martha’s Vineyard returns to service next year. Its length, beam and capacity — the freight deck holds up to 54 vehicles and there is lifesaving equipment for 1,280 people, Mr. Walker told the Gazette — will all remain unaltered. Even the new pilot house has essentially the same dimensions and profile as the old one, Mr. Davis said.
The most visible update is the new bow door: The Martha’s Vineyard is losing her old clamshell door for a horizontal roller door, like the one on the newer Island Home.
Another improvement: Travelers will no longer need to stand on the weather deck as they wait to disembark. “We’re extending the cabin on the 02 deck, where the lunchroom and the purser are, back to encompass where the stair towers are,” Mr. Davis said.
Work is taking place at Senesco Marine in North Kingstown, R.I.
Work is taking place at Senesco Marine in North Kingstown, R.I.
This change too is a subtle one. “For most people, they won’t even notice that until it’s raining and they realize they’re not standing out in the rain,” Mr. Davis said.
The Martha’s Vineyard is the third ferry the SSA has sent for a mid-life refurbishment since 2008-2009, when the 1974 M/V Nantucket went in for a makeover. The M/V Eagle, which has plied the Hyannis-Nantucket route since 1987, was updated next.
“We try to do these refurbishments in the 25-30 year range,” Mr. Davis said. That means the 11-year-old Island Home has a few years to go, he added.
The Martha’s Vineyard is scheduled to resume service on March 3, 2018.
Comments
It is great to see The
Timothy Dacey Metuchen, NJIt is great to see The Steamship Authority improving the ferries. Keeping them "up to date" is cost effective and makes for nicer ferries for the passengers and crew.
I had the honor of doing the
Enoc Zamora San DiegoI had the honor of doing the drawings for that pilothouse and working on the pre fabbed sections; included that deck extension.
The sheer and camber involved was interesting. You have a great team of people that will give us a fine vessel.
Enoc Zamora
(Structural Ship Designer)
Kudos to the SSA for this
Douglas Korved Always on Island.Kudos to the SSA for this sensible rehab program. These white boats are the "exclamation points" on liftetimes memories and wonderful times.
The Governor carried me back and forth in the 50's to Governor's Island NY with my US Coast Guard family before it came to the fleet.
I remember rolling passages on the old double ended MV which I thought was the essence of a ferry. I was thrilled to see the MV come full circle and be tied up At the old Coast Guard station on Governors Island NYC that I knew so well.
I was in awe at the mass and hulk of the SS Uncatena. My young nephews chanted that name with an Indian drum beat every time we were on stand-by hoping the moving line cars would not stop at our car.
I remember an announcement in the 70's from the ferry's PA system as the last car was waved on board: "The Islander will be departing shortly, to take you back to America."
These boats are the twilight zone of an Island experience, it begins and ends with one's foot hitting or leaving the deck. All aboard!
Dear SSA,
Bill Engler O.B.Dear SSA,
All of us year around commuters and especially our children regularly trying to get their homework done would greatly appreciate if you could find a few thousand dollars in that 17 million to upgrade the WiFi on board.
We can guarantee you will get more praise and thank yous than you can imagine. It will have a high-speed customer satisfaction pay off dollar for dollar better that any other upgrade ever under taken - guaranteed.
On the refurbished Martha’s
David Manly EdgartownOn the refurbished Martha’s Vineyard today. Did not recognize her! Beautiful. Like a brand new boat
I assume engines were majored
Manny Martins New BedfordI assume engines were majored ? but having both fail so shortly after the work was done, feel bad for the captain who it happened to
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