COURTESY OF STEAMSHIP AUTHORITY
M/V Nantucket
OAK BLUFFS – The M/V Nantucket sustained minor damage on Monday during a hard docking at the Oak Bluff Terminal.
Repairs and a U.S Coast Guard inspection have been made so the vessel can resume operations.
No injuries were reported by the 121 passengers onboard and there were no damages to the dock in Oak Bluffs.
The ship is currently back in service after the Steamship Authority’s maintenance personnel repaired the issue and the inspection was approved.
On Monday, October 2, 2023, the M/V Nantucket had a hard docking as it was coming into the Steamship Authority’s Oak Bluffs Terminal for its 3:15 p.m. arrival. Due to wind and tidal conditions, the vessel’s stern swung out of position and collided with a concrete piling.
Following inspection of the vessel by the crew, only minor damage to the vessel’s protective rub railing was noted. No injuries were reported by the 121 passengers onboard, and the vessel was able to unload its passengers and its 44 vehicles without incident. There was also no damage to the dock in Oak Bluffs.
With permission from the U.S. Coast Guard, the vessel then returned to Woods Hole with another load of 45 vehicles and 364 passengers. Upon arriving and unloading the vessel, the U.S. Coast Guard inspected the vessel and determined a repair was necessary to an approximate 3-inch fracture in the metal seam above the waterline on the ship’s interior hull. At no time did the seam damage represent a danger to the passengers or crew. The remainder of the vessel’s trips were canceled for the evening, but all customers were able to be accommodated on other trips.
This morning, the Authority’s maintenance personnel rewelded the seam, and the repair was approved by the U.S. Coast Guard. The vessel has been cleared to resume service, which it did with its 9:30 a.m. departure from Woods Hole.
We apologize for the inconvenience to our customers and thank them for their patience.
About Zachary Clapp
