Courtesy of Steamship Authority
MARTHA’S VINEYARD – The Coast Guard reports that the Steamship Authority M/V Martha’s Vineyard lost power Saturday evening while en route Woods Hole from Martha’s Vineyard. They were reported to have 78 people aboard.
The Coast Guard Cutter Hammerhead and a response boat crew from Coast Guard Station Woods Hole were on scene while commercial tow is arranged.
The MV Martha’s Vineyard anchored outside Vineyard Haven between the East and West Chop. There are no reported injuries.
On Sunday, Steamship Authority General Manager Robert Davis issued the following statement: “On its 8:30 PM trip departing Vineyard Haven last night, the M/V Martha’s Vineyard lost power to the main engines approximately 15 minutes into the 45-minute trip to Woods Hole. An emergency generator maintained power to the vessel but was not able to generate propulsion. The anchor was dropped to keep the vessel from drifting.
There were 72 passengers, 11 crew members, and 3 food concession employees aboard. Two Coast Guard vessels were dispatched and were on the scene. The first of three tugboats arrived at approximately 10 PM to provide assistance if needed. The three tugboats planned to escort the vessel to Woods Hole. However, because the main engine could not be re-started, the vessel was escorted back to Vineyard Haven, arriving there shortly before 2 AM. All of the passengers disembarked without incident, and the Steamship Authority arranged hotel accommodations for those who needed lodging until they were able to travel to Woods Hole this morning.
We still have not yet determined what led to the power failure. Steamship Authority maintenance personnel traveled on the M/V Woods Hole’s 6 AM trip to Vineyard Haven this morning to assist the vessel’s chief engineer in diagnosing and resolving the problem.
We apologize to the passengers who were onboard last night. We also wish to thank the Coast Guard, Tucker Roy Marine and Tisbury Towing for their assistance.”
Material from U.S. Coast Guard used in this report
