Steamship Authority to celebrate commissioning of M/V Barnstable

FALMOUTH (December 10, 2024) – The Woods Hole, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket Steamship Authority will celebrate the commissioning of the M/V Barnstable on Monday, December 16, 2024, with a public ceremony and open house at its Hyannis Terminal followed by an open house at its Nantucket Terminal.

The ceremony will begin at 9:30 a.m. and is expected to last approximately one hour. The vessel will be available for self-guided tours from 11 a.m. until noon, then it will depart for Nantucket. The vessel will be available for public, self-guided tours from approximately 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Nantucket Terminal before departing to berth for the night in Hyannis.

The M/V Barnstable is one of three sister ships purchased by the Authority in 2022 from Hornbeck Offshore Services of Covington, Louisiana. The vessel, along with the M/V Aquinnah and M/V Monomoy, was converted for use by the Steamship Authority at Alabama Shipyard in Mobile, Alabama. The purchase and conversion costs were made possible, in part, via an agreement with the Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority that yielded $28.1 million in federal funding.

During the M/V Barnstable conversion project, the vessel was bisected and its midbody removed to reduce its overall length to 245 feet. The vessel is outfitted with two Caterpillar engines, each rated at 2,000 horsepower; two controllable pitch propellers; and three 950 horsepower thrusters to allow for greater maneuverability. The vessel also boasts state-of-the-art radar, communications, and navigation systems, two marine evacuation systems and a rescue boat, and an interior passenger area with seating for approximately 80 passengers. The vessel can carry the equivalent of approximately 50 automobiles per trip.

For additional details on the commissioning ceremony and open houses, visit www.steamshipauthority.com/commissioning.

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Since 1960, the Woods Hole, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket Steamship Authority has served as the transportation lifeline to the islands of Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard year round. The Steamship Authority is the largest ferry service to the islands and offers the most frequent daily departures for passengers, automobiles, groups and trucks. In 2023, more than 2.9 million passengers and more than 690,000 vehicles of all sizes were transported to and from the islands. Our U.S. Coast Guard-certified crews are committed to the highest level of safety at sea while our vessels offer comfort and convenience with spacious seating, free Wi-Fi and TV on board.