After a weekend of delays and cancellations form the Massachusetts Steamship Authority, people on Martha's Vineyard say they're still dealing with setbacks, and the frustration is bubbling over.
“We’re being held hostage to the Steamship Authority,” Vineyard resident Beth O‘Connor said after severe delays and cancellations along the Woods Hole -- Martha’s Vineyard route.
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This past weekend the route experienced eight cancellations with the privately-owned company, which attributed the disruptions to an unexpected crew shortage after a licensed deck officer didn’t make their shift.
"When these critical, highly trained crew members are unavailable to work, a ferry cannot operate per U.S. Coast Guard regulations," General Manager Robert Davis said in a statement. "When an absence at this level is reported, the Steamship Authority takes every step possible to find a replacement deck officer – including, in many circumstances, having management-level positions fill in. On Saturday, unfortunately, a replacement was unable to be secured."
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"Our crews and terminal personnel worked hard through the day and were able to accommodate all customers who were waiting for travel on Saturday. However, the resulting delays to service meant that vessels ended their operating day late. That, in turn, meant two early morning trips on Sunday were canceled and others delayed to allow crews to get their Coast Guard-mandated rest periods," Davis added. "Our crews and terminal personnel again worked hard to accommodate customers on Sunday, but two more round trips ultimately were canceled due to delays that compounded through the day."
O'Connor says one guest had to sleep in his car, that he couldn't even get in the line to go on standby.
And while those disruptions affected the itineraries of travelers, they also created seriously stressful experiences for residents who live on the island.
“I had my 85-year-old mother with me in the car and we had to pack all her medication because we didn’t know if we were going to get back to the island last night,” said Martha’s Vineyard resident Laura Hearn.
The MSA said Monday that its vessels were running as scheduled today. They also thanked customers for their patience and understanding as they worked as a team to minimize the effects of a "challenging weekend.”
But residents say this goes beyond just a "challenging weekend."
“The past three to five years even outside the pandemic have been quite frustrating,” said O’ Connor.
State officials say they attempted to intervene with an independent audit of the MSA.
“That independent audit showed that there was glaring holes in the steamship authority management,” said State Representative Dylan Fernandes.
According to Fernandes, the state attempted to make reforms but were stopped short.
“Island leaders particularly on the island county commissioners pushback heavily against any type of reforms that were were proposing.”
So now residents are taking things into their own hands.
Martha’s Vineyard resident Rachel Baumrin started a Resident Commuter Ferry Petition garnering over 1,200 signatures.
“I felt that it would be beneficial to the island community if there was a daily boat they could catch in the morning and a daily boat they could catch at the end of the day,” said Baumrin.
