Ferry loses power, strands passengers off coast of Martha's Vineyard
TISBURY, Mass. — Massachusetts authorities are investigating what led a newly refurbished ferry to lose power, leaving 72 passengers stranded for five hours off the coast of Martha's Vineyard.
The Steamship Authority says the vessel Martha's Vineyard lost power 15 minutes into its 45-minute trip from Vineyard Haven to Woods Hole Saturday night. The authority says the crew was forced to drop anchor around 8:45 p.m., and the ferry was towed to Vineyard Haven at 2 a.m.
The authority issued an apology, and it says passengers were offered hotel accommodations.
The vessel had gone back in service March 7 after an $18.5 million refurbishment that included the installation of three diesel generators.
Steamship Authority General Manager Robert Davis says it's too soon to tell if the power failure was connected to the improvements.
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