'Overall failure.' Answers sought after ferry cancellations, delays in Woods Hole

HYANNIS — Unconscionable was the word Peter Jeffrey, Falmouth representative and secretary of the Woods Hole, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket Steamship Authority Board, used to describe cancellations and delays that plagued the Authority’s Woods Hole schedules Saturday and Sunday.

The absence of a licensed deck officer on Saturday set delays and ultimately cancellations in motion for passengers and their cars traveling from Falmouth to Martha’s Vineyard, according to a statement from Authority General Manager Robert Davis .

Four round trips between Martha’s Vineyard and Woods Hole on the M/V Woods Hole were cancelled on Saturday. The M/V Woods Hole can carry 453 passengers and crew and up to 55 vehicles.

Another four round trips were cancelled on Sunday because of the backlog, Sunday boarding delays, and rest requirements for maritime transportation workers, according to the statement by Davis.

Two early morning Sunday runs on the M/V Island Home, which can carry 1,210 persons and up to 76 vehicles, were cancelled.

Two later runs at 5 p.m. and 6:15 p.m. on the M/V Martha's Vineyard were cancelled and passengers with reservations for the 6:15 p.m. schedule had to report to the Vineyard Haven terminal, rather than Oak Bluffs, for standby travel.

The M/V Martha’s Vineyard can carry up to 1,274 persons and 54 vehicles.

In a phone call Tuesday, Jeffrey said he didn't think there was enough of a strategic plan in place to hire and retain staff, especially in light of retirements that are coming up. Management has been reaching out to maritime academies and sending representatives to job fairs, but Jeffrey wants to see a more detailed recruitment plan.

“I think it reflects management’s overall failure to properly recruit and retain employees as well as have a communication plan in place,” Jeffrey said. “I think that was equally frustrating not only for the traveling public but for our terminal workers."

What is the Steamship Authority?

The Massachusetts legislature created the Steamship Authority in 1960 to ensure adequate transportation of people and "necessaries of life" between the mainland and the islands of Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard, according to the Authority website. Transportation is provided for passengers, cars and trucks including commercial freight.

Authority passenger ridership was 2.9 million in 2022, according to a recent annual report. Jeffrey said the number of passenger and vehicle trips has increased with the general increase in Island populations over the years.

More: 'Lifeline obligations.' Steamship Authority trims summer schedule. Learn who is affected.

Staffing from union perspective

In June interviews with Teamsters Local 59 President and Business Agent Jeff Sharp and Communications Director Mathew McQuaid the sticking points on contract negotiations were staffing levels, wages and working conditions among ferry service employees. Recruiting new employees has been difficult because of the high cost of living on the Cape, Sharp said.

Steamship Authority employees also wanted fixed scheduling, according to McQuaid. At the time, some workers were being asked to work 18 hours in a 24-hour period.

Contracts are still being negotiated, according to James Malkin, Martha's Vineyard representative and vice chair of the Steamship Authority Board.

'Fewer trips with certainty'

On Tuesday, Jeffrey called the proposed schedules “far more aspirational than rational” in terms of staffing, when one call-out requires another crew member to work overtime.

“I think the traveling public would rather have fewer trips with certainty than more trips but not knowing if it’s going to go,” he said. "Many people in Falmouth and the Vineyard commute back and forth each day, shopping, going to medical appointments. It really is a commuter service and not just a tourism service between the Vineyard and Falmouth.”

Malkin said he is looking forward to an Aug. 20 meeting to hear management’s plans to address the problems. He said there are 1,600 trips per month "between Martha’s Vineyard and the country of America,” adding that cars and customers have increased with the general increase in the Vineyard’s population.

Jeffrey and Malkin want to hear the plans management will put in place to avoid a repeat of the previous weekend. Jeffrey questioned if there was an adequate plan in place for hiring considering upcoming retirements among deck officers.

"If a proactive plan is not raised by the management at Tuesday's meeting, I will be demanding those answers," Jeffrey said.

New Yorker Kristen Durkin stood outside her car on Tuesday at the Steamship Authority's Hyannis terminal. She had just returned from Nantucket after spending weeks with her parents. She had heard about the ferry troubles on Saturday and Sunday, but said her trip was fine and on time.

"We all depend on the ferries," she said. "You have to be flexible."

Jeffrey traveled to both Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard during the busy weekend. "I think the terminal staff did a great job in an awful situation," he said.

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This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: 'Overall failure.' Answers sought after ferry cancellations, delays in Woods Hole