M/V Aquinnah, M/V Monomoy Join Steamship Authority Fleet Following Board Vote

NANTUCKET (September 27, 2022) – The two offshore supply vessels joining the Steamship Authority’s fleet in 2023 will be named the M/V Aquinnah and the M/V Monomoy following two unanimous votes by the Authority Board on Tuesday morning at its monthly meeting, held on Nantucket.

The Woods Hole, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket Steamship Authority announced the purchase of the two offshore supply vessels (OSVs) from Hornbeck Offshore Services of Covington, Louisiana, in August 2022. The sister ships, formerly used to service the oil and gas industry off the Gulf Coast, will ultimately replace the open-deck freight vessels M/V Gay Head and M/V Katama. The Authority closed on the purchase on Thursday, September 22, 2022. Under the terms of the purchase-and-sale agreement, the vessels must be renamed within 30 days of the closing date.

The Authority held a naming contest to solicit public input on its vessel names. More than 8,000 entries were received, totaling more than 9,000 names in the contest, which ended September 5, 2022. Two winners of a $250 SSA gift card will be randomly selected from those who submitted the winning names to the contest. Those winners will also be invited to help welcome the vessels when they join the Steamship Authority’s service, which is expected to occur in late spring and early summer 2023.

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 2021, more than 2.7 million passengers and more than 700,000 vehicles 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.

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