M/V Monomoy enters service

NANTUCKET (April 17, 2026) – The M/V Monomoy, the third of three sister ships converted by the Woods Hole, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket Steamship Authority for use as a freight vessel, entered service today with its inaugural run on the Hyannis-Nantucket route.

The vessel arrived at the Hyannis Terminal at 11:30 a.m., where it loaded 10 cars, seven trucks and a school bus before departing for Nantucket. The vessel arrived at the Authority’s Nantucket Terminal at 2:45 p.m. A brief commissioning celebration was held, including the ceremonial christening performed by Steamship Authority General Manager Alex Kryska, prior to the vessel reloading for its next departure.

The M/V Monomoy 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 Barnstable and M/V Aquinnah, 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. The M/V Barnstable and M/V Aquinnah were commissioned in 2024 and 2025, respectively.

The M/V Monomoy departed Alabama Shipyard on January 5, 2026. The vessel made fueling stops in Tampa, Florida, Port Everglades, Florida, and Morehead City, North Carolina, before arriving at the Authority’s Fairhaven Vessel Maintenance Facility on January 19, 2026. The vessel remained berthed there for its final outfitting and U.S. Coast Guard inspections until departing at 8 a.m. today to enter service.

“The M/V Monomoy entering service is an important milestone for the Steamship Authority’s four-year project to modernize its fleet with the purchase of these three vessels,” said Kryska. “Having three like-new vessels with an identical design provides significant operational upgrades for our operation, including the interchangeability of spare parts and commonalities in crew training. They will provide reliable, efficient service to our customers and the islands for decades to come.”

During the M/V Monomoy 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.

The vessel’s name was chosen as part of a 2022 naming contest that generated more than 8,000 entries. Laura Wulfson of Boston was selected as the winner of a $250 Steamship Authority gift card for being one of the individuals who submitted the M/V Monomoy as a suggestion in the contest.

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 2025, more than 2.9 million passengers and more than 674,000 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. 

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