MV ''Islander'' was a -long

ferry A ferry is a boat or ship that transports passengers, and occasionally vehicles and cargo, across a body of water. A small passenger ferry with multiple stops, like those in Venice, Italy, is sometimes referred to as a water taxi or water bus ...

operated by the Massachusetts Steamship Authority (SSA). The vessel served from 1950 to 2007, primarily on the route from

Woods Hole Woods Hole is a census-designated place in the town of Falmouth in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States. It lies at the extreme southwestern corner of Cape Cod, near Martha's Vineyard and the Elizabeth Islands. The population was 78 ...

. After a brief reprieve when the

State of New York New York, also called New York State, is a state in the northeastern United States. Bordered by New England to the east, Canada to the north, and Pennsylvania and New Jersey to the south, its territory extends into both the Atlantic Ocean and ...

tried to reuse the out-of service ferry for its route to

Governors Island Governors Island is a island in New York Harbor, within the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Manhattan. It is located approximately south of Manhattan Island, and is separated from Brooklyn to the east by the Buttermilk ...

, the vessel was put for sale for

scrap Scrap consists of recyclable materials, usually metals, left over from product manufacturing and consumption, such as parts of vehicles, building supplies, and surplus materials. Unlike waste, scrap can have monetary value, especially recover ...

. Failing to find a buyer, the vessel was auctioned off on

eBay eBay Inc. ( , often stylized as ebay) is an American multinational e-commerce company based in San Jose, California, that allows users to buy or view items via retail sales through online marketplaces and websites in 190 markets worldwide. ...

in 2009. The buyer and the State of New York ended up in litigation, before ''Islander'' was sold again in 2010 for scrap.

Career

The

was built in 1950 by

Maryland Drydock Company The Maryland Drydock Company was a shipbuilding company that operated in Baltimore, Maryland during the 20th century. The company started life in 1920 as the Globe Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company of Maryland. Its president at this time was B. ...

Baltimore, Maryland Baltimore is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the List of United States ...

. ''Islander'' was the first drive-through ferry, and the first able to transport truck-and-trailers that provided service for

Martha's Vineyard Martha's Vineyard, often simply called the Vineyard, is an island in the U.S. state of Massachusetts, lying just south of Cape Cod. It is known for being a popular, affluent summer colony, and includes the smaller peninsula Chappaquiddick Isla ...

, and Nantucket Steamship Authority, primarily on the Martha's Vineyard run, until March 5, 2007, when it was replaced with the new , which was both larger and faster than ''Islander''. ''Islander'' at its peak was able to transport over 700 passengers and 85 vehicles. Initially expected to be sold for

, ''Islander'' was saved in 2007 when the

made a late $500,000 bid to purchase the vessel for the Governors Island Preservation and Education Corporation (GIPEC) to provide additional ferry service between Manhattan and

. Following a more complete survey GIPEC determined that the ferry had hull damage from running aground and significant deferred maintenance, requiring $6,000,000 in repairs to retain its

United States Coast Guard The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and Admiralty law, law enforcement military branch, service branch of the armed forces of the United States. It is one of the country's eight Uniformed services ...

passenger certification. In February 2009, unable to sell the ferry through New York state property disposal process, ''Islander'' was put up for sale on

and sold to a speculator and scrap merchant from

Kinderhook, New York Kinderhook is a town in the northern part of Columbia County, New York, United States. The population was 8,330 at the 2020 census,U.S. Census, 2020, 'Kinderhook town, Columbia County, New York' making it the most populous municipality in Columb ...

for the winning bid of $23,600. In August 2009, the scrap merchant sought breach of contract by stating the state's refusal to issue a

bill of sale A bill of sale is a document that transfers ownership of goods from one person to another. It is used in situations where the former owner transfers possession of the goods to a new owner. Bills of sale may be used in a wide variety of transaction ...

wrecked his chance to sell it, suffering $171,400 in lost profits. He contended that state officials wanted him to sign a "docking agreement." State officials wanted the merchant to assume full liability for, and insure the vessel before tendering a bill of sale and allowing it to be moved. In 2010, the ferry was purchased by Donjon Marine Company of New Jersey, and moved to

Port Newark A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Hamburg, Manche ...

for eventual scrapping.

References

External links

Ferries of Massachusetts 1950 ships Martha's Vineyard Ships built in Baltimore {{ferry-stub