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Minivan crashed on ferry deck
One person was injured when a minivan drove at a high rate of speed onto the 'Island Home' at Martha's Vineyard and crashed on July 8, 2026, at around 9:15 a.m. at the Steamship Authority's Vineyard Haven Terminal. The white minivan drove at a high rate of speed onto the vehicle deck of the ferry prior to boarding. The vehicle traversed the length of the deck, which was empty at the time, and hit the vessel’s stern loading doors on the far side of the deck. Steamship Authority personnel immediately responded, along with local and state law enforcement and emergency personnel. One person, who was in the minivan, was taken from the scene by emergency personnel for treatment. No other passengers or crew members were injured. Whike the minivan was removed from the ferry, trips on the 'Island Home' through the noon departure were cancelled. In an update shortly before noon, the Steamship Authority said the ship was cleared by the U.S. Coast Guard to return to Woods Hole, where maintenance personnel assessed the damage and determined if any repairs were needed. The 'Sankaty' was scheduled to run in place of the 'Island Home', starting with the 1:15 p.m. departure from Woods Hole. Continued delays were expected throughout the day. All trips were run from the Vineyard Haven Terminal during the day, with no trips to or from Oak Bluffs. Report with photos: https://www.boston25news.com/news/local/driver-injured-crash-while-boarding-marthas-vineyard-ferry/DJINXL3NSFBAPIULCLR6BDFW2Y/
Sailings cancelled due to valve issue
On Dec 10, 2024, the 'Island Home' had to cancel sailings due to a reduction pressure relief valve that needed to be replaced. The 'Island Home' was still waiting in Woods Hole for repairs as of Dec 12, as a technician had to bring a replacement part from Louisiana first. The ferry line had warned passengers there may be cutoffs for passengers and vehicles since the 'Katama' is smaller than the 'Island Home'.
Ferry had near miss
The ÄIsland Home' was in a near collision with the 80-foot charter fishing vessel 'Helen H' from Hyannis, on March 23, 2023, at 8.30 a.m. about midway through a route from Woods Hole to Vineyard Haven. The fishing vessel came out of the fog and swerved off course before it would have collided with the ferry. The 'Helen H.' originally had a course that gave plenty of space between the 'Island Home', but the skipper changed direction within a short distance. The captain of the 'Island Home' was forced to stop the ferry abruptly. The 'Island Home' captain had to throttle down to allow for the sudden change in course of the other vessel, but it didn’t result in any intervention by the Coast Guard.
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