Concrete Dolphin Collapses, North Slip At Steamboat Wharf Closed After Ferry Collision

A massive concrete dolphin at Steamboat Wharf collapsed into Nantucket Harbor Saturday evening after it was hit by a departing ferry, forcing the Steamship Authority to indefinitely shut down the north slip and launch an investigation into the incident.

The structure, one of eleven at Steamboat Wharf that were installed decades ago to assist the Steamship Authority vessels while docking, is now considered a hazard to navigation, according to Nantucket Harbormaster Sheila Lucey. The 10-foot section is submerged just one to two feet below the waterline and has been marked with several buoys by Lucey's staff.

"Mariners are requested to use extreme caution while transiting that area and avoid approaching the markings at all costs," Lucey stated. 

While the concrete dolphins are designed to absorb impacts by the Steamship Authority vessels while they are docking, the collision with the port side of the M/V Eagle ferry as it was departing the north slip at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday knocked the concrete "clump" clean off its metal pilings.

"The north slip at the Nantucket Terminal is currently out of service, and it will remain closed for an undetermined period while the scope of the needed repairs is determined," Steamship Authority communications director Sean Driscoll said in a statement released Sunday morning. "The south slip remains fully operational. Travelers should expect delays on the high-speed passenger ferry M/V Iyanough due to the north slip being out of service."

Driscoll added that the Steamship is arranging for divers to inspect the pilings and assess any damage, as well as determine the precise location of the concrete structure beneath the water. The boat line is also planning to inspect the remaining dolphins at Steamboat Wharf.

A passenger aboard the M/V Eagle at the time of the collision, Michael Taylor, shared this account of what he saw and heard on the trip:

“As the 5:30 pm Steamship Authority ferry was departing Nantucket it hit the last dolphin, not too hard but I heard a big splash and when I looked over the side the dolphin was gone with some flotsam in the water and piles sticking up," Taylor stated in a message to the Current. "Reported it to one of the crew members and they weren’t too concerned. However, as we were approaching Hyannis, the crewman tracked me down and brought me to the bridge to talk to the Captain, who wanted to know what I saw. He also showed me a picture of the missing dolphin taken from the freight ferry that arrived after we left. Later, I tracked down the passenger who video’d the whole thing. It appeared that the dolphin had been damaged before and collapsed after a minor bump.”

In its statement released Sunday morning, the Steamship Authority claimed the M/V Eagle did not sustain any damage as a result of the collision.

"The crew of the M/V Eagle were made aware of the incident during the vessel’s trip to Hyannis," the boat line stated. "When the vessel arrived, the crew performed a thorough inspection of the vessel, and no damage was discovered. The M/V Eagle was allowed to make its scheduled 8 p.m. departure after consultation with the U.S. Coast Guard."