Mysterious Damage To Steamship Authority Vessel's Propellers Under Investigation

The Steamship Authority has discovered significant damage to the propellers of its new freight boat, the M/V Barnstable, and the source of the damage remains a mystery.

The damage was noticed during an annual dive survey conducted on all Steamship Authority vessels and required an emergency unscheduled dry-docking of the Barnstable. The damaged propellers were replaced while the vessel was docked in Fairhaven, Mass.

“We're still investigating into when and where this damage could have occurred, because, as of this moment, no reports were made from the vessel,” Steamship Authority director of engineering and maintenance Zachary Lawrence said at Tuesday's Steamship Authority Port Council meeting.

The Steamship Authority does not know where, when, or how the damage occurred.

“We were very surprised to find this, and it's alarming to us because we don't know where it happened,” Steamship Authority Chief Operating Officer Mark Amundsen said. “Right now, we're at a loss.”

The Barnstable operates at a similar draft, or depth, as other boats in the Steamship’s fleet that travel the same route.

“This is unbelievable,” Nat Lowell, Nantucket’s representative on the Port Council, said.

Amundsen said that the damage was caused by the propeller blades hitting a hard object, such as a rock. A pattern of deep scraping across the front of the vessel caused by “what appeared to be non-sand” suggests the damage to the propellers may have occurred while the vessel was turning.

“We’re still working on it, we’re working hard on it,” Amundsen said.

Amundsen said the Steamship Authority is surveying an area near Hyannis where the damage may have occurred with side-scan sonar and a remotely operated vehicle.

“We suspect an area in Hyannis,” he said. “Right now, we don't know exactly where it happened.”

The findings of the survey, as well as any other updates, will be reported next month.