Looks like an opportunity to aquire her at a good price for preservation. that is if you have the money to make her seaworthy. Let us hope she goes to a good home.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Boats_Other-Boats__STEEL-PASSENGER-VEHICLE-FERRY_W0QQitemZ220359005908QQddnZBoatsQQadiZ2797QQddiZ2831QQadnZOtherQ20BoatsQQcmdZViewItemQQptZOther_Boats?hash=item220359005908&_trksid=p4506.c0.m245&_trkparms=72%3A317%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318
here is th ink to the news article
http://timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=772047

"Engines and generators in good condition, vessel in poor condition" about sums it up. Sorry to see the ISLANDER come to the end of the line, she was a really unique and amazingly useful vessel in the Woods Hole, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket Steamship Authority fleet. She got the two eight-cylinder 645 main engines in the 1990s after she established a new record for destroying piers when the old Fairbanks Morse OPs stalled a couple times during the difficult cross current approach in Woods Hole. The 8-645s were fitted with "full heavy" marine flywheels suitable for a 20-645, and very "fast" Rentjes hydraulic clutch marine reversing gears. After the conversion she could slam through a full RPM ahead to full RPM astern in less than 20 seconds and could come to a stop from full ahead in less than three boat lengths. She was in fact slightly sway backed from a grounding decades ago and the engine bed that the SSA's marine engineer designed for the two EMDs was truly a masterpiece, built partly across the remaining bed of the original (prior to the OPs) Fairbanks Morse reversible marine engine. A great boat, lots of wonderful memories.

PC

OK, what's she doing in NY Harbor, at Governor's Island?

Howard P.

Read the article linked in the first post, Howie. That should explain everything, if only badly.

ISLANDER was retired when the new double-ender ISLAND HOME was put into service, and was subsequently purchased as a service vessel for Governors Island. It was intended that she would be used to transport construction vehicles and contractors trucks to the island, but subsequent surveys of the hull showed a lot of thin plates and now she is being auctioned rather than make the repairs.

I doubt she will go to any preservation group. Those 8-645 EMD engines and gears, and the CAT ships service generator sets, are not very old and somebody will buy this boat to scrap her for the engines.

Maybe I can buy the section of deck plating in the front wheelhouse where I was standing for the last trip from the Vineyard to Woods Hole.

PC

Sorry, that's what I get for going right to the E-bay listing!!

Howard P.
not a bidder...on that one

I too have taken her on the trip out to the island of Martha's Vinyard. She is one of the last of the classic ferrys that still looked good.

The modern boats that came after her had gothing in the way of her classic good looks!

After the problems that arose in trying to preserve the Island steamer Nobska I doubt that anyone in the maritime community is going to be willing to preserve her.

Ted Miles

Following up on this discussion, I heard recently that the ISLANDER was sold in the eBay auction to a group of people who plan on using the vessel to live on. This is becoming increasingly common now in very high rent districts, there are a number of people who own inoperative tugboats for this same purpose.

PC

I just received the first June issue of Boats and Harbors, the classified ads printed on yellow paper, and there is a photo of the Islander with the header "Ferry Boat for Sale - Back on the Market". So, I wonder what the real story is.

The asking price is $200K, with a 518 phone number. Of course, after reading the Marine Surveyor's report, I think most of the value there would be in the main propulsion plant and the ship's service generators. As I remember, most of the photo captions used the word "wasted" in describing the steel structure of the vessel.

What's this got to do with Railway Preservation? just asking.

Len.

Everything

The vessel in question served a route which was once operated by the Old Colony Steamship company, a subsidiary of the Old Colony Railroad, which also operated the narrow gage line on Martha's Vineyard. The pier at Wood's Hole was served by the Old Colony/New Haven so the ferry can be considered to be a link in the rail journey to Egartown.

GME

" She was in fact slightly sway backed from a grounding decades ago "

What is going on here is that the boat is "Hogged". The entire keel is gone and once they get hogged it is the end of the line. It isn't necessarily from being grounded but more that it is a consequence of being a boat. It just happens and it happens to all of them if they are operated beyond their lifespan.

As a trombonist, I was wondering just what Tommy Dorsey had to do with the Phoebe Snow. And the actor is Jimmy STEWART.

Well I'm sure they road the train once and a while. :)
another thing EMD your on the wrong thread. lol.

Len.

This is the proper thread as you raised the question of relevance; besides which I will lay odds that the Dorseys, Fred Waring (when he was not experimenting with kitchen gadgets), and Les Brown all probably played on or visited the Vineyard at one time or another and can be presumed to have taken the ferry to get there.

GME

Note:
EMD is the common abbreviation for a locomotive manufacturer
EDM is a retired NCO who plays a mean trombone and can rewire an Alco electrical cabinet.