The MV Island Home Rolls into the Sea

Oh oh oh, it is sooo nice to be on vacation on the very familiar island of Martha’s vineyard. Everything here is what I’m used to, this little cottage with all of the same age-old knick knacks, and the front porch where we lazily read and sit and watch the birds splash in the birdbathes. We are truly on vacation, evidenced by the fact that I haven’t phoned the cafe or worried about bills.

We strolled downtown and picked up the Martha’s Vineyard Times, where I read about the next generation of ferryboat that will be entering service here next year. The MV (that stands for Motor Vessel)Island Home has just rolled into the sea in Mississippi, and many of the Steamship Authority brass went down for the big event. There was barbecue and solace for the troubles the yard had with the fall hurricanes that put the project behind schedule.

To get the big vessel into the water, a crew of welders sychronize their watches to cut steel plates all at once, and after they are all done cutting they jump out of the way and the 255-foot-long ship slides down greased logs on its side, and quickly rights itself.

Features of the MV Island Home include room inside for 650 passengers (up from 387 on today’s biggest boat) and 76 cars. Inside there is a hydraulic lift so there are no annoying poles to jockey around when you’re parking. Plus there will be bigger food court and room for 1200 passengers total. Maybe they will even have–gasp–WiFi on board!