The state doesn’t yet have a timeline for repairs on the ferry that ran aground off the coast of Vinalhaven Thursday, officials said.
The incident damaged both of the Capt. Richard G. Spear’s propellers, and left the ferry with a bent starboard rudder. The port rudder is missing entirely, but could be recovered by divers, officials said.
The vessel, operated by the Maine State Ferry Service, was on a regularly scheduled trip between Vinalhaven and Rockland when it ran aground around 10:30 a.m. Thursday. It is now being kept at the Rockland Marine Corp. shipyard for repairs, said Paul Merrill, spokesperson for the Maine Department of Transportation, which oversees ferry services.
“The Maine State Ferry Service does not have an estimated cost of repair or timeline for the Spear to return to service,” Merrill said.
The ship had already been scheduled to be taken out of service next week for a routine Coast Guard inspection, Merill said. The Capt. E. Frank Thompson and the Capt. Charles Philbrook ferries will fill in while the Spear is repaired.
The incident is being investigated by the U.S. Coast Guard, as is routine with groundings.
The department did not release the name of the captain of the vessel at the time the ship went aground, but Merrill said they were a long-time employee with experience traveling the route.