After an $18m overhaul, one Steamship Authority boat reeked of sewage. Then things got worse

Under fire for recent breakdowns on ferries to Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket, the head of the Steamship Authority this week cast blame on a Rhode Island-based contractor for many of the mechanical failures and said the agency will demand money from the company for shoddy work.

That accusation sets up a potential feud with the contractor, Senesco Marine — one of just two companies the authority regularly relies on for major boat projects — at the moment the high season kicks off this weekend.

Three of the agency’s boats were sent to Senesco for long-scheduled upgrades in recent months, including an $18 million “mid-life” overhaul to a vessel called the Martha’s Vineyard. All three subsequently came back with a laundry list of problems, according to Steamship Authority general manager Robert B. Davis.

Internal documents, obtained by the Globe through a public records request to the quasi-public agency, show that the Martha’s Vineyard suffered more than 250 issues, including a pervasive stench of sewage and mechanical problems that Steamship staff attributed to “poor workmanship” and “improperly installed” parts.

Read more: http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2018/05/25/after-overhaul-one-steamship-authority-boat-reeked-sewage-then-things-got-worse/h2rsUk3UCFM4QUfhw04V1N/story.html