The Steamship Authority’s freight ferry Katama failed its sea trials on Thursday, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.
“The Coast Guard inspector did not clear it to return to service,” Coast Guard Petty Officer Zachary Hupp said Friday.
The ferry went out of service last month after it lost some of its steering capabilities midvoyage off Nobska Light. The ferry later went to Fairhaven for a more thorough inspection and was expected to go back into service on Thursday.
But the Coast Guard requested additional repairs, including the reinforcement of pins that secure the hydraulic ram on the vessel, Steamship spokesman Sean Driscoll wrote in an email.
“Once those are completed, we expect to be cleared to sail without need for an additional sea trial,” he wrote. “The machining of the pins is underway now.”
The Katama can carry about 150 people and 39 vehicles. It normally makes the run between Woods Hole and Martha’s Vineyard.
