Passengers Stranded On Vineyard Ferry

Just minutes after setting sail from Martha's Vineyard on Saturday evening, the ferry with the same name lost power and left its passengers stranded at sea. The recently refurbished boat was headed for Wood's Hole at the time, but broke down just 15 minutes into the trip.

According to the US Coast Guard, there were 78 passengers and 10 crew members aboard the ferry "Martha's Vineyard" when it became disabled at around 9 pm. They responded to the ship captain's request for assistance with a cutter from Wood's Hole.

After the ferry's crew were unable to restart the engines, the boat was towed back to Vineyard Haven, arriving at around 2 am on Sunday. There were no injuries, but passengers had to endure the chilly temperatures as there was no heat on the ship once it broke down. Those on board were offered hotel accommodations for that night.

This particular ferry recently went back into service after an 18-million-dollar refurbishing project. Th vessel is now out of service as repairs are being made and the cause of the breakdown is being investigated.