SSA's Iyanough loses power and is cancelled
BY MARY LANCASTER INDEPENDENT WRITER
The Steamship Authority's sleek new fast ferry Iyanough had to be cancelled for the first time since her spring launch when she lost power shortly after leaving Hyannis yesterday morning.

The Independent file The Iyanough, rounding Brant Pint for the first time on March 24 of this year.

SSA General Manager Wayne Lamson explained that the vessel is propelled by water thrust from its four water jets that each connect to an engine. For reasons unknown as of yesterday afternoon, the boat's battery charger was not properly charging the batteries that connect to computers which control the jets. When a low voltage alarm went on and the breaker shut down the captain returned to Hyannis using two jets and two round-trip runs had to be cancelled to investigate the situation.

The SSA refunded the ticket price for those who were to take the Iyanough. The traditional ferry Eagle, which was to leave Nantucket at noon, was held to accommodate people waiting to take the Iyanough, as was the Nantucket, set to depart Hyannis at 1 p.m.

Lamson anticipated that the Iyanough's schedule would resume at 4:30 p.m. yesterday and did not view the battery problem as a harbinger of ill fate.

The Iyanough - built for $9.6 million by Somerset-based ship builder Duclos Corp., doing business as Gladding-Hearn, the same company that built the Hy-Line's boats - replaced the Flying Cloud, a five-yearold fast ferry that has been plagued by mechanical problems that caused it to miss well over 1,000 trips since it was launched.

The Iyanough can carry 350 passengers and have capacity to travel at 35 knots. It has four engines, two decks, and surpassed its competitor, Derecktor Shipyard CONN, LLC, in many considerations including maintenance and repair, contractor experience, ride quality, wake wash energy and other operational and rider-friendly details. According to the appraisal, Gladding- Hearn's proposal composite was considered "highly advantageous."

Derecktor proposed a 350-passenger boat as well as a 400-passenger ferry. Gladding-Hearn not only won out in features, but also came in at the lowest bid price. Derecktor's 350-person boat was estimated at $11,373,981 and its

larger boat at $12,418,450. I