By Associated Press - Wednesday, June 20, 2018

HYANNIS, Mass. (AP) - The Steamship Authority has selected a Seattle-based consulting firm to review its operations following a rash of cancellations.

The Cape Cod Times reports that the board for the agency that provides ferry service between mainland Massachusetts and Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard voted Tuesday to enter into contract negotiations with HMS Consulting and Technical LLC.

The decision to seek independent review came after dozens of residents voiced frustrations over hundreds of cancellations caused largely by mechanical problems. In a May report, the authority said it had experienced cancellations that are 15 times the yearly average. In one prominent incident, a ferry lost power off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard on March 17, stranding 72 passengers for five hours.

HMS’s proposal came in about $300,000 lower than the other top contender.

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This story has been corrected to show that the report about cancellations came out in May, not in March.

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Information from: Cape Cod (Mass.) Times, http://www.capecodtimes.com

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