Hy-Line Cruises to Add High-Speed Ferry for Nantucket Service by 2028

Hy-Line Cruises announced plans to deploy a new high-speed ferry to serve Nantucket, expanding the fleet, with delivery targeted for early to mid-2028. The project was revealed during a joint meeting of the Steamship Authority's (SSA) Board of Governors and Port Council as Hy-Line sought license renewal to operate the service.

"It will be a sister ship to the Gray Lady IV because we already have a design. We already have that in place, and we know we have no issues operationally with her in terms of accessing our facilities," Murray Scudder, president of Hy-Line Cruises, told the Nantucket Current. "We're very excited."

The Gray Lady IV, the fleet's newest vessel, built in 2016 in Somerset, Massachusetts, is a 151-foot catamaran capable of 30 knots and is one of four high-speed ferries in the fleet. The new vessel will be built to the same design and drawing on existing operational experience, with construction set to take place at a Gulf Coast shipyard.

SSA data provided to the Current from outgoing general manager Bob Davis reveal that Hy-Line carried approximately 900,000 passengers in 2023 with $2.9 million in license fees, roughly 940,000 passengers in 2024 with $3.3 million in fees, and approximately 2.6 million passengers through October this year, potentially surpassing prior totals.

Hy-Line's operation of ferries to Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard is regulated by the SSA under a 1960 framework, requiring SSA board approval and payment of license fees.

Hy-Line executives cited aging vessels and maintenance challenges to explain why a new high-speed ferry is needed to improve reliability during outages and routine maintenance.