Projo 7 to 7 News Blog

BLOCK ISLAND — Ferry service to Block Island is fully restored following last week’s collision between a ferry and a Coast Guard ice-breaking tug in dense fog.

Meanwhile, the National Transportation Safety Board and the Coast Guard are continuing their investigations into the midday collision. The Coast Guard did not expect to issue its final report on the crash for at least a month. The NTSB, which is the lead investigator, will probably not complete its findings for a year of more, said Bridget Serchak, spokeswoman for that agency.

NTSB investigators have looked at the ferry’s horn and radar system as well as downloaded electronic navigational data from the Coast Guard vessel, Serchak said.

The results of blood and alcohol tests of Coast Guard and ferry crew members are expected next week, Serchak said.

The 140-foot Morro Bay and the ferry, Block Island, collided in thick fog about 3 miles north of Block Island on Wednesday. The impact left a four-foot dent in the ferry’s bow and a gash on the rear starboard railing of the Morro Bay.

The ferry had left Point Judith in Narragansett at 11:45 a.m. carrying 257 people plus crew. No one was seriously injured, but three passengers were checked out at an island medical center.

Its captain, Steve Kimball, has worked for Interstate Navigation, the ferry company, for 20-plus years, said William A. McCombe, director of security for Interstate.

The Morro Bay was returning to its base in New London, Conn., following a ceremony the day before in Newport that installed Lt. Douglas Wyatt as its commanding officer. Wyatt enlisted in the Coast Guard in 1978 and has served as the officer in charge of the 65-foot ice-breaking tug Hawser and executive petty officer on the 65-foot ice-breaking tug Wire, according to the Coast Guard.

Block Island returned to service Saturday after being taken to Providence for minor work to repair the dent and getting cleared by the Coast Guard, McCombe said.

The Morro Bay is now docked at its homeport in New London, where it is undergoing previously scheduled maintenance and being used for training, Petty Officer Lauren Jorgensen said yesterday. Wyatt remains as its commanding officer, she said.

-- Journal staff writer Katie Mulvaney

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