The Steamship Authority board of governors will hold a special meeting next week to vote on a contract to convert three newly purchased vessels into freight ferries.

The lowest bid to do the work is about $20 million for each boat, general manager Robert Davis said Tuesday.

The Oak Bluffs Select board held a special meeting on August 24 to discuss with Beach Road Weekend proprietor Adam Epstein a schedule of nighttime water taxis from Oak Bluffs to transport festival attendees.

The Steamship Authority is preparing to purchase two Louisiana-based offshore supply vessels for conversion into freight ferries to replace the aging M/V Gay Head and M/V Katama.

The Oak Bluffs select board discussed diverting ferries in late August to accommodate Beach Road Weekend, but stopped short of endorsing or condemning the idea.

The Island Queen ferry has updated the ways passengers can book tickets in advance.

The good ship Chappy, huge freight scow which will this summer transport freight and automobiles over to Chappaquiddick Point and back, was the cynosure of all eyes Sunday, when she steamed all over the harbor. With Engineers Joe Costa and Jesse Jeffers coaxing the automobile engine turning the propeller, Capt. Tony Bettencourt walking the bridge, Joe Brown and Oscar at the tiller ropes, swinging the craft around in her own length, the scow made triumphant progress, loaded to the ribands with free passengers and accompanied by a great deal of assorted and uncalled for advice.

This new and superior steamer arrived at this port on her first trip from New Bedford, on Saturday last. Our old and much esteemed friend, Capt. Cromwell, who commands her, is greatly pleased with her, in every respect and thinks her a better boat than was the Eagle’s Wing. We hope to see her well patronized. Since the old boat was burned, the Vineyard people have suffered much for want of a regular communication with the main land.

We are informed that at a meeting composed of the Directors of N. B. & T. B. R. R., together with the officers of the Boston & Providence Rail Road, and some influential capitalists of this and other cities, it was resolved to order the building of a first-class steamboat of 360 tons buthen, to ply between this city and Nantucket. As the Massachusetts is to be placed on the route between Nantucket and Hyannis, an arrangement like this is rendered absolutely necessary to supply the wants of the traveling public, as well as our business men who have relations with the Island.

The new and beautiful steamer Metacomet, which is to ply between this place and Fairhaven, arrived here, on her first trip, Thursday afternoon. As the Metacomet rounded the East Chop, a cannon was fired as a signal of her approach; and as she entered our harbor, a salute of fifty guns, and the hearty cheers of our people, welcomed her arrival among us.