Eversource completes undersea boring samples

Vineyard residents may have noticed an odd-looking vessel in Vineyard Sound, and inside Vineyard Haven Harbor, over the past couple of weeks.

The Northstar Voyager, with three pier-looking attachments, has been providing testing for a proposed Eversource cable-laying project between Falmouth and the Vineyard. 

The Voyager is equipped with a 50-ton crane, and has a maximum working depth of 100 feet, according to Northstar Marine Services, the ship’s operator.

Eversource spokesperson Christopher McKinnon said that the marine boring vessel was conducting boring samples along an existing Eversource submarine cable route. He said the project is to better understand the underwater soil conditions and composition, prior to laying cables.

The Martha’s Vineyard “reliability project” proposes adding a fifth electric cable from Falmouth to Martha’s Vineyard; it also proposes replacing an existing cable that had a fault in 2021. McKinnon says that Eversource has received the necessary land permits for the project, but is still in the permitting phase for the underwater portion.

The Eversource spokesperson says the crews have completed collecting soil samples, and no further testing is scheduled as of Wednesday.