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The Mount when originally put into service in late 1940 had some initial performance problems. The boat was steam powered and due to boiler heating problems and propeller cavitation, her cruising speed was lower than expected. She could not make her 65 mile four port run in four hours or under. She took nearly twice the normal four hours to complete the trip even with Center Harbor being omitted from the ports of call. The boiler problems were remedied by adjusting the boiler oil burners. The two propellers were not sitting deep enough in the water to get the bite they needed to drive the vessel. This problem was corrected by adding horizontal plates over each propeller to prevent the propeller cavitation that was caused by the propeller breaking the water surface.

The SS MT. WASHINGTON II had other problems mainly being financial. The boat had a very short operating season in 1940, and cost of operation increased immensely in 1941 due to shortages caused by the War in Europe. Income was inadequate to keep the boat in operation, and with the US entering WWII, the owners of the new SS MT WASHINGTON II declared bankruptcy in August of 1942. The boat sat idle during the war years at Center Harbor. Her steam engines commandeered by the Coast Guard during this lay-up period.

In 1946 the new owners of the Mount installed two new Enterprise diesel engines, 615 horsepower each to replace the steam plant that had been taken out in 1942. The pilot house was moved from the second deck to the third deck to provide for better visability and more passenger room. The official name of the vessel was changed from S.S. MT. WASHINGTON II to M.V. MOUNT WASHINGTON without the roman numeral II, and with full spelling of Mount.