our Newsletter:
News & Announcements
Presidents' Day Holiday Schedule
Monday, February 20, 2012 is Presidents' Day and we will be running a modified holiday schedule as follows:
- Additional 5:05 am departure to Downbay Islands
- Additional 6:45 am departure to Peaks Island (Departs Peaks at 7:15 am)
- No 7:45 am departure to Innerbay Islands
- No 8:30 pm departure to Innerbay Islands
- Last boat to Peaks Island departs Portland at 9:15 pm
Maquoit II Offline
The Maquoit II will be out of service for a routine dry dock and Coast Guard hull inspection beginning in early March. Depending on the weather, it is anticipated the work should take approximately 4-5 weeks.
While the Maquoit is out of service, it will be important for customers to schedule large commercial freight orders, including lumber, through the District's Freight Office at (207) 774-7871 (ext. 116). In order to assist with transport of commercial freight, the Machigonne II will generally be operated, weather permitting, on the 10:00 Down Bay departure each Wednesday while the Maquoit is at the shipyard. Once again, please coordinate large or commercial shipments through the District's Freight Office.
Save the Date: Annual Inter-Island Cruise
Save the date for the 5th Annual Inter-Island Cruise, Friday, March 9, 2012 from 6:00 to 10:30 PM.
The Bay Mist will depart Portland at 6:00 PM, stop at all the islands to pick up passengers, and remain docked at Cliff for approximately one hour. The purpose of this cruise is to provide an opportunity for islanders, both year round and summer residents, to mingle, eat, drink, dance, and have a good time. The theme this year will be celebrating 30 years of CBITD!
Employee Recognition
From a customer:
"My husband and I want to thank the freight department at CBL for going above and beyond to provide us with a shipment of an electric piano to the island. The 'delivery' company removed all protective wrapping when the piano reached the ferry terminal. Rob alerted us to the fact the piano was unprotected and he and others on the crew worked with my husband to secure it and protect from the winter elements. Even though they were not responsible for the condition of the piano they were concerned and wanted to see it protected—the 'delivery' company who was responsible was more concerned about their blankets than the condition of an expensive piece of furniture. Thank you, Casco Bay Lines. We like your attitude!"
Thank you to Operations Agent Rob Anderson for a job well done.
CBITD Board of Directors Election Results
Congratulations to newly re-elected board members Scott Johnston (Little Diamond) and Patrick Flynn (Peaks Island), and to the newly elected Roger Robinson (Great Diamond).
The CBITD Board of Directors has elected the Board Officers for Fiscal Year 2012. They are:
- Patrick Flynn, President
- Frank Peretti, 1st Vice President
- Scott Johnston, 2nd Vice President
- Bill Overlock, Treasurer
- Dan Doane, Clerk
- Charles Burr, Assistant Clerk
Committees for the upcoming year are currently being formed. If you are interested in serving please contact Board President Flynn or Administrative Assistant Kristen Higham. The committees are Operations, Finance, Government Relations, Sales & Marketing, and Rate Structure.
Contact information for the CBITD Board of Directors may be found on our Board & Committees page.
Schedule Change to Chebeague Island
At its meeting on Tuesday, December 21, 2010, the CBITD Board of Directors voted unanimously to change the 6:45 PM departure time from Chebeague Island to a 6:35 PM departure time. This change will go into effect again this year on Wednesday, November 2, 2011, and will conclude at the end of the Winter Sailing Schedule on April 20, 2012. This change will allow Cliff Island passengers to get home a little earlier and not impact other services.
Winter Sailing Schedule and Off-Peak Rates
The Winter Sailing Schedule is in effect through April 20, 2012. Please see our Sailing Schedule page for more information or to download a copy of the schedule.
Off-peak rates are in effect through April 20, 2012. Please see our Passenger Fares page and our Vehicle Rates page for more information.
Notice of Rate Change to Great Diamond, Diamond Cove, and Long Island, Effective October 11, 2011
The Board of Directors took action on this rate change at their February 2011 meeting. The action was regarding adding a new 4:15 pm run for Diamond Cove and Long Island during the winter schedule, and implementing a fare increase for all year-round service going to Great Diamond, Diamond Cove, and Long Island to cover the costs of this additional 4:15 pm service.
Notice is hereby given that effective October 11, 2011, Casco Bay Island Transit District is increasing passenger rates to Great Diamond and Long Islands and adding a new freight rate price for fuel carried on a vehicle. A public hearing and Board of Directors vote and approval on the passenger rate changes were conducted on February 24, 2011. A public hearing and Board of Directors vote and approval on the additional freight rate were conducted on May 26, 2011.
The adult passenger ticket to Great Diamond Island, Diamond Cove and Long Island will increase by $0.40 with half the increase applicable to elderly, disabled and children. The associated commuter books, monthly and annual passes will increase by $1.40, $6.00 and $66.00 respectively. A freight category for "fuel carried on vehicle per 100 lbs" will be added with an Off-Peak price of $0.90 and a Peak Season price of $1.45.
Any 50 or more ratepayers may file pursuant to 35A M.S.R.A., Section 1302, a written request with the Maine Public Utilities Commission in Augusta for an investigation of the actual rate changes ultimately adopted by the Transit District.
Government Relations Cruise a Success
On Wednesday, September 14, 2011, Casco Bay Lines hosted a government relations cruise to give our federal, state, and local representatives an opportunity to get to know our needs and operation better. We took 45 people down the bay on the Aucocisco III to let them experience a working boat. On the return trip we stopped at each island for them to see the docking facilities. The reaction from all our guests was very positive and we believe should something come before them pertaining to us they will remember who we are.
The Board of Directors Government Relations Committee, chaired by Matt Hoffner, developed the idea. Kristen Higham, Administrative Assistant, was instrumental in putting it all together, and the crew of Andy Gildart, Marc Elliot, and Emily Maddix did an outstanding job that night.
In a note to General Manager Hank Berg, Rep. Terry Hayes said "Thank you, your staff, and your Board for a delightful cruise in Casco Bay yesterday. It was a great way to learn more about your organization and the people/communities you serve."
Casco Bay Lines Named Best Boat Ride
Casco Bay Lines won first place in the "Best Boat Tour" category in the 25th Annual Maine Sunday Telegram Reader's Choice Awards. The winners were announced in the Sunday, July 31st Audience section of the Maine Sunday Telegram. If you missed it, click here.
In its July 2011 issue, Down East magazine scored the state to find the "Best of Maine." For the second consecutive year, Casco Bay Lines was named "best boat ride." For a link to the article please click here.
Casco Bay Lines' New Vessel Has a Name
With help from the four island schools, Casco Bay Lines’ Board of Directors has voted to name the new vessel the Wabanaki.
At its Board meeting on Thursday, June 23, 2011, the CBL Board of Directors considered recommendations from the New Boat Advisory Committee on vessel naming suggestions.
Earlier this spring the New Boat Advisory Committee received support from the CBL Board to involve elementary aged students from the island schools in developing a list of potential names for the new boat. Sue Hemond, a member of the New Boat Advisory Committee, stated, “We received great cooperation from each of the schools and given the relatively short deadline, we were really impressed by the thoughtful response from the students.”
The committee received suggestions from each of the island schools, which included Peaks Island, Long Island, Chebeague Island, and Cliff Island. Paula Johnson from the Long Island school stated that “The children really enjoyed working this project into our curriculum. These children will be using the boat for years and being able to have input to her name made it a special project." Over 70 names were submitted during the process. The committee met to discuss the names and ultimately submitted six for the CBL Board to consider.
After considerable discussion, the CBL Board of Directors voted on the name Wabanaki. According to Wikipedia, Wabanaki is an area referred to as the "dawn land" by many Algonquian-speaking peoples to describe the Eastern region of the North American continent, generally described as being New England in the United States, plus Quebec and the Maritimes in Canada.
Construction of the Wabanaki is the result of funding that was secured through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of the Federal Government. This was a “shovel ready” project based on plans developed for the Aucocisco III, which was delivered in 2005, with some design modifications. The new vessel is being built by Blount Marine of Warren, RI and is expected to be delivered in spring of 2012.
The Wabanaki will be a positive addition to the current fleet and will replace the aging Island Romance that will be retired after the new boat arrives.
See our New Vessel page for more information about the Wabanaki.
Chebeague & Cliff Schedule Change and New Tariff Line Item
At its meeting on Thursday, May 26, 2011, the CBITD Board of Directors unanimously voted to modify the year-round Saturday and Sunday morning departures from Chebeague and Cliff Island. Beginning with the summer 2011 sailing schedule the departure times are as follows:
Saturday:
Depart Chebeague: 7:45 AM
Depart Cliff: 8:10 AM
Sunday:
Depart Chebeague: 7:35 AM
Depart Cliff: 8:00 AM
The CBITD Board also voted unanimously to approve a new tariff line item for a vehicle rate price for "all fuel" to be $1.45 per 100 lbs. during the peak season and a $.90 per 100 lbs. during the off-peak season. The rate would be effective October 11, 2011, pending PUC approval.
Electronic Ticketing
Casco Bay Lines has been researching and evaluating electronic ticketing in an effort to improve customer service, operational efficiencies and data collection and reporting. At its December meeting, the Board of Directors unanimously voted to proceed with the first step in electronic ticketing: testing barcode scanning and a self ticketing kiosk. The funding for this project is provided by the Federal Transit Administration with a small local match provided by the District.
It is projected that the ticket kiosk and barcode scanning capabilities will be operational in May. The barcode scanner will initially be tested on service to Peaks Island. The ticket kiosk will be located in the terminal, next to the ATM, and will dispense single adult tickets to all islands during the beginning phases of this project.
A self-ticketing kiosk will provide enhanced customer convenience and personal control over ticketing. The barcode scanning device will record important data at boarding by category (i.e. Senior, Adult, Child), ticket purchase date, and destination. This information will improve passenger ridership data collection currently required by the Federal Transit Administration and United States Coast Guard.
Assuming this project is successful, the next phase in the plan will be to implement barcode scanning at all the gates and for all the islands. Future initiatives may include, but are not limited to, adding the capability to purchase tickets on-line as well as offering prepaid plans in which the fare would be deducted from the balance each time the ticket is scanned.
New Vessel Displays
As a result of the work of the New Vessel Advisory Committee, visual displays of our new vessel are now being showcased in the lobby and on the Machigonne, Maquoit, Aucocisco, and Bay Mist. The purpose of this is to highlight the design changes that will make the new ferry more comfortable and efficient. An online display will also be available soon.
Preliminary design plans for the new vessel may be viewed here (you will need Adobe Reader to view this file).
New Vessel Preliminary Design & Notations (pdf)
Please remember that public input is always welcomed and the Board of Directors typically meets on the 4th Thursday of each month. Please see our Board & Committees page for a calendar of upcoming meetings.
WiFi Hotspot
We are pleased to announce that the Casco Bay Lines terminal and vessels Maquoit, Aucocisco, and Machigonne are now all WiFi hot spots. The WiFi project is sponsored by Andy's Old Port Pub, Clynk, Cockeyed Gull, and The Wyndham South Portland.
We hope that you will utilize this service next time you are in the terminal or on the Maquoit, Aucocisco, and Machigonne. We also welcome any feedback you may have.
Notice of Proposed DBE Goals
The Casco Bay Island Transit District (CBITD), a quasi-municipal ferryboat operator in Casco Bay, announces that its proposed DBE Goal for FY2011 and FY2012 is as follows:
Non-vehicle Capital Assistance Programs: 0.53% of funds expended in contracts funded in part by the Federal Transit Administration.
A description of how the goal was determined is available for inspection for 30 days from date of this notice during normal business hours at the District’s office located at 56 Commercial Street, P.O. Box 4646, Portland, Maine 04112. FTA and CBITD will accept comments on this goal for 45 days from the date of this notice. Comments may be sent to CBITD at the above address or to the Federal Transit Administration, Suite 920, 55 Broadway, Cambridge, MA, 02142. DBE businesses are encouraged to inform CBITD of products and services they have available by contacting R.S. Horr at 207-774-7871 ext 133. The District solicits and encourages Disadvantaged Business Enterprises/Women Business Enterprise participation in all federally funded projects.
Upcoming Meetings
Board and Committee meeting times may now be found on our Board & Committees page.
Sign Up for Our Newsletter
Our Newsletter will keep you informed with the latest news, meetings and events here at Casco Bay Lines, delivered right to your inbox!
We also offer occasional newsletters with information about upcoming music cruises(summer only) and special offers for private charters.
To sign up, simply enter your e-mail address in the form on the left, then choose the newsletter(s) you wish to receive.
Your first e-mail will be a subscriber verification request; please be sure to respond so that your subscription will become effective.
You may unsubscribe at any time by following the instructions in each newsletter.
Please be assured that Casco Bay Lines will not sell or share your e-mail address with anyone.
be here!
Click here for more information
We provide year-round ferry services, scenic cruises and boat tours from Portland, Maine to the islands of Casco Bay such as
Peaks Island, Little Diamond Island, Great Diamond Island, Diamond Cove, Long Island, Chebeague Island, Cliff Island, and Bailey Island.
We also offer scenic cruises, summer-time music cruises, private charters and lobster bakes. Join us and see where the Maine coast really begins!
About Us | Contact Us | Site Map | FAQs | Link To Us
All content © Casco Bay Island Transit District
Ferry Terminal: 56 Commercial Street, Portland, Maine | Mailing Address:P.O. Box 4656, Portland, ME 04112-4656
Phone: (207) 774-7871 | Fax: (207) 774-7875 | Email:info@cascobaylines.com
