Casco Bay Lines

Casco Bay Lines is the principal year-round ferry operator serving the islands of Casco Bay, Maine. Its service is centered on a terminal at the Maine State Pier in Portland and connects the mainland with Peaks Island, Little Diamond Island, Great Diamond Island, Diamond Cove, Long Island, Chebeague Island, and Cliff Island. The company combines scheduled passenger transportation with vehicle, freight, and mail service, making it an essential part of the islands’ infrastructure rather than simply a seasonal sightseeing operator. The service has roots in nineteenth-century steamship transportation. The Casco Bay Steamboat Company began permanent year-round island service in 1878, while the Harpswell Line began regular service to the outer bay islands in 1881. The two companies merged in 1907 as the Casco Bay and Harpswell Steamboat Company. That organization ceased operations in July 1919, in part because of conditions associated with World War I, and a smaller company using the Casco Bay Lines name was established later that year. The modern public-service structure dates from 1981, when emergency legislation created the Casco Bay Island Transit District, or CBITD. The district acquired the ferry assets through bankruptcy proceedings so that transportation between Portland and the islands could continue. CBITD is a nonprofit public organization governed by a twelve-member board. Ten directors are elected from island communities, while one is appointed by the City of Portland and another by the commissioner of the Maine Department of Transportation. Casco Bay Lines serves residents, workers, students, visitors, and commercial customers. Island residents depend on the ferries for commuting, shopping, medical access, deliveries, and other mainland connections. Students from the islands use the service to travel to school, while businesses and households rely on freight and mail operations. The system includes a vehicle ferry serving Peaks Island and a freight ferry serving the down-bay islands, including Long Island, Chebeague Island, and Cliff Island. Operations vary by route and season. Summer schedules generally provide more frequent trips, while winter schedules are reduced but remain structured around the transportation needs of year-round island communities. The Casco Bay Mail Boat route, which has roots extending back to the 1870s, provides a daily connection to several islands and is described as the longest-running mailboat service in the United States. The network also includes scheduled island ferries and sightseeing-oriented runs such as the Sunrise Run, Diamond Pass Run, and Sunset Run. The company operates a five-vessel fleet consisting, as of 2024, of Bay Mist, Machigonne II, Maquoit II, Aucocisco III, and Wabanaki. Its fleet is visually recognizable for a black, yellow, white, and red color pattern. Casco Bay Lines has also been evaluating fleet renewal, including a replacement for the aging Machigonne II. The planned replacement is intended to use hybrid-electric propulsion, representing a transition toward lower-emission technology. The Portland terminal was moved from Custom House Wharf to the former Franklin Street wharf at the Maine State Pier in the 1980s. A major renovation and expansion designed by Scott Simons Architects opened in 2014 and substantially increased the building’s size. The project subsequently received design recognition from professional architectural organizations. Today, Casco Bay Lines remains a regionally focused public transportation institution whose significance lies in reliable maritime access, continuity of island communities, and the integration of passenger, vehicle, freight, and mail services.

Casco Bay Lines belongs to a long tradition of steamship and ferry transportation in Casco Bay. The Casco Bay Steamboat Company began permanent year-round service to the bay’s islands in 1878. Three years later, the Harpswell Line started regular service to the outer islands. These operations reflected the islands’ dependence on water transportation for mail, cargo, travel, and communication with Portland, which served as the principal mainland commercial center. In 1907, the two lines consolidated as the Casco Bay and Harpswell Steamboat Company. The combined operation used steamboats to carry both passengers and cargo. Vessels associated with the historical service included Aucocisco, Maquoit, and Machigonne. The company’s operations were interrupted in July 1919 as a direct consequence of World War I. A smaller organization called Casco Bay Lines was created during the winter of 1919, preserving a transportation connection even though the earlier corporate structure had disappeared. The modern institution emerged during a later period of financial and operational instability. In 1981, emergency legislation established the Casco Bay Island Transit District, commonly abbreviated CBITD. The district acquired Casco Bay Lines assets through bankruptcy proceedings in order to prevent the loss of essential island transportation. This created a public, nonprofit operating framework focused on continuity of service rather than conventional private-carrier expansion. CBITD is governed by a twelve-member board. Island communities elect ten directors, while the City of Portland appoints one director and the commissioner of the Maine Department of Transportation appoints another. This governance model gives the communities most dependent on the ferries a formal role in decisions about schedules, fares, infrastructure, and fleet planning. The operator’s responsibilities extend beyond tourism. Island residents use the ferries to commute to employment, and schoolchildren living on the islands use them to travel to school from sixth grade onward. A vehicle ferry serves Peaks Island, while freight operations support the down-bay islands, including Long Island, Chebeague Island, and Cliff Island. The company also operates a mail route with historical roots in the nineteenth century. The Casco Bay Mail Boat currently links several islands on a year-round schedule, carrying mail and passengers over a route that takes approximately three hours. The company’s Portland facilities have changed as demand and operating requirements evolved. Casco Bay Lines was formerly located at Custom House Wharf before moving in the 1980s to the Maine State Pier, at the site of the former Franklin Street wharf. The terminal underwent a major renovation and expansion in 2014. Designed by Scott Simons Architects, the project approximately doubled the size of the original building and later received an Honorable Mention in the American Institute of Architects New England design awards and an AIA Maine Honor Award. Fleet development has been another recurring theme. Historical vessels included Abenaki, which served Casco Bay for nearly five decades, along with Machigonne, Maquoit, Aucocisco, and other passenger and freight vessels. Several retired boats later entered charter, tour, or other regional service. As of 2024, the active fleet comprised Bay Mist, Machigonne II, Maquoit II, Aucocisco III, and Wabanaki. The operator has been evaluating a replacement for Machigonne II, with a planned hybrid-electric vessel intended to introduce a new propulsion technology to the fleet. Service patterns remain seasonal but fundamentally year-round. Summer brings higher frequencies for residents and visitors, whereas winter schedules are reduced to match lower demand while maintaining the essential links on which island communities depend. Route offerings include the frequent Peaks Island ferry, the Casco Bay Mail Boat, down-bay service, and scheduled runs passing the Diamond Islands and Peaks Island. Through these services, Casco Bay Lines functions as both a transportation brand and a publicly governed maritime utility for the Casco Bay region.

• 2024

  Non-resident Peaks Island fare increase approved

  [1]Casco Bay Linesen.wikipedia.org

  The CBITD board votes in favor of an 82% fare increase for non-residents using Peaks Island service.

• 2014

  Portland terminal expansion opens

  [1]Casco Bay Linesen.wikipedia.org

  A major renovation and addition at the Maine State Pier terminal opens, substantially increasing the facility’s size.

• 1981

  Public transit district is established

  [1]Casco Bay Linesen.wikipedia.org

  Emergency state legislation establishes the Casco Bay Island Transit District, which acquires the ferry assets through bankruptcy proceedings.

• 1919

  Casco Bay Lines is formed after wartime shutdown

  [1]Casco Bay Linesen.wikipedia.org

  Following the closure of the earlier company in July, a smaller company called Casco Bay Lines is formed during the winter.

• 1907

  Steamboat companies merge

  [1]Casco Bay Linesen.wikipedia.org

  The Casco Bay Steamboat Company and Harpswell Line combine as the Casco Bay and Harpswell Steamboat Company.

• 1881

  Harpswell Line enters outer-bay service

  [1]Casco Bay Linesen.wikipedia.org

  The Harpswell Line begins regular service to the outer islands of Casco Bay.

• 1878

  Permanent year-round island service begins

  [1]Casco Bay Linesen.wikipedia.org

  The Casco Bay Steamboat Company begins permanent year-round transportation service to the islands of Casco Bay.

Regional public-service ferry operator providing essential year-round transportation and seasonal visitor connections across Casco Bay.

• Passenger and vehicle ferry

  Peaks Island ferry

  The Peaks Island route is one of Casco Bay Lines’ principal scheduled services. It operates throughout the year with substantially greater frequency in the summer. The route uses Machigonne II and accommodates vehicles during designated periods, making it important for both daily travel and island logistics.

• Mail and passenger ferry · 1878

  Casco Bay Mail Boat

  The Casco Bay Mail Boat provides year-round service to Little Diamond, Great Diamond, Long Island, Cliff Island, and Chebeague Island. The route combines mail delivery with passenger transportation and takes approximately three hours. Its origins date to the 1870s, when the service used coal-powered vessels; modern operations use diesel-powered boats.

• Freight ferry

  Down-bay freight service

  Freight ferry operations support the communities of the down-bay islands, including Long Island, Chebeague Island, and Cliff Island. The service carries goods and supplies that are necessary for households, businesses, public services, and year-round island life.

• Scheduled harbor and island run

  Sunrise Run

  The Sunrise Run is a daily early-morning service departing at approximately 5:00 a.m. and taking about two and a half hours. It forms part of the operator’s broader schedule of scenic and inter-island runs while also serving practical early-day transportation needs.

• Scheduled harbor and island run

  Diamond Pass Run

  The Diamond Pass Run is a daily route departing at approximately 1:00 p.m. It passes Little Diamond Island, Great Diamond Island, and Peaks Island and takes about two hours.

• Scheduled harbor and island run

  Sunset Run

  The Sunset Run departs daily at approximately 5:45 p.m. and takes about three hours. It provides an evening connection across Casco Bay and is also oriented toward visitors seeking a scenic water-based experience.

• 2024

  Approve higher non-resident Peaks Island faresPrice change

  Background

  Casco Bay Lines reviewed the fare structure for Peaks Island service and differentiated pricing for island residents and non-residents.

  Action taken

  The CBITD board voted to approve an 82% fare increase for non-residents using the Peaks Island ferry.

  Aftermath

  The decision changed the cost of access to one of the system’s principal routes for visitors and other non-resident riders.

  Non-resident Peaks Island fare increase. 82% increase (2024)

  Source

• 2014

  Expand and modernize the Portland terminalStrategy

  Background

  The existing Maine State Pier terminal required additional capacity and modernization as the central mainland gateway for island service.

  Action taken

  Casco Bay Lines opened a major renovation and addition designed by Scott Simons Architects.

  Aftermath

  The completed building was approximately twice the size of the original terminal and later received recognition from AIA New England and AIA Maine.

  Source

• 1981

  Transition to public nonprofit operationStrategy

  Background

  The earlier ferry operation had entered bankruptcy proceedings, creating a risk that essential transportation between Portland and the Casco Bay islands would end.

  Action taken

  Emergency state legislation created the Casco Bay Island Transit District, which acquired the operating assets and continued ferry service under public nonprofit governance.

  Aftermath

  The district became the institutional framework through which Casco Bay Lines continues to provide year-round transportation for island communities.

  Source

• Plan hybrid-electric replacement for Machigonne IIGeneration change

  Background

  The fleet evaluation identified the aging Machigonne II as a vessel requiring eventual replacement.

  Action taken

  Casco Bay Lines planned a new vessel under construction by Senesco Marine, with hybrid-electric propulsion intended to be the first such system in the operator’s fleet.

  Aftermath

  The project is expected to support fleet renewal and introduce lower-emission propulsion, although the available reference does not establish a completed delivery date.

  Source

1. 1Casco Bay Linesen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Casco Bay Lines official websitecascobaylines.com