Come summertime, Casco Bay Island Transit (Casco Bay Lines) carries more than mail and commuters. From June 22 through Sept. 2, all five vessels ferry tourists in search of a slice of the “real” Maine. Despite a rainy June, the hot and steamy beginning of July launched the beginning of what looks to be a very profitable tourist season, according to Patrick Christian, general manager.
The number of visitors – identified by their single-purchase tickets – appears to be up this summer. Vacationers favor trips on the mail runs, where they find the routine of hauling everything from lumber to groceries to the islands picturesque. The five-and-a-half-hour cruise to Bailey Island is another favorite; a narrator recounts island legends. And the charter and lobster bake business is booming.
Two charter boats, the BAY MIST, the newest member of the fleet, and the ISLAND ROMANCE are used for large events, from weddings to corporate parties. Both boats have dance floors, enclosed and outside decks and cash or tab bars operated by Casco Bay Lines. While these charter boats operate year-round, the summer is clearly high season. Casco Bay Lines also markets lobster bakes on Peaks Island for groups of 100. And the “Music on the Bay” series of evening rides with live bands running from June 14 through Oct. 31, are also popular with visitors and residents alike.
Casco Bay Island Transit is one of America’s oldest ferry lines in continuous service, dating back to 1850. In financial difficulties in 1981, this essential lifeline to the islands then became a public transit. Islanders raised money through contributions and bake sales for a down payment, and secured bonds to purchase the assets and operating rights to the ferry line. “We are a quasi-municipal nonprofit entity providing reliable service on a yearly break-even budget,” explains Christian.
In 2001, incidental tours and charters accounted for 18 percent, or $650,000 of the total $3,556,000 budget. Revenue sources also included $1,694,000 from residential passengers, $494,000 from vehicles and $408,000 from freight and mail (the U.S. Postal Service paid $73,000 for official mail carrier service). Other incidental services like vending machines and souvenir hats and T-shirts brought in a surprising nine percent. Also in 2001, federal funds accounted for $171,000 and state funds brought in $51,000.
The charter business is projected to bring in even bigger numbers this year. Increasing effort is now focused on creating and marketing special events, an obvious source of potential new revenue. On the spending side, the plan is to bring the number of handicapped-accessible boats from the current three to a full five next summer. And the years are numbered for the ISLAND HOLIDAY, which joined the fleet in 1967. Currently, Casco Bay Island Transit management is reviewing proposals to design and build an 85-to-90-foot replacement ship that would hold 350-400 passengers.
Finally, while the ferry boats do a successful job servicing residents and visitors year round, Christian is especially proud of Casco Bay Lines’ once-a-year civic event, open to all the children in the state of Maine. “Every spring, from mid-May to mid-June we ferry 2,000 grade-school children out to tour the islands,” explains Christian. “They come from various parts of the state and for many of them this is the first and only foreseeable way to get on the water.”