Midcoast port captain talks about keeping ferry business afloat
Photo / Dave Clough
Dan McNichol, port captain for the Maine State Ferry Service, on the waterfront in Rockland. The service does about 8,340 round trips a year.
He assigns crews to the ferries that serve six islands along the midcoast of Maine. He also is in charge of security at the seven terminals and on the service's seven boats. When the port manager is away, “I'm the acting manager — everything lands on my desk.”
“I love it when I get to run the boats. A lot of weekends I work on the boats to keep my sea time up. That thrills me every time.” That's Dan McNichol, a happy man and port captain for the Maine State Ferry Service at Rockland. He describes his job this way: “I take care of the basic day-to-day operations of the ferry service. I keep the boats crewed and runnin'.”
This is a second career. McNichol came ashore in 2001, ending a 21-year Coast Guard career that included six-to-eight-week tours of sea duty from bases in Puerto Rico and Alaska, among other places.
Originally from Hartland, north of Waterville, he now lives with his wife and two daughters in Rockland, where he had served with the Coast Guard back in 1991.
The Maine State Ferry Service links Rockland, Lincolnville and Bass Harbor with the islands of North Haven, Vinalhaven, Matinicus, Swan's Island, Islesboro and Frenchboro.
The service does about 8,340 round trips annually, carrying several thousand passengers. Fares cover half the cost, and the state funds the rest. Mainebiz caught up with McNichol to ask him about his job.
Mainebiz: After serving in the Coast Guard all over North America, how did you wind up here?
McNichol: I was on terminal leave from the Coast Guard that summer [2001], and walked in here. The guy sitting behind the desk was a retired 'Coastie' whom I knew. He said, 'What are you doing?' I said, 'Lookin' for a job.' He said, 'Well, you got it.'
MB: What is it like to work here?
DM: Everybody works seven days on and seven days off. Those are 11- to 11½-hour days. We have a licensed captain and a licensed engineer on each boat, and two able-bodied seamen. The two larger boats also carry an ordinary seaman.
MB: What are the job qualifications?
DM: Most of our people are retired from something else. Or they come in from the Gulf [of Mexico] or from tuggin' and let me know they're available. They all must have Coast Guard licenses, except for ordinary seamen, which is the entry-level position. You need to have documented sea time to earn a license.
MB: Is there ever trouble on the boats?
DM: We have a fantastic safety record. Very seldom have a problem. If someone gets upset, it's usually calmed down easily. Weather can be a problem. In a storm, cars can wind up floating and get damaged by hitting each other or the side of the boat. We err on the side of caution, and that can make it difficult for passengers. We may tie a boat up for one trip, or maybe for a day — and they want to get home.
MB: How do you describe the various routes?
DM: The busiest is the 7:30 a.m. to Islesboro — a bunch of workers and a bunch of school kids. That's a 12-minute run, and in the summer our busiest, with nine round trips. Vinalhaven is about an hour and a half, depending on the weather. Matinicus is 22 miles out. I do all those runs [to Matinicus] myself. I like doing them. In the winter time it's once a month, in June-July-August-September it's four times a month. Tides affect the schedule — it's very shallow. The harbor at Matinicus Island is all rocks.
MB: What's your final word on this work?
DM: It's very busy. I take care of a lot of stuff. I really like the people here, the crews. I enjoy working with them. I love being on the water. I don't have to go to sea or to the Gulf to support my family. I love it here.
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