Lincolnville Beach is home to one of the state's mainland ferry landings, from which the Margaret Chase Smith runs a three-mile route to and from Islesboro almost hourly throughout the day. Residents — year-round and summer — depend on the ferry's regularity, as do contractors, school teachers and business owners.

But the Margaret Chase Smith is 40 years old and aging. Two years ago, the Maine Department of Transportation invited replacement bids, budgeting $28 million in hopes of obtaining more funding from federal Electric or Low-Emitting Ferry Pilot Program grant to build a hybrid-electric vessel.

The DOT envisioned a new 207-foot ferry (40 feet longer than the Margaret Chase Smith) with a 40-foot-beam and capacity for 35 vehicles. The vessel was to be a diesel electric hybrid (full electric propulsion for ship service loads) with rapid shoreside charging.

Since then, however, plans have changed. With rising costs, the DOT recommends abandoning the 207-foot design with electric and hybrid propulsion and instead favors a 172-foot hybrid-assist ferry. That means that designs for expanding the Ferry Terminal at Lincolnville Beach are likewise being scaled down.

This is all information that Islesboro residents learned Dec. 16 at a DOT-held meeting, and which the Lincolnville Select Board will take up at its regularly scheduled Dec. 22 meeting at the Town Office.

That meeting begins at 6 p.m. and will be streamed live on YouTube.

In his premeeting notes to the Lincolnville Select Board, Lincolnville Town Administrator David Kinney summarized the ferry design changes, and what they mean for the Lincolnville Beach ferry landing.

The DOT had reported last January that the lowest bid for the new ferry was $41 million, $7 million over what had been budgeted by the DOT.

"Additionally, the new proposal varies from the previous design by eliminating four berthing dolphins (two in both Lincolnville and Islesboro), the rapid charging dolphin, wave fencing, and the E house," wrote Kinney. "It is also proposed to eliminate the double-ended ferry so the replacement ferry [will] to be required to turn either at Islesboro or Lincolnville to berth and unload. The capacity (vehicles and passengers) of the replacement ferry will be similar to the current vessel."

The DOT anticipates reducing the overall cost by $20 million with the ferry design changes and diminished modifications to the ferry berths on both Islesboro and at Lincolnville Beach. At Lincolnville Beach, the ferry pen improvement project has been scaled down, said Kinney.

"In Lincolnville, we no longer plan to lengthen the pens nor add wave fencing as the ferry will continue to sleep in Islesboro," he wrote. "The Ehouse has been removed from the project, as well as the new ferry will not have rapid charging. The scope of work for Lincolnville is electrical upgrades to the facility and transfer bridge, pave the approach to the transfer bridge, and riprap repair/slope stabilization. It is a very modest project. Islesboro pen improvements include replacing the turning dolphin, electric upgrades, approach paving, and riprap repairs."

Other considerations that compelled the DOT to scale down its original 207-foot ferry design include its acknowledgment that Rockland Marine, where Maine State Ferry Service vessels are serviced, cannot dry-dock a double-ended ferry vessel given water depth and size capacity.

"A travel lift would be required at a cost of $12 million," said the DOT.

Additionally, the DOT said a double-ended ferry has poor hydrodynamics and its speeds are lower than a conventional ferry.

"A faster conventional ferry in transit will negate the two-minute time needed to spin the ferry," the DOT said.

At its Islesboro meeting, the DOT presented alternatives, including a single-tunnel ( the ferry's superstructure is on one side of the vessel, only) and an aircraft carrier design (where drivers remain in their vehicle).

The tunnels are the passageways on either side of the ferry where vehicles are routed and parked.

The DOT and the Maine State Ferry Service recommend a two-tunnel ferry design, similar to the Margaret Chase Smith, but with slightly bigger proportions. The DOT is calling it the George Mitchell design.

The recommended vessel is to have 62 outdoor seats, two restrooms, five tables, and fit 18 cars and three large trucks. Its hybrid propulsion is to be quieter when making port with its main engines turned off. That will result in a 20 percent fuel savings, the DOT said.

Comments on the new design are being accepted by DOT until January 2, 2026.

The Lincolnville Select Board's Dec. 22 full agenda follows:

1. Citizens’ Forum
   2. Administrator’s Report
   3. Meetings & Announcement:
   5. Meeting Minutes • December 8, 2025
   6. MaineDOT WIN 24605.00 – Design of the Margaret Chase Smith Replacement Ferry
   7. MaineDOT WIN 026568.00 – Ferry Terminal Parking
   8. Selectperson Update(s)
   9. Treasurer’s and Payroll Warrant(s) – Approve & Sign
   10. Adjourn

Reach Editorial Director Lynda Clancy at lyndaclancy@penbaypilot.com; 207-706-6657