The Maine State Ferry Service commissioned its first hybrid diesel-electric ferry, the Capt. Almer Dinsmore, Nov. 5 in Rockland, Maine, for service between Rockland and Vinalhaven.
Built by Senesco Marine, North Kingstown, R.I., the 154'×38' passenger-vehicle ferry was designed by Gilbert Associates, Braintree, Mass. The vessel accommodates 250 passengers and 23 vehicles. Passenger service is scheduled to begin Nov. 9.
Construction began in 2022, and the ferry was launched and christened in November 2024. It arrived in Rockland in July 2026 ahead of crew familiarization and Coast Guard inspections.
The ferry is a hybrid sister vessel to the Capt. Richard G. Spear, another Gilbert-designed ferry built for the Maine State Ferry Service. The Spear was constructed by Steiner Shipyard, Bayou La Batre, Ala.
U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-Maine, attended the commissioning and described the ferry in an Instagram post as “a crucial investment in modernizing our state’s ferry fleet.”
“It’s also a great example of how the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law continues to make real, transformative impacts in our communities,” Pingree wrote.
Pingree also praised the vessel’s namesake, calling the dedication “a wonderfully fitting tribute” to a captain who spent decades serving Maine’s island communities.
The new ferry honors Capt. Almer Leighton Dinsmore, whose 45-year career at sea included service aboard vessels worldwide. He joined the Maine State Ferry Service in 1978 and retired in 2013, according to MaineDOT.
Dinsmore initially piloted the Everett Libby on the Swan’s Island route and worked as a relief captain serving several island communities before becoming the Libby’s permanent captain in 1987.
WorkBoat reached out to Senesco for further specs on the vessel.
