The ferry for Vinalhaven docked at the Maine State Ferry Terminal in Rockland in May 2018.

Repeated ferry cancellations caused by staffing shortages at the Maine State Ferry Service are frustrating residents of the Penobscot Bay islands.

The service – which runs seven boats that transport passengers to Vinalhaven, North Haven, Matinicus, Swans Island, French Island and Islesboro – has been struggling to retain workers.

Fourteen of its 64 full-time positions are vacant, and another seven staffers have gone on leave in recent months. Five of 18 part-time positions also are unfilled.

The state Department of Transportation, which operates the service, is spending nearly $1 million to address the issue.

The ferry system signed a $250,000 contract last week with Indiana-based Seaward Services Inc. to provide temporary workers. Four people have started since then.

The state Department of Transportation also has allocated $736,000 to create six new positions. That includes three captains who can have a lower-level license to operate 100-ton ferries instead of the 500-ton ferry license the state service previously required for all captains. Three of the service’s seven ferries can be operated with the lower-level license.

The Vinalhaven ferries – which served 70,000 riders last year and get the most traffic – have been the most impacted. It’s the only island served by two ferries, not one.

Between January and mid-June, 215 of the 2,000 scheduled trips between Vinalhaven and Rockland were canceled. Around 148 of those cancellations were because of staffing shortages while the others were for maintenance, weather or mechanical issues. That puts the reliability of service to Vinalhaven at 89%, compared to about 98% for service to the other five islands, department  spokesperson Paul Merrill said.

“Anytime we have to cancel a run, it’s disruptive. We know it impacts real people in real ways,” Merrill said. “We try to avoid canceling runs at all costs, but if we don’t have staff that is available, trained to safely and legally, per Coast Guard requirements, operate a vessel, we can’t run it.”

Since 2019, the Mills Administration has increased wages by at least 24.1%, Merrill said.

As of July 1, ferry captains earn from $78,000 to $92,000 annually and receive an additional 3% stipend; ferry engineers earn $73,000 and receive a 21.5% stipend; and ferry able seamen earn $58,000 and get a 30% stipend, he said.

Merrill noted that any changes to the existing pay structure to recruit more employees could impact riders and Maine taxpayers. The operating costs of the ferry service are split 50/50 between farepayers and the Transportation Department’s Highway Fund, which is funded primarily by state fuel taxes. A new rate structure under consideration would involve an 18.4% increase in fares and state funding. And this proposal, which was created to address increased operating costs, was put forward before the recent staffing challenges, Merrill said.

So far this year, 197,882 passengers have traveled on the ferries. Many rely on them for important mainland connections like doctor’s appointments, work and school. Repeated cancellations have left residents searching for alternatives.

Steve Ames, a coach of the Vinalhaven Ravens Little League team, said that to get to Rockland for games, the team started traveling on the lobster boats of players’ parents instead of the ferry. He said the kids had a great time, and it was nice to not have to rely on the ferry.

But Ames also works at the Sand Bar on Vinalhaven, and says ferry cancellations have delayed the transport of freight for local businesses, impacting their services. He said that ferry cancellations pose “logistic nightmares” for residents.

Rachel Noyes, who owns a Vinalhaven gift shop called Go Fish, echoed that sentiment, saying that shipments of supplies have been impacted. She also said that she and other island residents have started leaving early for their trips to the mainland to ensure that ferry cancellations don’t impact their travel. But that sometimes means having to pay to stay an extra night away from home, which can be expensive.

‘A LIFELINE’

Noyes also noted that the island often depends on business from visiting tourists in the summer, and ferry cancellations affect this travel.

“It’s rough on a little tourist town who’s really relying on traffic. It’s day-trippers, they’re not going to come, which impacts all of us,” Noyes said.

But she understands the difficulties of working on the ferries, and wishes riders were kinder and more patient.

“People don’t want that job because they’re mistreated,” Noyes said. “That piece, to me, is unsettling.”

Eva Murray, who represents Matinicus on the ferry service’s advisory board, said there are only 36 trips a year to that island, so no one relies on the ferry for regular commuting.

But the staffing shortages are getting in the way of Matinicus residents’ push for more frequent ferry trips. It is is difficult to expect more service to Matinicus when the service is struggling with cancellations at the other islands, Murray said.

Merrill emphasized that staffing is an issue across the state, but he understands that ferries are “a lifeline” for the island communities.

“Hiring and retaining good employees is a challenge everywhere and has been for a couple years, and it applies to the ferry service as well,” Merrill said. “We wish we could find more skilled people who are willing to join the team. We think they’re good jobs.”