Bill Geary, the former director of the Maine State Ferry Service and now director of multimodal operations for the Maine Department of Transportation, points out features in the wheelhouse of the Captain Almer Dinsmore. Credit: Stephen Betts / Midcoast Villager

ROCKLAND, Maine — State officials on Thursday showed off the newest addition to the Maine State Ferry Service’s family, the 154-foot-long motor vessel Capt. Almer Dinsmore.

The Dinsmore is the only car ferry in New England that is operated with a hybrid system of a diesel engine and electric propulsion.

The new ferry won’t go into operation until fall to allow crews to get trained on the new ferry which is nearly identical to the Capt. Richard Spear, other than the electric propulsion capability.

The deck of the Capt. Almer Dinsmore. Credit: Stephen Betts / Midcoast Villager

The Dinsmore will be stationed at the Rockland ferry terminal where the charging station is located, and primarily service the Vinalhaven run. The ferry Captain E. Frank Thompson will also run on the Vinalhaven route but dock overnight on the island.

The Captain Spear, which now serves the Vinalhaven route, will be used for other routes to be determined. The new vessel will move the Capt. Henry Lee out of the ferry service rotation. The Lee serves Swans Island.

Bill Geary points out the Capt. Almer Dinsmore’s electric engine. Credit: Stephen Betts / Midcoast Villager

The Dinsmore was built in the Senesco Shipyard in North Kingston, Rhode Island, and designed by Gilbert & Associates. The total cost was $21.9 million with $16.6 million coming from a federal transit authority grant.

The vessel is planned to be staffed by a crew of five, a captain, an engineer, two able-bodied seafarers, and one deckhand.

Left: The batteries that will help power the Capt. Almer Dinsmore. Right: Part of the fire control system for the electric batteries. Credit: Stephen Betts / Midcoast Villager

The ferry can carry 250 passengers and 23 vehicles. The cruising speed is 11 knots with a top speed of 13 knots. There is an elevator to meet the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The Coast Guard will inspect the vehicle and issue a certificate of inspection prior to it going into service in the fall.

Bill Geary and new Maine State Ferry Service Director E.J. Dupont gave a tour of the new ferry Capt. Almer Dinsmore. Credit: Stephen Betts / Midcoast Villager

The exclusive electrical operations will be used mainly when the vessel is docked and loading passengers and vessels. The parallel hybrid system will be used during transit to and back from Vinalhaven. The system is designed so it can operate with diesel only, if needed.

The life expectancy of the ferry is 30 plus years.

The Dinsmore is named after a longtime ferry employee who used to captain the Capt. Henry Lee.

This story appears through a media partnership with Midcoast Villager.