Matinicus Ferry Honors Penobscot Nation War Hero

Photographs by Polly Saltonstall

The state’s newest ferry, the 104-foot Charles Norman Shay, was launched in the fall of 2024 and now handles the 23-mile run between Rockland and Matinicus.

The latest ferry to hit the waters of Penobscot Bay honors a member of the Penobscot Nation, who also is a highly decorated veteran. The Charles Norman Shay, which was launched during the summer of 2024 and will serve Matinicus Island, is the first Maine State Ferry Service vessel named for a Native American. Matinicus residents consider the gesture an important step in strengthening ties with the island’s first inhabitants.

“We hope this is the beginning of an ongoing relationship with the Penobscot Nation—not just for Matinicus Island but for all the residents of this bay,” said Eva Murray, the Ferry Service Advisory Board member who represents Matinicus. Murray, who helped guide the naming process, was on board for the new boat’s runs between the island and the mainland on October 4, 2024.

The new $11.7 million ferry will replace the 105-foot Everett Libby. A contract to sell the Libby for $250,000 to New York City-based Prudence Sea Horse, fell through when that company determined repairs would cost too much. The ferry was back on the market at press time, according to Maine Dept. of Transportation spokesman Paul Merrill. The 64-year-old Libby could carry 175 passengers and 12 cars.

Built by the Steiner Shipyard in Bayou La Batre, Alabama, and designed by Gilbert Associates of Braintree, Massachusetts, the 104-foot-long Shay can carry 149 passengers and seven cars, according to MDOT specs.

Captain Dan McNichol, shown here at the helm of the new ferry, says the vessel handles well. The trip from Rockland to Matinicus takes about two hours.

Captain Dan McNichol, who has been with the ferry service for 23 years, was at the helm for a recent trip and drives most of the Matinicus ferry runs. He said the new boat handles well, cruising at about 12.4 knots. A slightly shorter length and bow thrusters facilitate turning around inside the harbor at Matinicus when the wind is blowing from the northeast, he noted. 

Deciding on the name for the ferry was a complicated process, according to Murray. Traditionally, new ferries have honored politicians, former captains, or important locals.

But Matinicus didn’t have a single beloved former ferry captain, Murray said. Some islanders wanted to recognize the first white settler on Matinicus, Ebenezer Hall. But others suggested honoring the Penobscot Tribe, which used the island for hunting and fishing long before Hall arrived—actually, members of the tribe killed Hall, possibly scalping him, when he refused to honor their rights to the land, Murray said. Penobscot historian James Francis, who spent a day on the island meeting with community members and local historians as part of the naming process, suggested Shay.

“And when we heard Shay’s story everyone agreed that was a great idea,” Murray said.

A tribal elder in the Penobscot Indian Nation, Shay grew up on Indian Island. He was drafted in 1943, a year after graduating from high school, and trained as a combat medic, saving lives on Omaha Beach during the D-Day invasion in World War II. He was awarded the Silver Star and French Legion of Honor for his service there. He continued to serve on the front lines in major battles of World War II, including the Battle of the Bulge. Eventually, captured by the Germans, he spent a month in a prison camp before being liberated. After the war, he was awarded four Bronze Stars for his bravery. Unable to find work when he returned home, he re-enlisted as a medic and eventually served in the Korean War. He retired from the military as a master sergeant in 1964, and subsequently worked for 20 years at the United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency.

This plaque, displayed in one of the passenger cabins, pays a tribute to Charles Norman Shay who turned 100 this year. He is a member of the Penobscot Nation and a decorated veteran.

After his retirement, Shay became active in efforts to preserve and promote Penobscot cultural heritage, running a small museum and helping publish books and pamphlets about the Penobscots. Shay, who lives in France now, turned 100 in June, the same month the vessel that bears his name arrived in Rockland.

“A true hero for the Penobscot Nation and beyond, the life of Charles Norman Shay exemplifies selflessness, service, and humility,” Maria Girouard, a member of the Penobscot Nation Tribal Council noted during the dedication ceremony for the new ferry late last summer. “Our ancestors are smiling down on us.”

The next ferry to be launched for the Maine State Ferry Service will be the 154-foot Captain Almer Dinsmore, MDOT’s first hybrid diesel-electric ferry, which is being built at Senesco Marine in Rhode Island. At least initially, that ferry is expected to serve on the Vinalhaven run. A new 207-foot ferry to replace the Margaret Chase Smith, which currently serves Islesboro, is in the design phase.

In addition to new ferries, the MDOT recently received $16.6 million in federal dollars to modernize ferry terminals, adding safety enhancements and other improvements to support the future operation of hybrid ferries.

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Charles Norman Shay Ferry

Length: 104'
Beam: 28' 6"
Draft: 7'
Passenger capacity: 149
Vehicle capacity: 7
Operating Speed: 13 knots
Gross tonnage: 99
Horsepower: 1,200 hp

Builder:
Steiner Shipyard
Bayou La Batre, AL
steinershipyard.com

Designer:
Gilbert Associates
Braintree, MA 
jwgainc.com

Polly Saltonstall is MBH&H’s editor at large.