Casco Bay Mail Boat
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The Casco Bay Mail Boat is a sailing vessel, run by Casco Bay Lines, which delivers mail and other items to the residents of the islands of Casco Bay in Maine, United States. It is the longest-running mail boat service in the country, having been in existence since the 1870s. Up until the 1950s, the boat was coal-powered; now it runs on a diesel engine.[1]
The Maquoit II passing Peaks Island, 2006 | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Name | Maquoit II |
| Owner | Casco Bay Lines |
| Operator | Casco Bay Lines |
| Route | Portland – Little Diamond Island – Great Diamond Island – Long Island – Cliff Island – Great Chebeague Island |
| Status | Operational |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Mail boat |
Currently undertaken by the Maquoit II, one of Casco Bay Lines' three mail boats,[1] the service runs twice daily. The route takes around three hours and visits five islands: Little Diamond Island, Great Diamond Island, Long Island, Great Chebeague Island and Cliff Island.[2][3]
Passengers are permitted on the boat, and tourists can alight at Long Island, Great Chebeague Island and Cliff Island; the Diamonds, meanwhile, are private, with no public beaches, facilities or restaurants.[1] If there are ten or more passengers, a route narration is provided.[3] The route takes the boat beside landmarks such as Fort Gorges and Luckse Sound, where ships were torpedoed during World War II.[2]
The mail boat is based at the Maine State Pier and departs at 10.00 AM and 2.15 PM.[1]