Ferry: "M/V Charles Norman Shay""
Destinations: Crossing between Rockland and Matinicus Island
Crossing Distance: 23 miles
Crossing Time: 1 hour and 45 minutes
Fares: View Fares
Schedule
View Matinicus Ferry Schedules
Contact and Directions
There is no terminal on Matinicus. Please contact the Rockland Terminal.
Phone: 207-596-5400
Physical Address:
517A Main Street, RT. 1
Rockland, ME, 04841
Mailing Address:
Maine State Ferry Service
P.O. Box 645
Rockland, ME 04841
Rockland Terminal Hours
Mon-Sun: 6:30 AM - 5:15 PM
- Vehicle Reservation Info
- Reservation requests for Matinicus are made by contacting the Rockland Terminal at 207-596-5400.
- Reservations to Matinicus may be made up to 3 months in advance.
- The schedule is subject to change without notice. Travelers are advised to contact the Rockland terminal office the day before the scheduled trip to confirm the trip is departing as scheduled.
- For regular passenger vehicles, the exact length of the vehicle to be transported must be provided.
- For trucks, the exact length and weight of the truck to be transported must be provided.
- Be sure to review all information on the Fare Information page.
- Once cash, check or credit card is provided, the reservation is considered confirmed.
- Cancellations may be made up to two weeks prior to departure with no penalty and the tickets may be used on a future trip.
- If you do not cancel, your reservation will remain in place and your tickets will be scanned the day of departure.
- No shows will be charged.
- Passengers/Vehicles must be in line and ready to board at least 30 minutes prior to loading time.
- Be informed of the Vehicle waste Disposal Ordinance and ensure that your paperwork is complete before arrival.
- Additional trip request process
The current Matinicus ferry schedule for 2026 has been published and is available above. There are currently 40 trips scheduled. As you may be aware, LD447 – a bill entitled “An Act to Amend the Law Governing Ferry service to Matinicus Isle” was passed into law. The wording of the law removed the cap of 36 runs, and states “Ferry service to Matinicus Isle must be at least 12 times per year, with additional service authorized as agreed upon by the residents of Matinicus Isle and the department”.
Additional trips may be requested, but are not guaranteed, by one of the two following processes:
1. A request from a Matinicus municipal official/entity for a trip which would serve a public purpose, or on behalf of a known cluster of multiple customers, or
2. A waiting list maintained at the Rockland terminal to show that a trip would serve multiple customers.
Additional requested trips are not guaranteed and depend on a number of factors, including full capacity, favorable tides, weather, crew availability, etc.
If a Matinicus customer is unable to make a reservation on a scheduled ferry trip because that ferry trip is full should do the following:
- request that the Rockland terminal agent put them on a waiting list and identify specifics of their need (e.g. preferred date, round trip or one way, etc). They should make clear if they are serving the needs of multiple islanders, such as a furnace serviceman or other contractor; and
- notify the Matinicus town office, which may have visibility on other public needs or other requests, and could also help establish a list.
For requested additional ferry runs that are not full, special trips (for a charge) as specified in Tariff 11 are still an option. The rate for municipally authorized trips are $1,870 and for all other special trips are $2,500.