No doubt about it, the new ferry service between Eastport and Lubec that started this summer is a most welcome addition to these coastal communities way Downeast.

Two hundred years ago Eastport and Lubec were one community. With the start-up of the new ferry service the small towns are once again sharing the joys of daily life with an easy commute across the historic local waters filled with whales, porpoise, fishing boats and eagles flying overhead. The ferry also takes passengers past the front door of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's beloved summer cottage on Campobello Island.

"This is a great addition to our local economy," says Eastport City Councilor John Miller. "We have many visitors that come to Eastport, Lubec and Campobello for long term visits during the summer months and this provides easy and enjoyable access to each town's shops, galleries and restaurants for people staying in the area. It also provides new options for local residents for eating out or for enjoying a evening of entertainment at Summer Keys."

Come September the new ferry service will also provide easy access to all of the Eastport Pirate Festival events starting with the Pirate Invasion of Lubec on September 3 and ending with the Pirate Festival's International Lobster Boat Race on Sunday, September 11.

"It is exciting to know that people will be able visit Pirate Festival events via the ferry this year... both here in Eastport and in Lubec," says Miller who was also the founder of the Pirate Festival. The ferry opens up more motel and B&B rooms for visitors at hospitality venues in Lubec with easy access to the events in Eastport over Pirate Festival Weekend. It also provides more options for dining and drinking for the thousands of visitors the festival attracts. Hopefully the ferry will add some additional runs later in the evening during the Pirate Festival for events like the Pirates Ball, Music, Fireworks and other nocturnal offerings."

The Eastport-Lubec Ferry operates Tuesday through Sunday, leaving Eastport at 10 a.m., noon, 2 and 4 p.m. It departs Lubec at 11 a.m., 1,3, and 5 p.m. Round trip tickets are $19.50, half price for residents of Lubec and Eastport. Bikes are $6; dogs and cats are free. For more information, call 853-2635, or go to www.EastportFerry.com.

For a complete schedule of all events for the 2011 Eastport Pirate Festival and Pirate Invasion of Lubec please visit the festival's website at www.eastportpiratefestival.com


The New Eastport-Lubec Ferry