Living on an unbridged island like Swan’s Island, I knew about the tradition of naming ferries in honor of previous, long-serving captains like our very own Henry Lee and others like Richard Spear and Neal Burgess. When I heard a friend of mine had just been bestowed that honor, I decided I needed to learn more about the process.
It’s much simpler than you might expect. Members of the Ferry Advisory Board put a name on the table and they vote. In this case, it was unanimously approved to name the new ferry the Almer Dinsmore.
I recently interviewed Al in his Trenton home. He recounted his career with amazing recall. Dinsmore graduated from the Maine Maritime Academy in 1968 and took his first job at sea with American Export Lines, one of the industry leaders at the time.
They loaded up the island’s snowplow with the ambulance behind, then headed out with water washing over the bow doors.
He loved the work, but it kept him away from his growing family. When he ran across an ad for an opening as a Maine ferry captain, he jumped at the chance to stay closer to home. In 1978, he started as a relief captain on the Everett Libby on the Swan’s Island run. He fondly remembers his first crew of Steve Harriman, Donnie Staples, and Johnny Martin.
For the next nine years he continued his time at sea with shipping companies as well as relieving ferry captains for Swan’s Island, North Haven, Vinalhaven, and Islesboro. In 1987 he accepted a permanent position as captain of the Libby.
His wife Linda shared that for those first 18 years he spent ten out of 12 months each year away from home. She and the kids would visit him for a few days or he might have a week at home between assignments. So, when he took the permanent position, they were able to enjoy a more traditional lifestyle.
“It was a good life, and we were happy when he didn’t have to go to sea anymore,” Linda said.
Al recalled one weekend on the North Haven run when all the days’ runs had been cancelled due to winter weather. He was living in crew quarters on the island at the time. One of his crew members called saying his mom needed emergency medical help and asked Al to risk a trip to Rockland.
They loaded up the island’s snowplow with the ambulance behind, then headed out with water washing over the bow doors. Once they reached the mainland, the plow led the way clearing the ice and snow, getting the ambulance to the hospital.
By then, the weather had improved, so the island’s schoolteacher was able to hitch a ride back in time for school the next morning. The teacher was thrilled not to be stuck on the mainland. Al wasn’t sure the students were as relieved.
From 1989-90, he held the ferry manager position in Rockland, but quickly found he didn’t care for office life. In the fall of 1990, he returned to the Swan’s Island service and never looked back. In 2013 he had reached retirement age and just felt like the time was right to start the next stage of his life.
Linda retired about the same time, so they’ve been enjoying making up for lost time.
At several points during the interview, Dinsmore was visibly moved. While reviewing comments on a Facebook post about the naming of the vessel, he was particularly touched. In addition to the many hearty congratulations, a fellow ferry captain said, “He was very good to me … and [I] had the privilege to fill his spot when he retired.”
Other comments demonstrated how captains become a part of the fabric of the islands they serve. One post said Al is a “gentleman and a class act” while another said he “really cared about island people.”
The Maine DOT expects the new ferry to launch sometime this fall and it will, at least initially, service Vinalhaven. Al and his family are looking forward to participating in the dedication ceremony in Rhode Island, where the vessel is being constructed.
