Bill > LD1477

This bill provides an exemption from pilotage requirements for a specific ferry service between Bar Harbor, Maine, and Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. Pilotage requirements typically mandate that a licensed local pilot must guide ships through certain waters, but this bill creates an exception for an American-flagged vessel with an American crew. To qualify for the exemption, the vessel's master must hold a United States Coast Guard unlimited master's license and a first-class pilotage endorsement for the area of operation. Additionally, the vessel must still take a licensed pilot on one round trip per calendar week. This exemption is added to existing maritime law, which already provides pilotage exemptions for military ships and noncommercial foreign vessels under a certain length. The bill aims to facilitate easier and more streamlined ferry operations between the two locations while maintaining a minimum level of navigational oversight by requiring periodic pilot involvement.

Transportation and Infrastructure

https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/display_ps.asp?LD=1477&snum=132