An Act To Provide An Exemption From Pilotage Requirements For Passenger Ferry Service Between Bar Harbor, Maine And Yarmouth, Nova Scotia

LD 1477 exempts American-flagged passenger ferries operating regularly between Bar Harbor, Maine, and Yarmouth, Nova Scotia from Maine's pilotage requirements. The exemption applies only if the ferry master holds a U.S. Coast Guard unlimited master's license with a first-class pilotage endorsement for the route, and the vessel takes a licensed pilot on one round trip each week. This bill directly affects ferry operators on this specific cross-border route by reducing regulatory burdens. The change modifies Maine statute 38 MRSA §87-A to add a new exemption provision (§G) for these ferries.