RICHMOND — After Swan Island’s ferry service stopped, one local couple has figured out a way to bring it back for the remainder of the summer. Swan Island, a state-owned wildlife management area, is about 350 feet off the coast of Richmond in Merrymeeting Bay, part of the Kennebec River. It has a rich history including houses that date back to the 1700s, a campground and hiking trails.
People were devastated, including Jeremy and Amanda McDaniel, when the U.S. Coast Guard suspended the island’s ferry service in 2022 following a failed inspection that led to the service being halted in 2020.
Use of the island is free and people can swim, paddle or take their own boats to the island, but the ease of getting there diminished with the removal of the ferry service. Thanks to the efforts of the McDaniels, their friends and the Friends of Swan Island, a nonprofit dedicated to the island, a ferry service will run on the weekends starting July 27 through the end of the summer, temporarily solving the problem. “Amanda and I heard what was happening and we thought, ‘We have to keep this going,'” said Jeremy McDaniel.
Within the first couple of minutes of the news of the ferry service hitting Facebook, Jeremy McDaniel said the time slots for the ferry were filled. They plan to shuttle people to Swan Island all day and offer a guided tour around the island, or people can explore it on their own. The town’s continued interest in the island is an optimistic look for the future.
