The M. V. Bluenose (named after a famous racing schooner in Nova Scotia) were built in 1955. The ferry was 346 feet long and could hold 615 people, 165 cars and 18 trucks. At one time it employed about 200 people in Bar Harbor and had a crew of 96.

The M.V. Bluenose Ferry ran from Bar Harbor to Nova Scotia from circa 1960 to 1997. The Bluenose was replaced by "The Cat" in 1997. The terminal and docking facility for the M.V. Bluenose was built on the site of the Stotesbury Estate "Wingwood". This estate survived the Fire of 1947 but was demolished in the 1950s to make way for the Bluenose.