Beside Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor looks out over Frenchman Bay to the open Gulf of Maine, with Cadillac Mountain rising behind. Few places on the Atlantic coast offer a farewell amid such grandeur.
Sea Services has arranged burials at sea and ash scatterings from Bar Harbor since 1991. Our U.S. Coast Guard–licensed captains perform every service in full compliance with EPA regulations, a minimum of three nautical miles from shore.
Families who wish to be aboard can plan a private memorial charter — most last 1.5 to 2 hours dock to dock, with quiet time at sea for the ceremony. If your family cannot attend, our Captain’s Service performs a dignified, fully documented unattended scattering, available year-round. Expedited services within 24–48 hours are available for religious timelines, including Hindu ash-scattering traditions.
To plan a burial at sea from Bar Harbor, call 1-888-404-9880. We’ll help you choose the right vessel and time of day for your family.
Families in Maine also depart from Boothbay and South Portland.
Explore all burial at sea locations in Maine.
Compassionate, Seamless Burial at Sea Services Nationwide
At Sea Services, we partner with carefully vetted captains and crew across the United States to ensure your memorial experience is smooth, respectful, and deeply meaningful. Honor your loved one with a dignified sea burial. We offer compassionate, coast-to-coast services for scattering ashes at sea. With experienced captains and certified vessels, we ensure your loved one’s ashes are scattered at sea with care, legality, and respect.
Our Burial at Sea and Ash Scattering Services include a beautifully crafted biodegradable urn adorned with freeze-dried flowers, along with a personalized memorial certificate mailed to you after the ceremony. Every service is conducted in full compliance with EPA regulations and aboard U.S. Coast Guard-approved vessels, ensuring safety and professionalism at every step.
What to Expect During Your Memorial Charter
Each charter lasts approximately 1.5 to 2 hours, dock to dock. The journey includes:
Sea Services™ provides professional burial at sea services across the United States. Whether you’re looking for charter boats for scattering ashes, or a peaceful setting to lay your loved one to rest, we’re here to help you plan a meaningful sea burial with dignity.
During your time on the water, you’ll have the space and time to reflect, pray, share stories, and release ashes in a peaceful and private setting. Our experienced captains can help guide the ceremony or offer support as needed, ensuring a respectful and memorable farewell.
Acadia National Park One of the crown jewels of the East Coast, Acadia offers dramatic cliffs, forested trails, and sweeping views from Cadillac Mountain—the highest point on the U.S. Atlantic seaboard. Whether you’re hiking, biking, or driving the Park Loop Road, natural beauty surrounds you.
Shore Path This historic oceanfront walkway winds along Bar Harbor’s rocky coastline, offering peaceful views of Frenchman Bay, bobbing sailboats, and the occasional seal sighting. A perfect sunrise stroll or leisurely evening walk.
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VIEW DETAILS >Family Memorial Services
For families wishing to plan a personal and meaningful memorial voyage, Sea Services™ offers U.S. Coast Guard-approved vessels for scattering ashes from the port of your choice. You select the time, place, and arrangements, and invite as many guests as you wish for this private burial at sea.
We have a wide range of vessels available for scattering ashes at sea, and our experienced team will help you plan every detail. For many, this will be a first-time maritime funeral experience with a sea burial. Sea Services™ will work closely with you to make this a fitting memorial occasion, carefully evaluating your needs and desires to insure a safe, comfortable and memorable day for all.
First-class family services like these vary greatly in every detail. Likewise, their costs also vary considerably. Contact Sea Services today at 1-888-404-9880 for the current cost of a Family Memorial Service. Costs for a small group, larger groups, special services or trips in the height of the recreational boating season are available on request.
Whether your group is large or small (from a single guest to several hundred) our trusted captains and crews are certified to provide dignified and legal services for having a loved one’s ashes scattered at sea.
Captain's Service
Often families cannot venture to sea or attend a scattering ashes at sea memorial service. Our captains bring the cremated remains on an ocean voyage for you. A dignified sea scattering of ashes or burial at sea is performed and documented, with that documentation provided to you. This is our most popular service, with prices beginning at just $325.
While the Captain’s Service does not provide for the family or guests to accompany the vessel, specific requests, such as dates or times, special prayers or simple ceremonies are often available. Special planning, however, can add to our costs. Many ports have seasonal demands and schedules vary at different times of the year. You may call us for specific fees at the port of your choice.
Most often, cremated remains are received at Sea Services’ home office via priority mail express US Mail, sometimes directly from the funeral home or crematory. For the specific “Three Easy Steps” to a Captain’s Service™. Call us anytime with your specific wishes, or just to discuss our services. Sea Services™ will work hard to accommodate your desires while insuring the best value.
Scattering or Burial?
The scattering of cremated remains on the sea’s surface is timeless tradition — a chosen funeral custom for thousands of years. Many, however, due to personal, religious or traditional desires, prefer to be placed in a burial urn on the ocean’s floor.
Sea Services has developed the Burial at Sea Service that sensitively accomplishes this timeless tradition, while insuring 21st Century protection of the environment. Whether you choose a traditional Sea Scattering or the dignified Burial at Sea with a urn you can be assured that your service will receive our personal attention at any port, off any shore of our nation.