@13780 well, I found it; “The Cat” (being referred to here) is a high speed ferry that operates between Nova Scotia and Maine.

The "cat" he refers to is the catamaran that runs between Yarmouth, NS and Portland, ME. It goes fast and is a pretty nice ride. There have been years that it has not run so some prior investigation is a good idea. 

The more I think about it, riding to Maine and then the Cat to Nova Scotia is really sounding like a fun trip to make happen!  Mike, I think we may have teased some interest 😉

I've done that trip and I enjoyed it. For myself I didn't mind skipping New Brunswick as I've done that run many many times too. I would consider doing to both ways for maximum scenic effect.