CASTINE (AP) — Maine Maritime Academy has renamed one of its navigation training vessels in honor of one of the school’s most famous alumna.

The 70-foot vessel was dedicated over the weekend in honor of Susan J. Clark, valedictorian of the Castine school’s Class of 1985.

Clark was as Portland Harbor’s first female harbor pilot and was the first woman to join the Portland Marine Society.

She died of cancer a year ago at age 48.

Friends and family joined to take the maiden voyage of the renamed vessel.

Good friend Capt. David Gelinas told WLBZ-TV (http://on.wlbz2.com/15OBVQO ) that Clark was humble and unassuming, but one of the smartest people he knew.

Clark piloted more than 1,000 ships into Portland Harbor through Portland Pilots Inc., where she’d worked since 2001.