The first Abegweit was laid down as hull 144 in November 1944 and was launched in 1946 at the Marine Industries Limited shipyard in Sorel, Quebec.

Her patron at the time of commissioning was Katherine Francis Bovyer, wife of Prince Edward Island premier J. Walter Jones.

To accommodate this change, the original Abegweit was renamed Abby in fall 1982 and she maintained this name through the end of her ferry service.

After finishing service on the Borden–Cape Tormentine route, the Abby was moved to Pictou, Nova Scotia and placed for sale during the winter of 1982–1983.

During the winter of 1982–1983, while the new Abegweit was in service between Borden and Cape Tormentine, the old Abby was docked at Pictou, Nova Scotia and advertised for sale by CN Marine.