Senator visits Boothbay Harbor Shipyard and Washburn & Doughty

Mon, 04/18/2016 - 10:00am

BILL PEARSON

U.S Sen. Angus King (I-Maine), right, along with Washburn & Doughty co-founder and Vice President of Engineering Bruce Washburn, center, and Director of Production Justin Clark view the bridge on a shipyard-built tugboat during an April 15 tour. King also visited Boothbay Harbor Shipyard. BILL PEARSON/Boothbay Register

Washburn & Doughty co-founder Bruce Washburn explains the shipyard’s request on April 15 for an approximately $800,000 Small Shipyard Grant. King visited the East Boothbay boat builder and Boothbay Harbor Shipyard on April 15. BILL PEARSON/Boothbay Register

Ross Branch, left, of Boothbay Harbor Shipyard, explains the reconstruction of the schooner Ernestina-Morrissey, to Senator Angus King on April 15. Courtesy of Bob Crink

Senator Angus King listens as Boothbay Harbor Shipyard manager Eric Graves (wearing cap) explains a drawing during King’s tour of the shipyard April 15. Standing next to Graves is shipyard owner Terry McClinch. Courtesy of Robert Mitchell

Ross Branch, left, of Boothbay Harbor Shipyard, explains the reconstruction of the schooner Ernestina-Morrissey, to Senator Angus King on April 15. Courtesy of Bob Crink

U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) is working with a Boothbay shipbuilder to obtain a federal grant. Washburn & Doughty is seeking an approximately $800,000 Small Shipyard Grant. The boat builder recently submitted its application requesting a portion of the $4.9 million available for qualified applicants. The U.S. Maritime Administration expects to receive $88 million in requests, according to Senator King regional representative, Chris Rector.

King toured Washburn & Doughty and Boothbay Harbor Shipyard on April 15. In East Boothbay, he met with Washburn & Doughty’s co-founder and Vice President of Engineering Bruce Washburn and Director of Production Justin Clark.

Washburn & Doughty is seeking the grant to purchase more equipment. The business is looking to purchase nine pieces of equipment including two Toyota forklifts, two sets of Lincoln Welding Equipment, and a five-axis burn table for steel plate cutting.

Both Washburn & Doughty and Boothbay Harbor Shipyard have received Small Shipyard Grants in the past from the U.S. Maritime Administration. King described the application process as “very competitive.”

“I know we made a call. Let us know if we can help,” King said. “Amending the Constitution is hard, but poking the bureaucracy is even more difficult.”

Clark expects the U.S. Maritime Administration to select recipients in the next week. Recipients must provide 25 percent of the equipment costs according to the grant’s requirements.

No more than 25 percent of the funds available are awarded to shipyard facilities in one geographic location that have more than 600 production employees, according to the agency’s website.

King toured the Washburn & Doughty facility for about one hour before his next stop at the Boothbay Harbor Shipyard. In Boothbay Harbor, he spoke about the importance of the maritime industry and marine trades in the Maine economy, according to a press release.

At 2:45 p.m., he spoke about the “Battle Against Opiod and Heroin Epidemics” during the Annual Maine Pain Symposium in Northport. According to a press release, he spoke about the role doctors and other care providers play in fighting the state’s opioid and heroin epidemics while effectively managing patients’ pain.