Mainebiz

V O L . X X X I I N O. X X V I N OV E M B E R 1 6 , 2 0 2 6 6 The Maine Center for Economic Policy, an Augusta-based research organiza- tion, reports that cashier and fast-food workers face greater risks of losing their jobs to artificial intelligence, while health care workers and teachers may be less vulnerable because their work is harder to automate. The Foundation for Portland Public Schools announced that it awarded a record 137 grants, totaling $149,986, to Portland Public Schools staff and students this fall. The U.S. Department of Transportation's Safe Streets and Roads for All grant pro- gram awarded the town of Kittery $10.7 million to improve safety and accessibil- ity along nearly one mile of U.S. Route 1. Portland Regional Chamber of Commerce awarded a total of $255,000 to 12 Maine nonprofits as part of its second annual Day of Giving. Alice James Books in New Gloucester said it received a $30,000 grant from the Poetry Foundation to support the press's ongoing commitment to pub- lishing contemporary poetry, cham- pioning emerging and established voices, and connecting poets with readers nationwide. Portland Water District was awarded a $8.1 million grant from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Regional Conservation Partnership Program to lead a regional watershed protection initiative safeguarding Sebago Lake, the drinking water source for more than 200,000 people. Hannaford Supermarkets in Scarborough opened a store at 797 Main St. in Presque Isle. IMD Signage, the signage line of Industrial Monitor Direct in Sanford, launched a website, imdsignage.com. Maine Beer Co. in Freeport made a $25,000 donation to the Maine Coast Fishermen's Association to sup- port its Fishermen Feeding Mainers B U S I N E S S M A I N E Business news from around the state From steel to sea B Y T I M G R E E N W A Y A t Washburn & Doughty's East Boothbay shipyard, the in- progress tugboat Cathy McAllister dominates the scene. Its massive steel bow towers overhead as workers weld and cut metal, sparks streaking through the air. Along the Damariscotta River, Washburn & Doughty builds steel and aluminum commercial vessels. Over the years, its work has included fishing boats, ferries, barges and research vessels. Today, the company focuses primarily on ship-docking tugboats, serving ports along the East Coast and Gulf Coast. In 1977, Bath Iron Works employees Bruce Doughty and Bruce Washburn began building a fishing vessel on nights and weekends. When the fishing boat market declined in the mid-1980s, the duo began building other types of vessels. Around 1990, it built its first tugboat. Like Legos, but bigger Tugboat construction begins with engineering and design. Built to maneuver much larger ships, tugboats use thicker steel plates than some other commercial vessels. Workers cut the plates into individual pieces, which shipfitters assemble and tack-weld before welders complete the joints. Larger sections are then joined "kind of like a Lego construction," says Katie Doughty Maddox, who is president and the daughter of Bruce Doughty. Throughout the shipyard, workers fabricate components for the Cathy McAllister while crews aboard install engines, propulsion machiner y, pip- ing and electrical systems. Painting, insulation and inte- rior finishing take place as areas are completed. Inside the crowded engine room, large pipes crisscross overhead as workers debate where to position another pipe. One calls it a "thinking session." The discussion reflects the chal- lenge of keeping machinery accessible to future crews. To launch a tugboat, work- ers slide it down two heavily greased rails on a wooden cra- dle. As the vessel enters the water, the cradle separates from the hull while another tug pulls it clear of the launch rails. Once afloat, crews spend three to four months align- ing engines and shafts, running the engines with seawater for cooling and conducting sea trials. Beyond the shipyard Washburn & Doughty works with a vari- ety of Maine vendors, including Maine Oxy, which supplies welding equipment and gases. Maine Coast Interiors han- dles cabinetry and other interior outfit- ting, while Aero Heating & Ventilating provides ductwork. The shipyard employs about 60 peo- ple and delivers one to three tugboats a year. Building one takes 20 to 30 months, with prices starting above $18 million for lower horsepower models. Maddox says the company's biggest challenges are hir- ing and retaining skilled workers and estimating labor and material costs for fixed-price contracts. For Maddox, building vessels on Maine's coast is a source of pride and a way to continue the state's shipbuild- ing tradition. Completing a tugboat also brings a sense of accomplishment to the workers. Long after leaving East Boothbay, the vessels helped maneuver tankers, cargo ships, hospital ships and aircraft carriers in ports through- out the country. SP ONSORED BY Katie Doughty Maddox N O T E W O R T H Y S O U T H E R N S O U T H E R N N O T E W O R T H Y S T A T E W I D E S T A T E W I D E P H O T O / T I M G R E E N WAY P H O T O / T I M G R E E N WAY Dale Hamlin welds stairs to the pilot house on the Cathy McAllister tugboat. The future Cathy McAllister tugboat at Washburn & Doughty's East Boothbay shipyard.

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