U.S. Senators Olympia J. Snowe and Susan Collins (R-Maine) announced recently that the U.S. Department of Transportation's Maritime Administration has awarded a $633,422 grant to Washburn & Doughty Associates of East Boothbay.

The commercial boat-building company will use the funds to purchase and install various equipment and machinery such as pipe benders, inverter welding machines, and hydraulic press brakes to improve shipbuilding efficiency.

"For over 400 years, the shipbuilding industry has been a vibrant and integral part of Maine's economy and culture," Senators Snowe and Collins said in a joint statement. "With this generous funding, Washburn & Doughty Associates will continue to carry on this wonderful legacy and ensure that Maine continues to build the world's finest ships."

As part of the new Assistance to Small Shipyards program, the U.S. Department of Transportation's Maritime Administration has awarded $9.8 million in grants to small shipyards across the United States. The grants are intended to help small shipyard companies make the necessary capital and infrastructure improvements to enhance the efficiency and quality of domestic ship construction for commercial and federal use.