Page 4. MAINE COASTAL NEWS April 2009
Maine Built Boats - 2008 Year in Review
By Jane Wellehan, Yachting World (UK), Motorboating, Radio), Portland Monthly, Maine Home & on the tools and connections we developed
President, Maine Built Boats Showboats, and Power Cruising. The Design, Yachting, Fortune, Cruising World over the past year with funding from NSAI,
2008 was a great year for Maine Built advertising increased awareness of MBB, and Boats International. members and sponsors to continue to
Boats (MBB). MBB is charged with reaching and drove tremendous traffic to our website. Membership grew substantially during spread the word about Maine’s
out nationally and internationally to We updated our website both visually 2008; we now have over 60 members, and boatbuilding industry.
promote Maine’s boatbuilding industry, the and functionally. We added a Gallery, Video, look to grow this more in 2009. MBB will build
exceptional quality and craftsmanship and an Events & Launch section. The
available, the range of construction website enjoyed over 140,000 visitors
capabilities, and varieties of boats we build between March and December, averaging
Our Navy Must Be Rebuilt
in Maine. over 450 visitors a day. The average visitor
On March 3
rd
, Rep. Ike Skelton, Chairman The U.S. Navy presently numbers 284
MBB took a page out of the boat stayed on the site for over 3 minutes, and
of the House Armed Services Committee, ships, which is 29 ships below the minimum
builders’ book and coupled traditional and looked at 4 pages. This marks a 250%
addressed representatives of the U.S. ship- required force structure needed to satisfy
“modern” technology to spread the word increase in site traffic. The Gallery is the most
building industry at the American Shipbuild- current and emerging missions. In order to
about our 400 year young industry. Using popular page on the site, with viewers from
ing Association’s Industry Day in Washing- rebuild the fleet to the documented 313 ship
film, the internet, boat shows, traditional PR all over the world accessing photos of Maine
ton, DC. During his remarks, Rep. Skelton force level, 12 new ships must be procured
& advertising, we emphasized the pride Boats.
stressed the need for the Navy to make a final each year. Rep. Skelton admitted that the
Maine builders take in their work, the “Art & To compliment the website, MBB
decision this year as to how many and what resources are not being allocated to build the
Soul” that every builder puts into his/her started a monthly eNewsletter that features
kinds of ships it wants in its future fleet. “The ships in the Navy’s 30 year shipbuilding plan,
work, and the tradition and history that has news of our members and is sent to
debate about the future Navy needs to end pointing out that the shipbuilding budget is
melded with modern technology to create boatbuilders, people in the marine press and
this year. A decision needs to be made. After short by $5-6 billion dollars annually. The
world’s best boats. trade all over the world, and interested
a decision is made that both the Department Chairman stated that while he does not know
The most exciting project this year was consumers. The news in this comes from
[of the Navy] and Congress can support, we what the FY 2010 shipbuilding budget will
working with Gary Jobson, ESPN members, and serves to remind people
need to fund the construction program at the request for new ships, it is essential that this
commentator, author, and lecturer to create regularly about Maine Boatbuilding.
level necessary to restore the fleet,” Skelton country build “at least 10 ships” and that it is
a documentary about Maine Boatbuilding. Boat Shows presented a great
said. “Whether that number is 313 ships or important that the “right 10 ships” are built.
We traveled a great deal of the state and opportunity to expand the audience for our
340 ships, we need to get there.” “There are some very new threats out there to
interviewed over 40 people – boatbuilders, boats, as MBB exhibited at the Maine
Following Rep. Skelton’s remarks Rear our Fleet, and we need to make sure that the
editors, owners – about what makes Maine’s Boatbuilders Show in March in Portland, the
Admiral Michael McMahon, Program Execu- Navy can counter the emerging technologies
Boatbuilding unique. We filmed as many WoodenBoat Show in June in Mystic,
tive Officer for Aircraft Carriers; Rear Admiral that might put our carriers at risk even far out
boats on the water as we could, making sure Connecticut, the Maine Boats Homes &
Bill Landay, Program Executive Officer for at sea.”
we had a good cross section of power and Harbors Show in Rockland in August, the
Ships; Rear Admiral Terry Benedict, Program The increased piracy in commercial ship-
sail, pleasure and commercial, large and small Newport International Boat Show in
Executive Officer for Integrated Warfare Sys- ping lanes and the build-up of China and
boats. We premiered the movie in November Newport, Rhode Island in September, the
tems; Wayne Meeks, Executive Director, Russia’s navies demand that the U.S. main-
at the Strand in Rockland to a sell-out crowd Monaco Yacht Show in Monaco in
Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of tain a strong naval presence for national
November 22. We have started to show it at September, and the Fort Lauderdale
the Navy for Ships; and Jack Evans, Execu- security and to protect commerce. Skelton
yacht clubs and similar venues. Our next big International Boat Show in Florida in
tive Director, Program Executive Officer for asserted, “We forgot that we are a maritime
showing will be April 8
th
at the Grand Theater October.
Submarines, spoke about the shipbuilding nation. We forgot that lesson of history that
in Ellsworth at 7 pm. We sought press from magazines,
programs currently under construction. The only the nations with powerful navies are
LEDA (Leslie Evans Design) created a emagazines, and newspapers, and worked
Navy representatives were prevented from able to exert power and influence, and when
beautiful series of ads for us that we ran in a over the year to develop relationships with
speaking about the FY 2010 Navy shipbuild- a Navy disappears, so does that nation’s
variety of marine and consumer magazines, editors. Many marine/boating magazines
ing budget because it is still being developed power,” and “I submit that we are on a bad
including Coastal Living, Men’s Journal, featured articles about Maine Boats and
by the Navy and Department of Defense. The glide slope, but not so far committed that we
New York Times Magazine, Fortune, Forbes Boatbuilders this year, including Bangor
detailed budget is not expected to be sent to cannot recover.” Skelton added, “I believe
Life, Cruising World, WoodenBoat, Metro, Yachting World (UK), Boat US
Congress until April. that we can and we must rebuild our fleet.”
Yachting, Maine Boats Homes & Harbors, magazine, Soundings, NPR (National Public
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