The 62nd annual Boothbay Harbor Windjammer Days will take place on Sunday, June 23 through Saturday, June 29. This year we will celebrate our local boatbuilders and shipwrights. Please visit boothbayharborwindjammerdays.org for the full schedule of events.

Katie Doughty Maddox grew up on the water and has always had a passion for the ocean and outdoor activities. Whether she was sailing the coast of Maine during summers or spending her days at the shipyard. She’s worked on schooners out of Camden, held a position at Outward Bound, and served as a trip leader at Chewonki. It's no surprise that Maddox eventually followed in her father's footsteps. "Talking tugs and building boats was always part of the dinner conversation growing up," she shared. 

This upbringing naturally led her to a career in building some of the finest commercial vessels in the world, all from her hometown of East Boothbay. However, she doesn't do this alone. As the president of Washburn & Doughty Associates, Inc., she oversees a highly skilled crew of approximately 90 shipfitters, engineers, pipefitters, welders, electricians, designers, mechanics, carpenters, and painters. Katie takes immense pride in Washburn & Doughty's work and its representation of Maine's shipbuilding legacy. 

Founded in 1977 by two friends, Bruce Doughty and Bruce Washburn, Washburn & Doughty started as a side business. Maddox, daughter of co-founder Bruce Doughty, assumed the role of president in May 2019. Today, the family business thrives with Katie's husband serving as CFO and her sister Kristen, an attorney, assisting with the legal aspects. 

The yard primarily constructs steel boats, including tugs and ferries like the Paul T. Moran, an 86-foot x 36-foot, 5100 HP, Z-Drive Tug, launched in March for the Moran Towing Corporation. Both the Paul T. Moran and the Grace McAllister, a 93-foot x 38-foot, 6770 HP, Z-Drive Tug, were named among the "Top Tugs of 2024" by Professional Mariner’s American Tugboat Review. 

Maddox's passion lies in her company's products. She would rather discuss the specifications of the tugs in production than talk about herself. She greatly admires her team, acknowledging the countless hours they put into designing and building each vessel. "We are very proud of the craftsmanship. We work hard to uphold our reputation for building quality boats," she remarked. 

If you want to see Katie truly light up, ask her about a launch. "A launch is a very special event. Everything you see, from the paint to the bridge, from the engine room to the hydraulics, someone here worked on that. Our team brings it all together. It takes a lot of hours, a lot of dedication to build each vessel. A launch brings a great sense of fulfillment to all of us here." 

With such dedication, it's no wonder that Katie Doughty Maddox and her team of craftsmen continue to uphold their world-class reputation for excellence in building steel vessels right here in East Boothbay, Maine.