Governor John Baldacci and members of the state's congressional delegation had high praise for Hodgdon Yachts when they visited the East Boothbay, ME boatyard, July 19.

The governor was on hand to present Hodgdon Yachts president Tim Hodgdon with Pine Tree Zone certification and help announce the details of Maine Built Boats (MBB), a newly formed alliance aimed at elevating the state's centuries-old boatbuilding industry to greater prominence worldwide.

The Pine Tree Zone program offers incentives to help Maine businesses grow and add jobs. Hodgdon Yachts currently employs 74, and plans to add up to 25 new jobs as part of a long-term growth strategy that includes a contract with the U.S. Navy to construct the prototype for a high-speed special operations vessel called the Mark V.1.

U.S. Representative Tom Allen (D-Maine) said, "This new vessel will be a critically important tool for our nation's special forces deployed in trouble spots around the globe. I applaud the ingenuity and skill of the talented Maine craftsmen at Hodgdon, whose outstanding efforts have won them this prestigious opportunity."

Senator Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) praised Hodgdon Yachts for "passing down from generation to generation the family business and the traditions of high-quality shipbuilding, while simultaneously embracing technological developments that will drive its success for future generations."

She also pledged to support efforts by Maine Built Boats to heighten Maine boatbuilders' international profile.

"It is critical," she said, "to support initiatives to advance Maine's tradition of shipbuilding into the new century, and I will continue to work with Maine shipbuilders, like Hodgdon, to achieve that goal."

Steve Von Vogt, president and CEO of Maine Marine Manufacturing and chairman of MBB, said, "Maine's boatbuilding industry is second to none in the world. Programs such as the Mark V.1 and the MBB will help Maine boatbuilding advance on the world stage as producers of some of the finest and most technically advanced craft built anywhere in the world."

During their visit, the governor and others viewed the Hodgdon 406. The 98-foot ketch is the largest sailing yacht currently under construction in the U.S., and the 406th built by Hodgdon since the company's founding in 1816. It is slated for launching in summer 2006.