OMSA’s Smith: Defending US-Flag Vessels is about Economic, National Security
Anyone who knows Aaron Smith, president and CEO of OMSA, knows that he is passionately focused on the U.S. maritime industry and staunchly defending the U.S. Jones Act fleet and mariners. We caught with Smith on the sidelines of the Workboat Show in New Orleans last week. Highlights of the conversation are below – including an update on the American Offshore Worker Fairness Act – the full interview can be seen on Maritime Reporter TV.Let’s talk a bit about the offshore energy industry today. What is the focus of OMSA?Aaron Smith: Right now is an exciting time for the offshore
Meet the CTO: Dr. Gunnar Stiesch, MAN Energy Solutions
As the shipowners stare down decarbonization mandates that grow increasingly strict through 2050, the engine makers are at the tip of the spear of this energy transition phenomena, working to design and build engines and components that are built to operate on a long and growing list of alternative fuels. We recently visited with Dr. Gunnar Stiesch, CTO, MAN Energy Solutions, to take a look inside the research and development process at this global power leader, for insights on ‘what’s next’ in ship propulsion.Dr. Stiesch, to begin, can you give a brief career biography with insights
Interview: Juha Kytölä, Director of R&D and Engineering, Wärtsilä
As maritime faces transcendent changes in terms of decarbonization and automation, Juha Kytölä, Director of R&D and Engineering, Wärtsilä, discusses how this Finnish maritime technology powerhouse is investing in the technologies and facilities that will drive the maritime industry for the coming generation, including insights on its unique arrangement for a future fuel engine testbed onboard Wasaline’s MS Aurora Botnia.To start off, can you give a scope of the Wärtsilä R&D investment?We invest heavily in research and development, about 4.1% of our annual
CEO in Focus: Allard Castelein, Port of Rotterdam
The Port of Rotterdam has blazed a path for ports globally in terms of automation, digitalization and decarbonization. As he enters the final year of his tenure, Allard Castelein, CEO, Port of Rotterdam, says there is still much work to do.While many global organizations are adept at ‘talking the talk’, the Port of Rotterdam stands out as ‘walking the walk’ in regards to real investment and innovation in robotics, digitalization and infrastructure improvements to facilitate the efficient, effective transfer of ship’s cargo for distribution globally. Sitting at the helm to
Profiles in Leadership: Yuri Sakurada, HR Director, DNV Maritime
Educated and trained as an engineer, Yuri Sakurada shares insights on her path to a leadership role at DNV.While many careers in maritime start with a passion for the sea, this was not the case with Yuri Sakurada, HR Director, DNV Maritime, who fell into maritime by chance following her engineering studies at the University of Osaka. “But I must say that my passion for the industry has grown since I started to work for DNV as a surveyor for new maritime projects in Japan, many years back.”While Sakurada’s path did not start on the maritime track, it has evolved into a full-fledged
Profiles in Maritime Leadership: Ulla Nielsen, MD, V.Ships Germany
As a former master mariner with Maersk Line and currently the Managing Director of V.Ships, Germany, Ulla Nielsen was a natural choice to kick off Maritime Reporter & Engineering News’ profiles in maritime female leadership in the run up to the Women's International Shipping & Trading Association’s (WISTA) annual conference, scheduled to be held in person October 12-15, 2021 in Hamburg, Germany.Ulla, to start, can you provide some insight on your maritime career path?My background is as a master mariner sailing with Maersk Line, primarily in the container vessel trade from
Inside The Apprentice School at Newport News Shipbuilding with Dr. Latitia McCane
The Apprentice School at Newport News Shipbuilding trains shipbuilders and leaders to build some of the highest value maritime assets on the planet: U.S. Navy ships. Dr. Latitia McCane, Director of Education, The Apprentice School at Newport News Shipbuilding discusses the challenges and rewards of the job.While most shipbuilders lament the dearth of interest from the next generation to take up a career in shipbuilding, Dr. Latitia McCane, Director of Education, The Apprentice School at Newport News Shipbuilding has the opposite problem, sorting through nearly 4,000 applicants to fill only 200 spots
Profiles in Training: Dr. Michael Ekow MANUEL, Professor, World Maritime University
; lives have been literally upended with the inability to effectively conduct routine crew changes, leaving hundreds of thousands stuck on ships, contracts expired, with no ability to return to families and homes. Similarly, seafarers shoreside have been unable to embark ships and earn a living.“Greg, I must say this situation worries me, and in fact it worries all of us at WMU,” said Dr. Manuel. “Seafarers have not been treated well at all by the majority of states, companies and stakeholders, and sadly this only accentuates an existing problem. Seafarers have seldom been recognized
Profiles in Training: Ken Chapman Senior Instructor, Maersk Training
Ken Chapman has led as deep and as broad of a maritime and offshore life as possible, an accrued experience and knowledge including being part of the team that had to coordinated during one of the offshore oil and gas industry’s worst disasters ever: the Piper Alpha. Today he reflects with Offshore Engineer on how these experiences helped drive him into a career in training, today as the Senior Instructor, Maersk Training.Ken, to start can you give an overview of your career with insights on your current position?My working life started in the Merchant Navy (MN) (the U.S. equivalent of the
VIDEO: MarTID Survey Looks at Pandemic’s Impact on Seafarer Training
2020 presented a monumental challenge for many industries and workers, particularly seafarers, as COVID-19 effectively left hundreds of thousands of seafarers stranded at sea, unable to disembark and partake in crew changes due to onerous restrictions by the majority of port states. The challenges continue into 2021, and while eventually the situation will pass, COVID-19 will leave an indelible mark on the way in which seafarers are trained.For the fourth year, the MarTID survey of examines maritime training practices and trends. MarTID is a non-commercial survey conducted jointly between the World
VIDEO: Profiles in Training - Mike Corrigan, CEO, INTERFERRY
Mike Corrigan, the ubiquitous leader of Interferry, has a broad base of energy and maritime industry experience, including his stint as CEO of BC Ferries. Corrigan shares with Maritime Reporter & Engineering News his thoughts on a broad range of issues facing the ferry industry: COVID-19, emerging international regulations, and yes, maritime training and education initiatives throughout the world ferry industry.Looking back to your tenure atop BC Ferries, can you discuss this through a training and education lens?At BC Ferries, safety and training was an integral part of my role and passion.
INTERVIEW: RDML John Okon, Commander, Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command
Recently the United States Navy and NOAA signed an agreement to jointly expand the development and operations of unmanned maritime systems in the nation’s coastal and world’s ocean waters. RDML John Okon, Commander, Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command, shares his insights on the direction and pace of the use of unmanned maritime systems for the Navy’s future.How and when you realized that yours would be a career dedicated to Oceanography?Interesting, I never started out to have a career in Oceanography, but rather in Broadcast Meteorology. At NY Maritime College
Profiles in Training: Marcus Cheesman, Founder, Seven Seas Preparatory Academy
Marcus Cheesman started his maritime training in 1987 at the early age of 13, attending Trinity House Navigation School, the UK’s only Nautical school. Upon graduation he was selected for a deck cadet apprenticeship with P&O Cruises and continued to progress through the ranks with P&O Cruises, Princess Cruises, Holland America Line (including Windstar Cruises) and Disney Cruise Line, ultimately obtaining his Master Mariners license in 2002. He has piloted vessels on the busy River Humber based in his home town Hull, UK, before moving to the United States, holding positions responsible
Profiles in Training: Capt. Ted Morley, MPT
Captain Ted Morley is a ubiquitous figure in maritime training circles, the COO and Academic Principal at MPT in Fort Lauderdales. MPT consistently enrolls more than 10,000 students annually, catering to the whole maritime market from super yachts to super tankers and everything in between. He shares his insights on how the current pandemic is changing maritime training, now and in the future.How have you altered your operations due to the pandemic?Even before COVID-19 we designed our main campus to fight viruses and improve air quality. We have UV sterilizers in our AC system and hospital grade hepa
Interview: John Waterhouse, EBDG - “Be Bold in Thinking but Cautious in Application”
John Waterhouse is a ubiquitous character in the U.S. maritime industry, a deep-thinker, a signature bow tie and more than three decades of naval architecture and marine engineering experience and success as co-owner of the Seattle-based Elliott Bay Design Group (EBDG).While growing up, John Waterhouse spent some time in Vancouver, BC, Canada, and it was as a young boy standing on the shores of English Bay, watching ships come in from around the world to load and unload their cargos, when he realized that a maritime career could be his future. “It was in high school when the light bulb went off
Profiles in Maritime Training: Martyn Thomas, Chief of Staff, Stream Marine Training Ltd. (SMT)
Martyn Thomas is the Chief of Staff at Stream Marine Training Ltd (SMT Ltd.) following many years working for both global training providers and cruise companies. SMT is a maritime skills and technology business providing fire-fighting, sea survival, survival craft and HSE training to the global maritime, oil and gas, renewables and construction industries.Thomas works out of SMT’s head office in Glasgow where SMT trains the majority of its theoretical based courses, including Alternative Fuels, HELM, Security Awareness, and Security Duties, as well as its pool-based training courses like
Profiles in Training: Staten Island Ferries
; said DeSimone. “Government exist to provide services.”The Staten Island Ferry is an iconic part of New York City’s history and future, carrying more than 25.2 million passengers on a 5-mile, 25-minute trip per year, for free, courtesy of about 40,404 trips made annually. Photo: Greg TrauthweinA Time for ChangeThe October 15, 2003 incident provided a wake-up call for the historic ferry service, and DeSimone and his crew set about making changes, from the foundation of a new Safety Management System that took nearly 18 months to devise and implement, to a top to bottom review of maritime
