Page 6: of Marine News Magazine (January 2012)

If a New Year always brings a fresh perspective to matters at hand, then the arrival of 2012 should promise different sea conditions for the workboat industry as a whole. And yet, we leave 2011 with plenty of unfinished business, looming regulatory edicts, environmental deadlines and the specter of an uncertain economy. Survival in such an atmosphere takes plenty of business smarts, a bit of luck and some vision of what is to come next. Nowhere is that collective metric more applicable than inside the gates of our domestic repair and boat- building yards. For that reason, we turn our attention to vessel construction and repair in January. I could go on at length about shipyard issues, but that sort of advice is best taken from one of industry?s most experienced professionals. Boysie Bollinger?s nearly 50 years of boatbuilding experience therefore speak volumes in this issue?s Insights entry, providing MarineNews readers with reasons for optimism, caution and cogent answers to our queries. Also in this edition is more than one report on domestic boatbuilding activities. Both shine the light on a reasonably busy domestic sector, despite the lingering doldrums caused by the now rescinded drilling moratorium. A look at smaller military, security patrol and law enforcement boat markets shows signs of con- tinued, healthy demand, with boatbuilders delivering innovative hulls; sometimes in series. Putting the exclamation point on all of that is Marcon International?s latest Tug Market Report, as outlined in this month?s BY THE NUM- BERS. A revealing look at available workboats, here and abroad, promises increased repair and maintenance work, espe- cially as Subchapter ?M?, the new emissions standards and a host of other regulatory pressures force upgrades to exist- ing equipment. Given the age of some of this hulls, newbuilding may be the only other option. Looking beyond the bottom line in 2012 ? or perhaps digging a little deeper into the unexpected rewards that increased safety can bring ? we see a number of places where the savvy operator can improve ROI simply by running a safer operation. Within these pages, you?ll find that this effort has roots on deck, in the office and ultimately, from the c-suite. Aside from the all-important dividend of healthier marine personnel, the unexpected windfall derived from an accident-free workplace might just surprise you. Start by improving your internal audit process or maybe you pre- fer to look on deck instead, where reducing time spent to make up barge tows by one-half also reduces the potential for injuries. The keys to both efforts are inside this edition of MarineNews .At some point, and if you stay in this business long enough, you are going to find yourself in the shipyard. There are 1,001 reasons why that might happen. This month, we?ve even thrown in a little legal advice to make sure that everyone ? from con- tractors to operators and repair providers alike ? enjoy a positive experience, when they do. As we move quickly into the New Year, that?s a goal we can all embrace. SUBSCRIBESubscribe to the print or electronic edition of MarineNews at www.marinelink.com/renewsubscr/Renew04/subscribe.html or e-mail Kathleen Hickey at [email protected] DAILY NEWS via E-MAILTwice every business day we provide breaking news, tailored to your specification, delivered FREE directly to your e-mail. To subscribe visit http://maritimetoday.com/login.aspx POST & SEARCHJOBSJob listings are updated daily and help match employers with qualified employees. Post a position or keep abreast of new employment opportunities at http://www.maritimejobs.com ADVERTISEMN offers a number of print and electronic advertising packages. To see our editorial calendar and advertising rates, visit www.marinelink.com/AdvRates/Rates.asp Joseph Keefe, Editor, [email protected] Online Resources 6MNJanuary 2012 EDITOR?S NOTEkeefe@ marinelink.comMN#1 (1-17):MN 2011 Layouts 1/5/2012 3:48 PM Page 6