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It was impressive to see innovation that included responsive anti-healing systems, specialized navigation moni- toring systems, and even the use of de- ployable ß oatation fenders (air bags) that will counteract the heeling mo-ment. In this case, the key is to incor- porate advanced technology where it makes sense, while still holding close to the goal of making an affordable design. Actions to implement a safer design are contingent upon a tangible cost. It is unlikely that passengers will be restricted or that that the weather can be tamed, therefore building bet- ter boats will have the greatest impact on safer transportation. Hope on the HorizonCircling back, vessel safety should never be taken for granted no matter where in the world you board. For ex- ample, and only after two tragic and deadly incidents in the United States, policy makers decided to take a closer look at stability. It was only 2 years ago that the U.S. Coast Guard took bold measures to change the way passenger weight was factored for stability calcu- lations from 160 pounds per person to now 185 pounds. Beyond the issue of safety and stability, the move correctly accounted for todayÕs bigger Ð and heavier Ð average American. Sure, the new calculation may limit passenger capacity in certain applications, but is simply changing the equation ac-curate enough? Naval architects now have access to advanced software and computing power to perform damage stability modeling whereby accurate cause-and-effect scenarios can be run to model the ß ooding impacts of vari- ous compartments. Similar software programs are available to model the dynamics of an onboard Þ re or even il- lustrate plausible evacuation scenarios. Looking ahead, and according to the Worldwide Ferry Safety Associa- tion, the next student Safe Affordable Ferry design competition will involve the design of an inter-island ferry for challenging waters of the South Pa- ciÞ c, where there have been several major ferry accidents in recent years. Ferries there are generally purchased secondhand and funds for new builds are scarce. Engineering solutions into a new design is expensive, but value of the investment is much greater than the cost of a lesson learned. The safety factor for vessels cannot be revolu- tionized overnight and surely one de- sign will not be suitable for the global market. Change can happen and there is hope that organizations like the World Ferry Safety Association in- crease the potential for improvements in all facets of boat design; one design competition at a time.BOATBUILDING Joe Hudspeth is Vice President of Business Development at All Amer- ican Marine, Inc., a manufacturer of high speed passenger ferries, ex-cursion vessels, and work boats, in Bellingham, WA. Hudspeth has been involved with maritime sales, marketing and product develop- ment since 2000. He currently serves as a regional co-chairman for the Passenger Vessel Association and participates on several committees concerned with marine industry issues. Reach him at [email protected] MN 29MN Dec2013 Layout 18-31.indd 29MN Dec2013 Layout 18-31.indd 2911/25/2013 12:46:45 PM11/25/2013 12:46:45 PM