Page 28: of Marine News Magazine (March 2016)

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REGIONAL FOCUS: EAST COAST USA

One Small Step towards

Sustainable Coastal Shipping

Shortsea Shipping is alive and well on America’s East Coast. MarineNews contributor Bob Kunkel explains how, why and when that could happen.

By Robert Kunkel n the United States, counties and states directly on the the development of a short sea-shipping program in early shoreline constitute less than 10 percent of the total 2004. In the Americas, the U.S. Department of Transpor- land area (not including Alaska), but account for 39 tation and the Maritime Administration started by ? rst

I percent of the total population. From 1970 to 2010, the building a short sea cooperative program with private in- population of these counties increased by almost 40% and dustry and following with the America’s Marine Highway under legislation established by Section 1121 of the En- are projected to increase by an additional 10 million peo- ple or 8% by 2020. Coastal areas are substantially more ergy Independence and Security Act of 2007 and amended crowded than the U.S. as a whole, and population density in Section 405 of the Coast Guard and Maritime Trans- in coastal areas will continue to increase in the future. In portation Act of 2012. The mission was to integrate a ma- fact, the population density of coastal shoreline counties is rine highway system into the U.S. surface transportation system and relieve congestion.

over six times greater than the corresponding inland coun-

Has it worked? Simply put, it has been dif? cult. The ties. And that’s the problem. Population density creates coastal movements of container and trailer into and out of congestion and pollution along our Interstates, our high- the noncontiguous zones have ? nally drawn new tonnage ways and local roadways. and technology into the trade. That said the development of actual coastal movements on the East or West coasts

Shortsea Shipping & Harbor Harvest

Recognizing the roadway congestion problems, Europe of the country have dif? culty competing with the cost of developed the Marco Polo Plan and invested billions in trucking and the ? nest Interstate highway system in the

Refrigerated Cargo Carrier at a glance …

LOA: 19.2 meters Passengers: 10 Hull: Aluminum Catamaran

Draft: 1.6 meters Crew: 3 crew Cargo Capacity: 12,000 pounds

Cruise Speed: 12-14 KT Fuel Capacity: 315 gallonsPropulsion Power: 2 x 120kw (150 BHP)

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