Page 25: of Marine Technology Magazine (January 2025)

With shipboard nuclear we often think in terms of very big Well friends, life sometimes is like this. Alan said: “NR-1? I and fancy, but NR-1 has proven that nuclear can work quite sailed on the NR-1.” well on a small scale too. I am not advocating that all vessels Thanks to food and drink with friends, and the arrogance down to 150 feet in length should be nuclear, but if big works, of raising half developed arguments among engineers, I had and small works; intermediate will work too. struck the mother lode.

What, to me, was most striking is that the NR-1 was a Alan gave us the full dope on the NR-1 and con? rmed 24/7 vessel that had such a tiny crew. No doubt the crew that nuclear propulsion does not have to be fancy. If well was ultra quali? ed, but with three watches there could be designed, it is simply another propulsion mode. The NR-1 no more than one reactor engineer per watch. There is very was an amazing vessel, but its nuclear propulsion was sim- little public information on the NR-1 and I always felt I ply another piece in a well designed whole. And its design had insuf? cient information to advance the argument that was very much a minimalist design, not the just the propul- small nuclear is beautiful, and I never could put my ? nger sion/power plant; also its accommodations, which were truly on more speci? c information. minimal. Although even there Alan noted that the microwave

At our last holiday reception, I was in the middle of a nuclear chicken nuggets were excellent.

power discussion with a small group of fellow engineers, and Based on his input, the discussion shifted from: “well maybe raised the subject of the NR-1 when a person in an adjacent it won’t work” to what new reactor designs are being worked social circle turned around. on to make commercial nuclear propulsion ? nally a reality. It

It was Alan Weigel, a long-time friend and client, known was a microcosm of the conversation that needs to take place to me as an ex-nuclear submariner, but presently an admi- at the national, and even international, level.

ralty attorney. A few months ago, I was aboard the NS Savannah and took a

And here was a genuine Annie Hall, Marshall McLuhan picture of the bar. Now I am wondering if nuclear propulsion moment. I am referring to the great scene in the movie would have advanced much faster if that bar had continued to where Woodie Allen ends the scene by breaking the fourth operate. Never underestimate the power of random technical wall and saying: “If only life were like this.” conversations in “proper” social settings.

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