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PROFILE manship skills, a sentiment that is increasingly common in

A Life at Sea: Operations “We’re de? nitely seeing a lack of new people coming into maritime circles.

the industry,” said Bernhard. “Even though they graduated “The young people that do want to come out to sea are tech- from the academies, you don’t see them coming through the nically capable,” said Bernhard. “They are not technophobes, unions, you don’t see them going out to sea. They are ? nding but on the other hand I ? nd that they trust technology too jobs that are in parallel with the seagoing industry, something much. So you get people that are technologically advanced that very few people thought about (when he came out).” and superior to my generation, but they are also technologi-

Captain Ted Bernhard is a Master Mariner, sailing with Mat- cally handicapped in a way.” son for 20 years, three years as chief mate and 17 as master. In “If someone pulls the plug on all of this stuff, how are we addition he has spent more than 30 years in the Naval Reserve, going to get from Oakland to Honolulu? Are we just going to and taught ship handling at the Naval War College in Newport, hope we get there? What happens if all the electronic aids fail?

R.I., during the last 12 years of his reserve service. He sees a Do you even know how to adapt and resume your voyage with looming gap in maritime talent coming to the fore, as the push centuries old navigation skills? Do you know how to take an button/joystick generation is perhaps not as interested or adept azimuth, sun line, & stars? Do you even have paper charts and in dealing with the ups and downs of a life at sea. He views the nautical tables to work out the solutions?” Bernhard asks new technology as a mixed blessing: new technology has had rhetorically. “Somebody’s going to pull the plug some day. a tremendous effect on making shipboard operations easier in It could be a terrorist act, it could be a military operation; it some regards, but it has come with an erosion of basic sea- could be blanking someone out in a time of need. When that 34 Maritime Logistics Professional 4Q 2016I 34-49 Q4 MP2016.indd 34 11/9/2016 12:18:34 PM