San Francisco Hosts SNAME Spring Meeting And STAR Symposium

The Northern California Section of The Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers hosted the 1977 Spring Meeting/ STAR (Ship Technology and Research) Symposium at the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco, May 25-27. This event proved to be one of the most successful Spring Meetings in recent years, with the registration in excess of 700. Each day was filled with technical sessions centered around the theme "Energy Research in the Oceans." There was also a full calendar of social activities to round out the schedule.

The interdisciplinary nature of the technology and research in the broad area of the theme led to the invitation to other societies to participate in the preparation of the Symposium. These societies included the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE), and the Marine Technology Society (MTS). Many authors and discussers represented these societies, which greatly contributed to the exchange of knowledge at this precedent- setting meeting.

Thirty-four papers were presented in six subject areas within the Symposium theme. The technical papers covered current research and development in the areas of marine transportation, with the emphasis on Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering, Offshore Platforms (fixed and mobile), Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) and LNG.

Each day's subject was concluded with well-attended roundtable discussions from the audience, followed by each author's impromptu response.

The social activities proved to be a complementary blend with the technical sessions. The Golden Gate Luncheon, one of the key events, was highlighted with an address by Society president Robert T. Young, concerning the "bad publicity" the tanker industry has received in recent months in light of the past winter's rash of tanker casualties. He presented some interesting statistics which showed that damaged tankers accounted for only three percent of all oil in the oceans. During the luncheon, an Honorary Membership Certificate was presented to Dr.

Manley St. Denis for his lifetime contributions to the profession.

Certificates of Appreciation were presented to Arthur J. Haskell, chairman of the Spring Meeting Steering Committee, and to William B. Swan, chairman of the Northern California Section.

Other popular a c t i v i t i e s included a well-attended trip to the famous Napa/Sonoma wine country and a tour of San Francisco Bay on the M/V Harbor Emperor, which provided a close-up inspection of such well-known landmarks as the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz Island.

The Farewell Banquet and Ball in the Grand Ballroom proved to be a fitting conclusion to a successful three days of activities which culminated several years of planning and preparation.

Other stories from July 1977 issue

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