Page 6: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (January 1999)

EDITOR'S NOTE |

Representatives T echnology's role in the improvement of vessel design, building, outfitting and operation is a regular topic within our pages. However, a seemingly unrelated news clip which found its way to my desktop and into the pages of MR/EN sister publication Maritime Week gives perspective to burgeoning technologies — or perhaps more accu- rately, the correct and prudent use of new technology in conjunction with com- mon sense.

It seems that a German motorist relied too heavily on his vehicle's satellite- guided navigation system, and obediently used the system to drive his BMW past a stop sign, down a ferry ramp and straight into the Havel River in eastern

Germany. Police reports indicated that the driver was following the navigation system, which had evidently failed to note that the road in the town of Caputh near Potsdam ended at a ferry crossing. (Incidentally, the driver and his passen- ger were reportedly not injured.)

While the above scenario is not directly marine-related (unless, of course, you count the automobile as a quasi-ferry for its eventful 12-ft. foray into the river), it should raise a red flag or two. First, and most obviously, it must be stressed that reliance on technology must be balanced with traditional seamanship.

Second, proper training and proven competency is tantamount to the ultimate success of any new product or system. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has relentlessly pushed the "human factor" issues the past few years, and its sub-committee on Standards of Training and Watchkeeping (STW) is set to convene again at the end of this month. On the more immediate, "real world" level, pioneering training techniques for tanker safety are being practiced by a consortium including ARCO, Crowley Marine and Marine Safety International.

Coverage of this group's efforts is included in this months Ship & Boatbuilding

Technology section, starting on page 18.

The handling of the Y2K Bug and its potential problems — both shoreside and onboard vessels — will continue to be the year's biggest technology story.

The most troubling aspect of "the bug" is the unknown, as it seems nearly impos- sible to accurately gauge the breadth and depth of problems to come. "Y2K:

The Truth & Consequences," which starts on page 24, attempts to put the prob- lem in perspective.

Coming Up In MR/EN in 1999

March 1999

World Ship Repair Technology Guide

Guide to Satellite Communications

Country Focus: Spain

April 1999

International Offshore Annual

World Ship Repair Atlas & Directory

World Regional Report: Middle East

May 1999

Nor-Shipping '99

Composite Materials for Marine Construction

Satellite Communication Innovations

Fuels, Lubricants, Additives & Filters Review

Country Focuses: Finland & Canada

June 1999 1999 Annual Yearbook Edition

INTERNATIONAL OPERATIONS

CHARLES E. KEIL, Vice President 4400 N. Federal Highway, Ste. 210-06, Boca Raton, FL 33431

Telephone: +561-368-1021; Fax: +561-368-1161 24-hr Tel/Fax: +561-998-0313; Mobile Tel: +561-716-0338

Australia

ANNE MURRAY/YVONNE SANDFORD

World Media Network Pty. Ltd.

Suite 106,82 Alexander Street

Crows Nest NSW 2065, Australia

Tel: +61 2 9966 4388,Fax: +61 2 9966 4311

Argentina

R. LESLIE RAMSAY

Calle Pellegrini 173

Primer Piso, Departamento C 1009 Buenos Aires, Argentina

Tel:+54 1 394 8821; Fax: +54 1 326 4377

Benelux

PAULA TACQ

Maritime Media ML

Otweg 18 2771 VX Boskoop, Netherlands

Te: +31 172 230707; Fax:+31 172 230708

Brazil

JOSE DUARTE DOS SANTOS

Multipla Agencial Martima, Ltda.

Rua Carolino Rodrigues 28

Cuarto Andar, CEP-11055-070

Santos, Sao Paulo, Brazil

Tel/Fax: +55 1 32 32 74 74

Central America

EDUARDO F. LOPEZ/LUIS A. SANCLEMENTE

Transmarine Media Service, P.O. Box 2071,

Panama 1, Panama

Tel: +507 264 8404/60; Fax: +507 223 8367

China

WANG ZE/XU XIAO FENG

Liaoning Foreign Trade Advertising Corp. 2 Zhongshan Square, Dalian, China 116002

Tel: +86 411 2801924; Fax: +86 411 2644606

Eastern Europe

IVAN BERENYI/OLGAIVANOVA

Pannonia Media Agency, 8630 Balatonboglar

Radnoti Miklos u.l 4, Hungary

Tel: +36 85 353 319; Fax: +36 85 353 442

Egypt

CAPTAIN TARIQM. OSMAN

Osman Marine Media Co.

Algamhoria St., P.O. Box 1248, Alkleej Bldg.,

Port Said, Egypt

Tel: +20 66 340988; Fax: +20 66 325705

France

DANIEL SOLNICA

Ediconsult Internazionale, 25 rue Saulnier 75009 Paris, France

Tel: +33 1 4246 9571; Fax: +33 1 4246 8508

Germany/Switzerland

HANSJORG BRANS

Maritime Media

Freiherr v. Stein Str. 24, D-63303

Dreieich, Germany

Tel: +49 6103 697745; Fax: +49 6103 697743

Hong Kong/Taiwan

DENNIS LO/JIMME KWAN

Phantom International, Ltd.

Room 208, Seaview Centre 139 Hoi BunRd.,

Kowloon East, Hong Kong

Tel: +852 9179 9872; Fax: +852 2304 1232

Italy/Malta

VITT0RI0 NEGRONE

Ediconsult Internazionale

Piazza Fontane Marose, 3-16123 Genoa, Italy

Tel: +39 010 583684; Fax: +39 010 566578

Japan

AKIOISHII

Ace Media Service Inc. 12-6, 4-chome, Nishiike

Adachi-ku, Tokyo 121, Japan

Tel: +81 3 5691 3335; Fax: + 81 3 5691 3336

Korea

JO, YOUNG SANG

Business Communications, Inc.

Kwangwhamun P.O. Box 1916, Seoul, Korea

Tel: +82 2 739 7840; Fax: +82 2 732 3662

Peru

WILLIAM FRY

Trahites y Despachos S.A.

Avenida Salaverry 3005, Lima 27, Peru

Tel:+51 1 264 3225; Fax:+51 1 264 1974

Portugal/Gibraltar

PAULO BREHM

AZ Publiciadade Lda., Rua Almirante Barroso, 52-1 D, P-1000 Lisbon, Portugal

Tel:+351 1 3142256; Fax: +351 1 3525157

Scandinavia

STEPHAN R.G. ORN/LEON SCHULZ

ABStephan R.G. Orn, Box 184

S-271 24 Ystad, Sweden

Tel: +46 411-184 00; Fax: +46 411 105 31

Singapore

CATHERINE WONG

The Euro-Asia Link, 391 A Orchard Road #12-01

Ngee Ann City Tower A, Singapore 238873

Tel: +65 337 4658; Fax: +65 456 4610

South Africa

FINN KVAMSDAHL

Finn's Enterprises, Media Marketing Division

P.O. Box 99,2250,

Blinkpan, Republic of South Africa

Tel/Fax: +27 13 2953 023

South America/

Caribbean Basin

DELIO R.AL0NS0

Multilink International 115 Calabria Ave., Ste. 12

Coral Gables, Fla. 33134

Tel: +305-445-6423; Fax: +305-445-1483

Spain

JOSE LUIS SEVA

Via Exdusiuas S.L.

Modesto Lafuente, 4 28010, Madrid, Spain

Tel: +34 91 448 7622; Fax: +34 91 446 0198

Turkey

NIHAT B0YTUZUN

Kamera Corp., Cumhurlyet Cad. 257/3,

Harblye 80230, Istanbul, Turkey

Tel: +90 212 248 48 64;

Fax: +90 212 230 36 97

United Kingdom

MICHAEL J. DAMSELL

Euromedia Ltd., P.O. Box 122,

Hayward's Heath,West Sussex

RH161YF, England

Tel: +44 1444 417360;

Fax: +44 1444 410497 8 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News