National Security Forces

  • When President Reagan was campaigning for office in 1980, he said, "Should our shipbuilding capacity continue to decline, American mobilization potential will be seriously undermined because a large reduction in a skilled shipbuilding workforce today makes any increase tomorrow very difficult.

    This is a dangerous threat to our national security, jobs, and a key U.S. industry." Sitting on the President's desk when he took office was a report from the conservative Heritage Foundation addressing national maritime policy. Among the suggestions made by this group was a recommendation to acquire foreign ships for subsidized U.S. operation.

    It further suggested that Jones Act trades be opened to foreign- flag ships.

    The first suggestion, to allow subsidized U.S. operators to acquire foreign-built vessels, has been implemented and the damaging result to the major shipyards is all too clear—that segment of the shipbuilding industry has been exported overseas.

    On May 20, 1982, we heard another promise from the Administration.

    The then Secretary of Transportation, Drew Lewis, announced the initial elements of the Reagan Administration's National Maritime Policy, and therein, the sanctity of the Jones Act was affirmed.

    Everyone hoped that this statement would introduce a new element of long-term stability into the Jones Act, which is extremely important to those who serve the domestic trades.

    This stability is again being threatened, for at the November 1983 Annual Meeting of the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers (SNAME), Warren G. Leback, Deputy Administrator of the Maritime Administration, Department of Transportation, coauthored a heavily annotated paper titled "The Jones Act: Foreign Built Vessels and the Domestic Shipping Industry." The paper ostensibly expresses the personal views of the authors that foreignbuilt ships be allowed to participate freely in the U.S. domestic trades. The authors argue that ". . . if the domestic ship-building industry is competitive with foreign shipyards, (the entry of foreign- built ships into the Jones Act) would have no adverse effect on that industry." Further, they propose constructing a fleet of break-bulk vessels over a ten-year period to sustain the shipbuilding base. They recommend that: "A program for constructing twenty vessels per year for the ten-year period would support four major shipyards. These, coupled with the five major shipyards in naval construction, would provide the shipbuilding base." Edward Renshaw, Chairman of the Board, St. Louis Ship, and a past Chairman of the American Waterways Shipyard Conference (AWSC), challenged these proposals.

    In his discussion paper which he presented at the SNAME Annual Meeting, Mr. Renshaw stated, "During World War II, St.

    Louis Ship built L.S.T.'s and tugs for the war effort. We were but one of the scores of small inland, river, coastal, and Great Lakes shipyards deeply involved." This was not the only attack on the Jones Act in recent years. Legislators on Capitol Hill have been barraged by various interests to give legislative exemptions from the Jones Act for the carriage of passengers, iron ore, coal, petroleum, liquid natural gas, lumber, and other commodities on foreignflag ships. Applications for waivers have been submitted to the federal agencies so that foreignflag ships could operate on a temporary basis. And the AWSC has uncovered and blocked attempts to bring foreign-built barge sections into the United States for final assembly.

    The "Jones Act" is used inaccurately to refer to the entire body of U.S. cabotage or coastwise laws which limit, in various ways, the right to engage in the maritime commerce of the United States.

    However, the Jones Act applies only to the transportation of "merchandise," not people. Other coastwise laws pertain to the carriage of passengers and to towing, fishing, and offshore services on the outer continental shelf.

    From the very beginnings of our existence as an independent nation, the United States has adopted a policy of reserving its domestic trade for its own ships. The basic principles that guided our forefathers are still valid today. A strong domestic merchant marine and shipbuilding base should be promoted for the economic good of the country and as an adjunct to national security forces.

    Special interests are pulling this country in so many directions that we often lose sight of the basics which are necessary for our national survival. The shipbuilding industry must take a stand to preserve the laws which provide the cornerstone for its existence. This cannot be done by the actions of several companies acting individually.

    It must be accomplished, if at all, by those companies joining forces to take coordinated actions against attacks on the industry.

    One such organization exists for the smaller U.S. shipbuilders. It is the American Waterways Shipyard Conference, formed in 1976 by a group of shipyard executives.

    After the 1972 amendments to the Longshore Act were passed, they were convinced that the days of "each yard for itself' were over.

    The smaller or second tier shipyards have the most to lose if the U.S. built provisions of the Jones Act are abolished. Not another tugboat, towboat, crewboat, supply boat, barge or any other small vessel would be built in the United States.

    This complex network of laws makes this second tier of the shipbuilding industry possible in today's climate of foreign-subsidized or government-owned shipyards.

    A quote from Theodore Roosevelt never had more meaning than it does today for this segment of the shipbuilding industry represented by the American Waterways Shipyard Conference: "Every man owes a part of his time and money to the business or industry in which he is engaged. No man has a moral right to withhold his support from an organization that is striving to improve conditions within his sphere." The major shipyards have lost their commercial business. Will the same thing happen to the smaller yards? Not if the shipyards realize that there is strength in numbers and support their trade association which is waging the battles to preserve the industry.

  • -—a strong domestic maritime industry should be both promoted for the economic good of the country as well as maintained as an adjunct to national security forces. Today, the Jones Act and related laws protect this industry from unfair foreign competition. However, we have uncovered many attempts

  • onto the fundamentals of its constitutional democracy, including the persistence of racism, the right to protest and the character of local and national security forces in the United States. Lost in this this mass media reporting is a story worth a more detailed examination for it may portend a revolutionary

  • , it isn't much of a leap to have foreign vessels plying the rivers. The sovereign right of every nation to reserve its domestic trade to its own nationals has been recognized for centuries by international custom. The principle of ca- botage, to reserve domestic freight to domestic carriers is not

  • MR Feb-24#43 OPINION: The Final Word
lenges related to quality of life)
    February 2024 - Maritime Reporter and Engineering News page: 43

    OPINION: The Final Word lenges related to quality of life factors GAO made six recommendations that may affect this. Currently, reports on also affects the Coast Guard’s ability to the Coast Guard, among other things, these types of issues are expected to be retain personnel. For example, in April

  • MR Feb-24#42 OPINION: The Final Word
GAO: USCG Should Address 
Workforce)
    February 2024 - Maritime Reporter and Engineering News page: 42

    OPINION: The Final Word GAO: USCG Should Address Workforce Recruitment and Retention Challenges By Heather MacLeod, Director, GAO’s Homeland Security and Justice team he Coast Guard has strug- Coast Guard established cyberspace as vessels to determine whether they meet gled for years to recruit an

  • MR Feb-24#29 AMERICAN ROLL-ON ROLL-OFF CARRIER (ARC)
operate a US ?  ag)
    February 2024 - Maritime Reporter and Engineering News page: 29

    AMERICAN ROLL-ON ROLL-OFF CARRIER (ARC) operate a US ? ag ship just for the MSP customer through that global network. As an example of “clarity and con- stipend. It’s a cargo driven industry, and We are certainly a unique business unit sistency,” Ebeling points ? rst to “the those cargoes help to

  • MR Feb-24#28  of con?  ict or in other national  said Ebeling. “If you)
    February 2024 - Maritime Reporter and Engineering News page: 28

    COVER FEATURE times of con? ict or in other national said Ebeling. “If you look at Iraq and tors bring to the table, all provided by emergencies, and the program also Afghanistan, 98% of those cargoes the MSP ? eet, and it would cost the provides DoD access to MSP partici- were transported to the

  • MR Feb-24#27  US ?  ag operators 
in international trade. Nobody’s going)
    February 2024 - Maritime Reporter and Engineering News page: 27

    the cargo that moves on US ? ag vessels. Really, it’s cargo – those preference cargoes – that’s the key incentive for US ? ag operators in international trade. Nobody’s going to operate a US ? ag ship just for the MSP stipend. It’s a cargo driven industry, and those cargoes help to offset the foreign

  • MR Feb-24#26  U.S.-?  ag ships in the international trade.
By Greg Trauthwein
y)
    February 2024 - Maritime Reporter and Engineering News page: 26

    the vast capabilities of the ARC ? eet and logistics network, as well as the challenges and opportunities ahead for U.S.-? ag ships in the international trade. By Greg Trauthwein y the numbers’ is a simplis- “We’ve fully recapitalized our ? eet portant that that program stays strong tic means to

  • MR Feb-24#25  
conducting with Oak Ridge National 
Lab and Argonne National)
    February 2024 - Maritime Reporter and Engineering News page: 25

    of such fuels. One example of this is the single cylinder and combustion model- ing research and development we are conducting with Oak Ridge National Lab and Argonne National Lab. With alternative fuels come a new set of technical consider- ations. When you look at the adoption of alternative

  • MR Feb-24#6  Energy Editor
Amir Garanovic
national and economic security)
    February 2024 - Maritime Reporter and Engineering News page: 6

    are [email protected] a global commerce enabler and a bedrock of everywhere. While traditional diesel is still Offshore Energy Editor Amir Garanovic national and economic security again comes the overwhelming fuel of choice powering [email protected] to the forefront. the global ? eet

  • MR Feb-24#4 Authors & Contributors
MARITIME
REPORTER
AND
ENGINEERING)
    February 2024 - Maritime Reporter and Engineering News page: 4

    Authors & Contributors MARITIME REPORTER AND ENGINEERING NEWS M A R I N E L I N K . C O M ISSN-0025-3448 USPS-016-750 No. 2 Vol. 86 Maritime Reporter/Engineering News Goldberg Haun (ISSN # 0025-3448) is published monthly Galdorisi except for March, July, and October by Maritime Activity Reports, Inc.

  • MN Feb-24#40  Key West and the Dry Tortugas National Park. The new  equipped)
    February 2024 - Marine News page: 40

    from Gladding-Hearn ZF model 8000. Shipbuilding, Duclos Corporation for passenger service be- The ferry will be tween Key West and the Dry Tortugas National Park. The new equipped with an vessel will replace Yankee Freedom III, a 250-passenger cata- Atlantic Detroit maran built for the 70-mile run by

  • MN Feb-24#27  routinely works with international investiga- from the aftermath)
    February 2024 - Marine News page: 27

    cialize in this Li-battery transportation risks. Gerbis said, make this progress deliberate, not something wrenched “The NTSB routinely works with international investiga- from the aftermath of an accident or tragedy. tive partners and attends meetings at the IMO to track Li-battery and other safety issues

  • MN Feb-24#25  generally positive busi-
hofe National Defense Authorization)
    February 2024 - Marine News page: 25

    to NTSB recommendations is a re- in the U.S. carried 132 million pas- quirement within the “James M. In- exist within generally positive busi- hofe National Defense Authorization ness conditions. In an email he wrote sengers in 2019, provided through Act for Fiscal Year 2023,” signed by that the U

  • MN Feb-24#23 .S. Coast Guard (USCG) or the National 
Transportation Safety)
    February 2024 - Marine News page: 23

    . It’s hard to imagine any captain or maritime operator not paying close attention to all of the is- sues raised by the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) or the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), even though most ves- sels may have little in common with a DUKW or dive boat. This broader focus yields other

  • MN Feb-24#19  Health (MACOSH) and we at the National Maritime  can jump-start)
    February 2024 - Marine News page: 19

    in with Maritime Advisory Committee on Occupational Safety your workers and studying your internal procedures, you and Health (MACOSH) and we at the National Maritime can jump-start your safety culture in the new year. Safety Association (NMSA) are two organizations that can As we start the new year

  • MN Feb-24#12 by giving company-speci? c training, which shows us how)
    February 2024 - Marine News page: 12

    by giving company-speci? c training, which shows us how as two and a half years, but our maritime apprentice pro- these companies are being proactive in tracking trends and gram basically offers a fast track into the industry,” Gianel- analyzing what would suit their mariners best, beyond reg- loni said.

  • MN Feb-24#6 Marine News  February 2024  •  Volume 35   Number 2
Contribu)
    February 2024 - Marine News page: 6

    Marine News February 2024 • Volume 35 Number 2 Contributors 3 1 24 6 5 7 8 1 Tom Ewing 5 Edward Lundquist is a freelance writer specializing in marine, energy and envi- is a retired naval of? cer who writes on maritime and ronmental issues. He contributes regularly to this magazine. security

  • MT Jan-24#59  courtesy Oceanology International
participants and to deliver)
    January 2024 - Marine Technology Reporter page: 59

    All images courtesy Oceanology International participants and to deliver another packed three days of exhi- Oi24 Events and Features bition and conference activity, features, workshops and one- Oceanology International is able to capitalize on the advan- to-one meetings.” tages of ExCeL’s expansive 18

  • MT Jan-24#58 SHOW PREVIEW OCEANOLOGY INTERNATIONAL 2024
All images courtesy)
    January 2024 - Marine Technology Reporter page: 58

    SHOW PREVIEW OCEANOLOGY INTERNATIONAL 2024 All images courtesy Oceanology International Oi 2024 ceanology International 2024 (Oi24), arguably content across ? ve different conference locations. World-class the world’s biggest and best marine science, scientists, thought leaders and innovators in the

  • MT Jan-24#55 Gazelle is banking on its 
modular solution, which Ortega)
    January 2024 - Marine Technology Reporter page: 55

    Gazelle is banking on its modular solution, which Ortega says should represent a 30% reduced platform cost. “We are targeting 75% less of mooring length compared. So less mooring length, less materials will be used.” Alvaro Ortega, CFO, Gazelle Wind Power All images courtesy Gazelle Offshore Wind Gaze

  • MT Jan-24#52  of Mechanical Engineering, National 
About the Author
University)
    January 2024 - Marine Technology Reporter page: 52

    Management of Lithium-ion Battery Pack with Liquid Cooling”; L.H. Sawa, A. A. O. Taya and L. Winston Zhang; The Department of Mechanical Engineering, National About the Author University of Singapore, Singapore Dr. David Sundin is Founder and 2. “Thermal Management of Lithium-Ion Battery Systems”, David

  • MT Jan-24#51 Battery Safety
Another consideration of Battery Thermal)
    January 2024 - Marine Technology Reporter page: 51

    Battery Safety Another consideration of Battery Thermal Management is ? re safety. When short-circuited or overheated, lithium-ion battery cells can enter into “thermal runaway”, an intense exothermic reaction. Temperatures of a failed cell can reach 1200 C, and often will involve adjacent cells by

  • MT Jan-24#50 TECH FEATURE BATTERY SAFETY 
BATTERY THERMAL 
MANAGEMENT)
    January 2024 - Marine Technology Reporter page: 50

    TECH FEATURE BATTERY SAFETY BATTERY THERMAL MANAGEMENT IN SUBMARINE APPLICATIONS Dr. David Sundin, Chief Scientist, Engineered Fluids, Inc. evelopments in battery technology have yielded into the hull of the vessel, or heat can be transferred directly compact energy storage systems that output higher

  • MT Jan-24#44 ROVS
ture, port security monitoring and various marine)
    January 2024 - Marine Technology Reporter page: 44

    ROVS ture, port security monitoring and various marine research operations. Likewise, the Voyis Discovery Stereo Camera is a widely applicable piece of technology offering high level clarity and precision in visual captures of underwater envi- ronments and immediate creation of real-time 3D models.

  • MT Jan-24#29 fying mines, especially the hard-to-?  nd 
bottom and)
    January 2024 - Marine Technology Reporter page: 29

    fying mines, especially the hard-to-? nd bottom and buried mines in high clutter environments. Knife? sh uses the low- frequency broadband capability devel- oped by the Physical Acoustics Branch of the Naval Research Laboratory. The 2,000-lb., 22-foot long Knife? sh is based on the Blue? n 21 UUV.