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EDITOR'S NOTE ddressing a group of 60 influential U.S. maritime executives recently, Dr. Jiirgen Rohweder, chairman of the advisory board of SMM '96 and public rela- tions director of Kiel-based HDW, said, "The American shipbuilding industry is on the way to returning to merchant shipbuilding." He was in town to garner support for SMM '96, which has selected the U.S. as its part- ner country (see related story, page 54). The December luncheon came on the heels of a MarAd-sponsored trade mission to Germany, which involved 14 U.S. marine manufacturers visiting five German shipyards to discuss busi- ness. The bottom line: international owners have already shown consider- able interest in building ships in the U.S.; now international yards are look- ing to U.S. manufacturers for bids on equipment and services. This resurgence comes at a particularly interesting time, as most projec- tions of the worldwide market indicate a stable if not good year. In 1996 each edition of Maritime Reporter will explore the prospects and recent per- formance of a particular vessel segment. This month features a containership market report (page 24), and next month will feature extensive coverage of the cruise ship industry, as part of MR/EN's annual Outstanding Cruise Ship feature. Also profiled in this edition is the U.S. Gulf Coast, an area with justifi- ably high hopes for 1996. As reported in the feature starting on page 50, there are currently contracts totaling more than $1.2 billion earmarked for yards in this region, orders that are already in the MarAd Title XIpipeline and waiting approval. And it appears that deepwater oil exploration in the Gulf of Mexico will advance considerably this year and beyond, helping to buoy all segments of the offshore sector. Gulf Coast yards are featured prominently in our annual Outstanding Passenger Vessel gallery as well, which starts on page 28. This year's collec- tion of profiled vessels includes a wide sampling of types from builders around the world. For example, the opening page features a traditional riverboat casino from Florida's Atlantic Marine, and a 40-knot fast ferry from Western Australia's Austal Ships. In all, the section is a tribute to the diversity of designers, builders, suppliers and owners of all passenger vessels. Gregory R. Trauthwein, editor e-mail: SHIPEDIT@ix.netcom.com; fax (212) 254-6271 Circle 290 on Reader Service Card 8 CONFIDENCE. m • • is knowing that your R/0 System will continue to per- form when you need it! Whether you are on a Trans Atlantic voyage or an explo- ration vessel in the Pacific. OML builds the most effi- cient and rugged systems in the world! Utilizing advanced Reverse Osmosis technology, OML offers some of the most efficient and dependable fresh water systems in the world. Our unique process utilizes media filtration, ultraviolet sterilization, chemical injection, charcoal filtration and finally reverse osmosis. Only OML designs, manufactures, tests, services and markets, all under one roof so that we can completely control the quality of our products and provide the optimum of service to our customers. In fact we are so confident of our quality that we offer an unprecedented Lifetime Guarantee on our pressure vessels! Sea-Quencher™ series offer a complete line of systems; from the compact, economical Aegean model, and the high-output, modular Baltic system, to the commercial-duty Caspian models and custom- designed plants that can produce over a million gallons a day. All Sea-Quencher™ systems come complete with top-of-the-line components, parts and features. When you compare our features, quality, service and price you'll see why we are the leader in the industry since 1978. For complete information see your dealer or con- tact us for specifications and the dealer in your area. OffShore Marine Laboratories Manufacturers & Designers of R/0 Water Purification Systems 22994 El Toro Rd„ Suite 105, Lake Forest, CA 92630 Phone: /714/ 455-0711 / Fax: /714/455-0736 See us at Workboat Booth # 617 Circle 291 on Reader Service Card
