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EDITOR'S NOTE T he maritime industry, conser- ' vative in nature, is rarely stag- nate. The biggest marine whirlwind is currently cen- tered in Newport News, Va., home of the largest U.S. shipbuilder, Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS). NNS is a peren- nial top player in the international shipbuilding industry and a continual source of fascination, if for no other reason its enormous size and seemingly bottomless resources. It has been making the nightly news with reports of a new five-ship, $240-million con- tract for its Double Eagle product tanker; a new yard efficiency plan designed to slice the time of building ships in half; and an unconfirmed report that the yard is for sale. Needless to say, the executive offices at NNS are a buzz of activity, and our report on page 74 helps clarify some of the recent happenings. The strong advances of the marine industry are also chronicled in this edition ^Maritime Reporter & Engineering News via the inaugural edition of Marine Technology International, which is a standard-sized magazine dedicated to exploring the ways in which technologies are changing the marine industry. For those keeping score, the pre-cursor to this edition was the standard- sized Marine Propulsion Technology supplement which was published in conjunction with MR/EN's September 1995 edi- tion. Continuing with our plan to provide insightful market infor- mation on one vessel segment per month, this month's report on bulk carrier newbuild trends (by Alan Thorpe, starting on page 10) is enhanced with an exclusibr market report filed by James R. McCaul, president, IMA Associates, starting on the next page. IMA reports that over the past two years there has been a signifi- cant rise in demand for bulk carriers. INIA's Shipbuilding Industry Outlook forecasts that bulk carrier construction will run at the rate of205 to 265 ships annually over the next four years, with growth strong in the Handysize sector. MR/EN's April 1996 vessel focus will be on RoRos, with a strong focus on recent legislative changes designed to make these ships safer. This edition also includes a preview oftheAISE '96 exhibition and conference, an international shipbuilding show in New Orleans which has generated considerable interest around the world. The AISE '96 preview in this edition will provide com- plete exhibitor profiles in our April "At Show" edition. Gregory R. Trauthwein, editor e-mail: SHIPEDIT@ix.netcom.com; fax (212) 254-6271 NETEC, INC. NEW ENGLAND TRAWLER EQUIPMENT COMPANY CUSTOM ENGINEERED DECK MACHINERY FOR OVER 65 YEARS. WINCHES WINDLASSES CAPSTANS CRANES DAVITS HYDRAULIC POWER UNITS Distributors of Seattle Cranes, Braden Winches, Gearmatic Winches. 291 Eastern Ave. Chelsea, MA 02150 Tel. 617/884-4354 Fax. 617/889-5240 MULTI-PURPOSE PUMPING EFFICIENCY NO MOVING PARTS NO MAINTENANCE NO PRIMING, CANNOT LOSE SUCTION PUMPS RILGES, TANKS AND HOLDS DRY VM DECK EDUCTORS Only the hose goes into tank to vacuum liquids at rate of 10-15 gpm at suction lifts up to 70 or more. Circle 201 on Reader Service Card VM BILGEMATE Ideal for pumping bilges—stripping ballast, etc. Peripheral jet design handles liquids, solids, air. W to 6" sizes available. VM PORTABLE EDUCTORS Handy auxiliary pump for regular or emergency pumping of liquids from ballast, bilge, cargo spaces and tanks. Just attach hose from fire main and lower eductor into space to pump large quantities of liquid quick,y and easily. VITA MOTIVATOR CO. INC. 566 PARKER STREET, NEWARK, NJ 07104 201-268-1211* FAX 201-268-1212 • TELEX 226000ETLXUR NORWAY: F. ZIMMER: 02-55-86 4« ENGLAND: FERGUSON 1 TIMPSON: 593-7611 HOLLAND: BUREAU INSPECTOR: 434-81 U SINGAPORE: KENSON ENT 296-6055 Circle 299 on Reader Service Card
