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C omputers in the future may have only 1,000 vacuum tubes and perhaps only weigh 1 1/2 tons. — Popular Mechanics, 1949 (Source: http://whatis.techtarget.com) Shipbuilding technology is the feature focus of this month’s edition, and the Q&A this month with Bruce Crager, CEO of Intec Engineering — con- ducted late in the spring — got me thinking about the evolution of technology in the marine business. In our report, Crager notes that when he entered the maritime business in 1975, floating production sys- tems did not exist, whereas today there are more than 200 FPS’, as well as more than 2,000 subsea wells, and rigs that can drill in more than 10,000 ft. of water. Dramatic strides, to say the least. Being so close to the work, the evolutionay strides taken by our industry are perhaps not always readily evident, but taking a step back to examine some of the historical milestones lends an interesting perspective. I had the chance to do just that on a recent, hellishly long road trip to a South Carolina beach house in July. Following the trek south on I-95, delayed more than six hours by traffic tie-ups, I — tired and frustrated — stopped off with my son in Wilmington, N.C. to jump onboard the Battleship North Carolina. The memorial is a worthy stop for anyone going through the area — not solely as a respite for the road- weary — but pertinant to this edition of MR, it provided a solid book-end ref- erence to Edward Lundquist’s article “Combat in a Container,” which starts on page 22. Lundquist, a regular contributor in our pages, delivers insights on the development of combat system packages designed to make the new generation of Littoral Combat Ships a multi-tasking productive force. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be repro- duced or transmitted in any form or by any means mechani- cal, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior written permission of the publishers. Founder: John J. O’Malley 1905 - 1980 Charles P. O’Malley 1928 - 2000 Maritime Reporter/Engineering News is published monthly by Maritime Activity Reports, Inc. Mailed at Periodicals Postage Rates at Waterbury, CT 06701 and additional mailing offices. Postmaster send notification (Form 3579) regarding undeliverable magazines to Maritime Reporter/Engineering News, 118 East 25th Street, New York, NY 10010. Publications Mail Agreement No: 40024966 Return Undeliverable Canadian Addresses to Circulation Dept. of DPGM 4960-2 Walker Road Windsor, ON N9A 6J3 Publishers are not responsible for the safekeeping or return of editorial material. ©2005 Maritime Activity Reports, Inc. 118 East 25th Street, New York, NY 10010 tel: (212) 477-6700; fax: (212) 254-6271 ISSN-0025-3448 USPS-016-750 No. 8 Vol. 68 Subscriptions: One full year (12 issues) $34.00 in U.S.; outside of U.S. $55.00 including postage and handling. For subscription information, call 212-477-6700; fax: (212) 254-6271; or e-mail: mrcirc@marinelink.com MARITIME REPORTER AND ENGINEERINGNEWS Member Business Publications Audit of Circulation, Inc. 20 This Day in Navy History 34 Repair 39 Maritime Tools 41 Insurance Directory 42 New Products 45 Buyer’s Directory 48 Ad Index 49 Classifieds On the Cover: Pictured on this month’s cover is Lafarge’s new articulated tug- barge, the latest addition to its Great Lakes fleet. The Samuel de Champlain tug and Innovation barge were built and are owned by American Transport Leasing Inc., a subsidiary of Lafarge. See story on page 10. Editor’s Note www.marinelink.com trauthwein@marinelink.com On the Cover Coming in Maritime Reporter & Engineering News September 2006 THE SMM EDITION MR goes to Hamburg, Germany for the world’s largest Marine Industry exhibition. Marine Propulsion Annual Coatings & Corrosion Control Maritime Security Marine Electronics: Shipboard Monitors & Displays SatCom Products & Services October 2006 THE SNAME/MARINE DESIGN EDITION In conjunction with the SMTC&E in Ft. Lauderdale, MR explores the latest trends in ship, boat and offshore design. www.marinelink.com 6 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News MR AUGUST2006 #1 (1-8).qxd 8/3/2006 2:56 PM Page 8
