The Maritime Executive's September-October Edition is Out Now

The ancients dredged rivers and estuaries with primitive tools to enable trade, commerce and culture. It’s no different today, though on an entirely different scale. Today’s mega-ships at a thousand feet in length and eighty-foot drafts put extraordinary demands on ports’ infrastructure – not to mention tug-and-barge traffic on the inland waterways – and dredging has become an essential, year-round activity.

So it’s fitting that this edition features the iconic Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Company, whose history dates back to 1890 and which is today the biggest dredging company in the U.S. and one of thsde biggest in the world. It also plays an unsung environmental role by recycling dredged materials and restoring beaches and wetlands to pristine condition.

Read all about it in our Case Study and Executive Interview with President & CEO Lasse Petterson, who has guided this marine behemoth for the last six years and led it in new directions.

Eye on Energy columnist Allen Brooks says the bloom is off the rose when it comes to offshore wind. He may be right. You’ll just have to read “Offshore’s ‘Blowin' in the Wind’ Problems” and decide for yourself! Not to be outdone, View from the E.U. columnist Erik Kravets dares to ask how well he’s done in predicting future events in his entertaining and instructive piece, “Report Card.” Bold indeed –  you decide!

Senior Editor Jack O’Connell interviewed the articulate and wise Alexandra Ebbinghaus, General Manager of Decarbonization at Shell Marine, for his Executive Achievement feature. This is a must-read when it comes to the challenges facing the industry in getting to net zero. Jack also reviewed the current state of the workboat industry in his Upgrades & Downgrades column, saying the industry is “Riding High.” Good news, for sure!

Patrick Zeitler penned this year’s Global Salvage Review, titled “High Volume, Low Revenue” – an apt description of the current state of affairs. But the salvage industry prides itself on being about more than just money. It’s about protecting lives and the environment.

Being hacked is a terrible experience. Being cyber-hacked is no fun either as frequent contributor Sean Holt makes clear in “Combating Maritime Cyberattacks.” Sean interviewed a number of experts from business and government to give us the inside track on how to prepare and how to respond. Another must-read.

But wait, there’s more! Master mariner Sean Hogue fills us in on the latest in condition-monitoring advances in his wittily titled “If It Ain’t Broke – Monitor It.” Consultant and marine engineer Chad Fuhrmann updates us on recent breakthroughs in crane and deck machinery in “Safe Load,” and ports columnist Tom Peters explains how last year’s high-flying container carriers – and the ports that serve them – are now just “Treading Water.” But fear not, some ports are thriving, and better days lie ahead.

So that’s our menu for this edition and lots of intellectual capital for you to digest! We hope you enjoy it as much as we did in putting it together. See you next month in New Orleans at this year’s annual WorkBoat Show. The offshore industry is riding high and the future has never looked better, so there should be a great turnout. And thanks, as always, for your readership and support! 

Tony Munoz is the Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of The Maritime Executive. 

To read the latest edition of the magazine, go to https://themagazine.maritime-executive.com/editions/2023/2023-05-gldd/.

BY TONY MUNOZ