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FERRY  SAFETY  AND  TECHNOLOGY  

KEYNOTE  

April  16,  2015  

 GOOD  AFTERNOON  AND  WELCOME  TO  THE  CITY  OF  NEW  YORK  AND  THIS  CONFERENCE  ON  

FERRY  SAFETY  AND  TECHNOLOGY.    LET  ME  BEGIN  BY  THANKING  THE  SOCIETY  OF  NAVAL  

ARCHITECTS  AND  MARINE  ENGINEERS,  INTERFERRY  AND  THE  TRANSPORTATION  RESEACRH  

BOARD  FOR  SPONSORING  THIS  EVENT.  I  ALSO  WANT  TO  GIVE  SPECIAL  THANKS  TO  MY  FRIEND,  

DR.  ROBERTA  WEISBROD,  FOR  ALL  SHE  HAS  DONE  IN  PUTTING  THIS  CONFERENCE  TOGETHER.    

 

SAFETY  IS  A  PRIORITY  FOR  ALL  OF  US  IN  THE  FERRY  INDUSTRY.  IT  SEEMS  NOT  A  DAY  GOES  BY  

THAT  I  DON’T  RECEIVE  AN  EMAIL  FROM  INTERFERRY  DOCUMENTING  YET  ANOTHER  FERRY  

ACCIDENT  IN  SOME  PART  OF  THE  WORLD.    ALTHOUGH  THERE  ARE  A  VARIETY  OF  CAUSES  FOR  

THESE  ACCIDENTS,  MOST  INVOLVE  HUMAN  ERROR.    

 

AS  AN  INDUSTRY,  WE  HAVE  TRIED  TO  ADDRESS  THIS  HUMAN  ELEMENT  FOR  QUITE  SOME  TIME  

NOW.  IN  FACT,  IN  1861  JUST  A  SHORT  WALK  FROM  THIS  VERY  SITE  AT  THE  MERCANTILE  

EXCHANGE  ON  WALL  STREET,  THE  AMERICAN  SHIPMASTER’S  ASSOCIATION  WAS  FOUNDED.    AT  

THE  TIME,  THE  US  MERCHANT  FLEET  WAS  EXPERIENCING  TREMENDOUS  GROWTH  AND,  WITH  

IT,  TREMENDOUS  GROWTH  ALSO  IN  THE  RATE  OF  MARITIME  ACCIDENTS.    ALTHOUGH  

CONGRESS  PASSED  THE  ACT  OF  1838  AND  THE  STEAMBOAT  ACT  OF  1852,  THESE  LAWS  

PERTAINED  PRIMARILY  TO  INSPECTION  AND  TESTING  REGIMES  WITH  A  REQUIREMENT  FOR  

 

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LICENSING  PILOTS  AND  ENGINEERS,  BUT  BY  LOCAL  INSPECTORS.  HOWEVER,  IT  WAS  THE  

AMERICAN  SHIPMASTERS’  ASSOCIATION  THAT  ACTAULLY  BEGAN  ADMINSITERING  

EXAMINATIONS  AND  CREDENTIALING  SHIPS’  OFFICERS.  

 

BY  THE  LATE  1800s,  THE  ASSOCIATION  WAS  PLACING  MUCH  LESS  EMPHASIS  ON  CERTIFYING  

SHIPS’  OFFICERS  AND  FOCUSING  MORE  ON  THE  INTEGRITY  OF  SHIPS  –  STRUCTURE,  

MACHINERY,    ELECTRICAL  SYSTEMS  AND  SO  FORTH  (TECHOLOGY  OF  THE  DAY).    IN  1898  THE  

AMERICAN  SHIPMASTERS’  ASSOCIATION  ADOPTED  A  NEW  NAME  –  THE  AMERICAN  BUREAU  OF  

SHIPPING.    AS  MANY  OF  YOU  ARE  AWARE,  SINCE  THE  FOUNDING  OF  THE  “BUREAU”  IT  HAS  

BEEN  FOCUSED  ALMOST  EXCLUSIVELY  ON  THE  TECHNICAL  SIDE  AS  THE  MEANS  BY  WHICH  TO  

ADDRESS  MARITIME  SAFETY,  AND  SO  HAVE  INDUSTRY,  REGULATORS  AND  THE  BROAD  

SPECTRUM  OF  INDUSTRY  STAKEHOLDERS.  

 

IN  FACT,  THROUGHOUT  THE  1900s  THE  HUMAN  ELEMENT  ESSENTIALLY  TOOK  A  BACK  SEAT  TO  

TECHNOLOGY.    DURING  THIS  PERIOD  OF  TIME  MECHANIZED  PROPULSION  CAME  INTO  ITS  

OWN,  COMMUNICATIONS  AND  LIFESAVING  EQUIPMENT  BECAME  COMMONPLACE  AND  

MANDATORY,  WELDING  BECAME  THE  NORM  IN  SHIP  CONSTRUCTION  AND  TECNOLOGY  SUCH  

AS  GYRO  COMPASSES,  LORAN  AND  RADAR  BECAME  STANDARD.    ALL  OF  THESE  TECHNOLOGIES  

WERE  DESIGNED  TO  MAKE  UP  FOR  OR  MITIGATE  HUMAN  ELEMENT.    

 

 

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WELL  BUILT  SHIPS,  FITTED  OUT  WITH  APPROPRIATE  COMMUNICATIONS  AND  LIFE  SAVING  

EQUIPMENT  AND  THE  BEST  IN  NAVIGATIONAL  TECHNOLOGY  WOULD  ADDRESS  ALL  OF  THE  

HUMAN  FAILINGS  THAT  WERE  THE  ROOT  CAUSE  OF  SO  MANY  MARITIME  DISASTERS.  

 

BY  THE  LATE  1900s,  THE  STANDARDS  FOR  TRAINING,  CERTIFICATION  AND  WATCHKEEPING  HAD  

BEEN  ADOPTED  BY  MOST  OF  THE  MAJOR  MARITIME  NATIONS.  SHIPS  WERE  FITTED  WITH  

COLLISION  AVOIDANCE,  GPS,  DOPLER  SYSTEMS,  COMPUTER-­‐BASED  STABILITY  AND  CARGO  

SYSTEMS,  STRAIN  GUAGES,  THE  LATEST  IN  FIRE  DETECTION  AND  PREVENTION  SYSTEMS  AND  

ALL  MANNER  OF  TECHNOLOGICAL  AUTOMATION  DOWN  BELOW.  AT  THIS  SAME  TIME  THE  

INDUSTRY  WAS  EXPERIENCING  A  RECORD  NUMBER  OF  MARITIME  ACCIDENTS  –  ALL  OF  WHICH  

LED  TO  A  REVIVAL  IN  THE  FIELD  OF  HUMAN  FACTORS.      

 

SINCE  THAT  TIME,  I  WOULD  SAY  THAT  THE  INDUSTRY  HAS  VIEWED  THE  BALANCE  BETWEEN  THE  

HUMAN  ELEMENT  AND  TECHNOLOGY  AS  THE  PRIMARY  MEANS  BY  WHICH  TO  IMPROVE  AND  

MAINTAIN  MARITIME  SAFETY.  UNFORTUNATELY,  THERE  ARE  TODAY  SEGMENTS  OF  THE  

INDUSTRY  THAT  HAVE  NOT  KEPT  PACE  IN  EITHER  OF  THESE  AREAS  AND  WE  ARE  ALL  WELL  

AWARE  OF  THAT.    

 

THROUGHOUT  MOST  OF  THE  DEVELOPED  WORLD,  THE  PASSENGER/FERRY  SECTOR  HAS  A  

PRETTY  GOOD  RECORD  INSOFAR  AS  SAFETY.  AS  ONE  WHO  IS  RESPONSIBLE  FOR  A  LARGE  FERRY  

 

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SYSTEM,  SAFETY  MANAGEMENT,  CONSTANT  VIGILENCE,  EMPHAISIS  ON  THE  HUMAN  ELEMENT,  

TRAINING  AND  THE  APPLICATION  OF  THE  LATEST  TECHNOLOGY  ARE  MOST  OF  THE  TOOLS  WE  

UTILIZE  TO  ENSURE  PASSENGER  AND  CREW  SAFETY.    

 

HUMAN  BEINGS  ARE  NOT  INFALLIBLE.  IN  FACT,  AS  MY  FATHER  USED  TO  SAY  “…THE  ONLY  

PERFECT  PERSON  WAS  CRUCIFIED…”  SO,  WE  MUST  ACCEPT  AND  DEAL  WITH  THAT  FACT.  

TECHNOLOGY  IS  NOT  PERFECT  EITHER.  THE  STATEN  ISLAND  FERRIES  TODAY  ARE  FITTED  WITH  

SOME  OF  THE  MOST  ADVANCED  TECHNOLOGY  AND  GUESS  WHAT  –  IT  FAILS  FROM  TIME  TO  

TIME.  SO,  WE  MUST  RELY  ON  THAT  BALANCE  BETWEEN  THE  HUMAN  ELEMENT  AND  

TECHNOLOGY,  APPLIED  THROUGH  A  SAFETY  MANAGEMENT  SYSTEM  TO  EFFECTIVELY  MANAGE  

RISK,  DEVELOP  CONTROLS  TO  ENSURE  SAFE  OPERATIONS  AND  TO  CONTINUALLY  IMPROVE  THE  

PROCESS.    

 

THIS  CONFERENCE  IS  ABOUT  SAFETY  AND  TECHNOLOGY  AND  THERE  IS  NO  QUESTION  THAT  

TECHNOLOGY  APPLIED  CORRECTLY  AND  EFFECTIVELY  CAN  IMPROVE  SAFETY.  FOR  EXAMPLE,  WE  

HAVE  A  RELATIVELY  SIMPLE  AND  INEXPENSIVE  PASSENGER  COUNTER  SYSTEM  AT  THE  STATEN  

ISLAND  FERRY.  WE  DON’T  OVERLOAD  OUR  VESSELS  AND  WE  TAKE  OUR  RESPONSIBILITIES  IN  

THIS  REGARD  VERY  SERIOUSLY.  HOW  MANY  ACCIDENTS  HAVE  OCCURRED  DUE  TO  

OVERLOADING  THAT  COULD  BE  ADDRESSED  BY  SIMPLE  TECHNOLOGY  LIKE  THIS  –  OF  COURSE  

THIS  DOESN’T  ADDRESS  SITUATIONS  LIKE  THE  KOREAN  FERRY  SEWOL.  IN  THAT  CASE,  IT  

APPEARS  THAT  THE  VESSEL  WAS  NOT  ONLY  OVERLOADED,  BUT  ALSO  MODIFIED  IN  SUCH  A  

 

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WAY  AS  TO  AFFECT  STABILITY.  THEN,  WHEN  IMPROPERLY  STOWED  CARGO  CAME  ADRIFT  A  

CATASTROPHIC  OUTCOME  RESULTED.    

 

SUFFICE  TO  SAY  -­‐  SIMPLE  TECHNOLGIES  SUCH  AS  PASSENGER  COUNTER  SYSTEMS,  STABILITY  

APS,  WEATHER  ROUTING,  E-­‐TRAINING  APS  AND  THE  LIKE,  ARE  THE  TYPES  OF  TECHNOLOGY  

THAT  CAN  BE  APPLIED  EFFECTIVELY  AND  AT  RELATIVELY  LOW  COST,  BUT  CAN  HAVE  A  

SIGNIFICANT  IMPACT  ON  SAFETY.  THESE  ARE  THE  TYPES  OF  LOW  COST  TECHNOLOGY  THAT  CAN  

AND  SHOULD  BE  EMBRACED  BY  ALL  FERRY  OPERATORS  THAT  CAN  PROVIDE  REAL  DIVIDENDS  

WHEN  APPLIED  IN  PARALLEL  WITH  TRAINING.  

 

AT  THE  OTHER  END  OF  THE  SPECTRUM,  COMPUTER-­‐BASED  DESIGN,  FINITE  ELEMENT  ANALYSIS,  

ADVANCED  ROBOTIC  CONSTRUCTION  PROCESSES,  SYSTEMS  FOR  MONITORING  EVERYTHING  

FROM  HULL  STRESSES  TO  FUEL  CONSUMPTION  AND  EMISSIONS,  INTEGRATED  NAVIGATION,  

COMMUNICATIONS,  MAINTENANCE  AND  INVENTORY  SYSTEMS,  CCTV,  SIMULATOR  TRAINING,  

AND  EVEN  TECHNOLOGY  SPECIFICALLY  TO  TRACK  CREW  COMPETANCIES  AND  NEEDS  FOR  

CONTINUING  EDUCATION  –  ARE  ALL  PART  OF  THE  MENU  OF  TECHNOLOGY  WHEN  INTEGRATED  

PROPERLY  WITH  THE  HUMAN  ELEMENT  CAN  MAKE  FOR  REAL  SAFETY.      

 

AT  THE  RISK  OF  CONTRADCITING  MYSELF,  I  THINK  UN-­‐MANNED  OPERATIONS  ARE  A  WAYS  OFF  

–  BUT  THE  DAY  WILL  COME  FOR  THE  MARITIME  INDUSTRY  AT-­‐LARGE  AND  FOR  FERRIES.    I  

 

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KNOW  THERE  ARE  THOSE  WHO  WILL  SAY  “NEVER”  AND  “WHAT  HAPPENS  WHEN  THE  SYSTEMS  

FAIL”  AND  SO  FORTH  –  MUCH  LIKE  I  INDICATED  MOMENTS  AGO.    ALL  OF  THOSE  COMMENTS  

HAVE  BEEN  EXPRESSED  WHENEVER  TECHNOLOGY  OVERTAKES  THE  HUMAN  ELEMENT.  AND  

SUCH  COMMENTS  CERTAINLY  HAVE  THEIR  PLACE  BECAUSE  IT  IS  THROUGH  SUCH  THAT  RISK  IS  

ADEQUATELY  ASSESSED.      

 

THE  NOTION  OF  UNMANNED  VESSELS  AND  THE  USE  OF  ARTIFICIAL  INTELLIGENCE  IN  THE  

MARITIME  INDUSTRY  HAS  BEEN  THE  SUBJECT  OF  RESEARCH  FOR  25  YEARS  OR  MORE.  I  THINK  

THE  NEXT  GENERATION  WILL  SEE  THIS  BECOME  A  REALITY  AT  SOME  LEVEL.  AND  THEY  WILL  

HAVE  TO  LOOK  AT  THE  SPECTRA  OF  OPPORTUNITIES  AND  ASSESS  THE  RISK  IN  THIS  REGARD    –  

OPERATIONAL  SAFETY,  ENVIRONMENTAL  IMPACT,  COST  IMPLICATIONS,  HUMAN  RESOURCES  

AND  SO  ON…AND  THEN  HOW  DOES  ALL  OF  THIS  FIT  WITH  GENERAL  MARITIME  LAW,  

LIABILITIES,  MARINE  INSURANCE,  MAINTENANCE  AND  REPAIR  –  AND  THE  PASSENGER  

EXPERIENCE?  AND  HOW  WOULD  UNMANNED  VESSELS  CO-­‐EXIST  WITH  MANNED  VESSELS?      

SO,  FOR  THOSE  WHO  REALLY  WANT  TO  IMAGINE  TECHNOLOGY,  I  LEAVE  YOU  WITH  THOSE  

THOUGHTS.    

 

THANK  YOU  FOR  ALLOWING  ME  THE  OPPORTUNITY  TO  ADDRESS  YOU.  PLEASE  ENJOY  THE  REST  

OF  THE  CONFERENCE  AND,  IN  PARTICULAR,  THE  SUNSET  CRUISE  ON  THE  STATEN  ISLAND  FERRY.