HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE NOVEMBER 1998 ISSUE

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE DECEMBER 1998 ISSUE

Editorial: February 1999 is the due date for all commercial vessels of 300 gt and more to be fitted with approvedGMDSS (Global Maritime Distress and Safety System) equipment. So, what's the next deadline shipowners need to start worrying about? And what will be the next hardware item mandated aboard ship?

Cover Story:
DISTINCTIVE SHIPS OF 1998
Our annual portfolio of outstanding oceangoing commercial ships delivered from U.S. and world yards.Don't look for these listings on line, though. We want you to subscribe to the printed Marine Log.

U.S. SHIP REPAIR RESHAPES ITSELF
The U.S. ship repair industry has been undergoing a series of acquisitions and mergers. Our coverage includes an exclusive interview with B. Edward Ewing, president of United States Marine Repair, the umbrella organization for the repair yards controlled by Southwest Marine Holdings, which now include NORSHIPCO

MAKE SPACE FOR AIS
The Universal Ship-borne Automatic Identification System could be the next ietm of electronics to be mandated onto your vessel by SOLAS!

Special Advertising Feature
MARINE WEBSITE DIRECTORY

OPINION: Ole Skaarup makes a plea for the U.S. to "scrap our archaic maritime laws!"

COVER STORY

IF YOU'VE GOT DEEP POCKETS, YOU'LL LOVE DEEPWATER
Whit Smith reports that deepwater opportunities are continuing to attract those companies with the resources needed. Meanwhile, cheap oil is continuing to have a dampening effect on dayrates for much of the existing rig and OSV fleets. Publicly quoted companies are reacting in ways calculated to pacify shareholders and analysts

Q&A WITH HALTER MARINE'S JOHN DANE III
The Chairman, President and CEO of America's fourth largest shipbuilder talks about a $1 billion orderbook, profitability, growing pains--and prospects outside the offshore market

WAKE UP CALL: LESSONS FROM THE NORTH CAPE

Doug Eklof describes what it's like for a shipowner to face federal criminal charges following an oil spill

Highlights from the October 1998 issue:

 New designs energize ferry market

A slew of new designs, many from Australia and many designed to minimize wake, are helping boost demand for the new generation of ferries. And in the U.S. ferry construction will get a boost from the newly authorized TEA-21 program.

Editorial: Undoing the damage of a tax torpedo.

Taking away a tax break for shipowners didn't bring the treasury a nickel and it certainly didn't create any jobs for seafarers. But it did damage the U.S. shoreside marine industry infrastructure

 German shipbuilding: There's life after Vulkan

The good news is that two and a half years after its image was seriously dented by the Vulkan fiasco, German shipbuilding has pulled itself back onto its feet remarkably well.All round, significant gains in productivity, cuts in costs and expanded co-operation have given many yards new life and provided the basis for survival.

However, the latest Korean price cuts have wiped out many of the German cost and price gains of the past few years--gains that were bringing German prices closer to competitive world market levels.

 Fire at Sea ... on live TV

It was a cruise marketer's worst nightmare. Hours of continuing live television coverage of pillars of smoke billowing from the stern of a sleek white cruise liner, complete with captions flashing "Cruise ship terror" and the like...But, based on preliminary reports, it now looks as though Carnival and the crew of the Ecstasy can commend themselves on handling the July 20, 1998 fire incident in an exemplary way

Fast ferries:Pushing up the knots and reining in the risks
New generation high speed ferries are getting a lot bigger and a lot faster. But a U.K. study confirms that increased speed brings increased risk ... and a need for the industry to adopt prudent policies to manage that risk

Deck machinery: Mission critical component of the drive into deeper water
Winch and windlass manufacturers are being bought out as OSV and rig yards seek to eliminate potential production bottlenecks

Managing STCW

Our ship managers' Round Table discusses the issues involved in recruiting and retaining STCW-qualified officers and crew

SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT
GULF COAST HEADLINER
Our fourth annual regional survey of marine business in and around the U.S. Gulf Coast finds shipyards from Tampa to Texas teeming with activity generated by the resurgent oil patch... and a whote lot more. Highlighting this year's Gulf Coast Headliner is an exclusive interview with Charles Fabrikant, chairman, president, and chief executive of SEACOR-SMIT, Inc.

DEPARTMENTS

Editorial

Watching Washington

Coast Guard battles Millennium Bug. FCC cuts industry a break. MSP for Lykes ships. Marad awards RRF contracts

Marine Update

New cruise port, repair base planned for Costa Rica. Joint venture to manage Alaska trade tankers. Spanish yard is privatized. Tanker from Lindenau. Boxship from Odense.

Coastal & Inland Update

Bay Ship and Yacht restores historic ship. New rescue RIBS

Offshore Update

Stolt buys Ceanic. Noble drilling takes a stake in a semi. Davie to build two semis

PLUS: Business Notes; People in the News; Marine Equipment News; U.S. Shipbuilding Contracts; Shipbuilding News; Product Literature ;Marine Buyers' Guide; Industry Calendar; Classified/Employment Advertising; Opinion

 OUTLOOK: Clouds in the crystal ball

Asia's wobbly economy combined with sliding crude oil prices make forecasting marine industry trends even more hazardous than usual

WORLD SHIPPING: Cheap oil fires tanker optimism

... but the Asian flu and an overcooked orderbook weakens prospectsfor the liner. dry and bulk trades

U.S. SHIPBUILDING: Bright prospects ahead

Yards have a $3.24 billion commercial orderbook, though Navy construction remains skimpy compared with historic levels

CRUISE SHIPPING : On track for 6.9 million passengers a year by 2003

As the boom continues, so does the newbuilding ordering

FERRIES: TEA-21 gives ferries a lift

$220 million appropriated for ferries and terminals

GULF OFFSHORE : E&P cools a little

Increased costs and lower oil prices are forcing some reassessment of E&P expenditure, though deepwater activity continues at a high level

BARGE OUTLOOK: Slow ahead

After two strong years, demand for new barges is moderating

THE YEARBOOK ISSUE IS NOT AVAILABLE ON LINE. THE SINGLE ISSUE PRICE IS $9. Call 1 800 895 4389 to order

Highlights from the May issue

Taking a new look at shipping finance

Financing the new generation of offshore rigs and OSV's

Ship management round table

Greece: Debunking some shipping myths

Marine maintenance product show case

ISM and STCW:

More red tape or the start of a revolution in shipping safety?

Newport News: Too steep a learning curve ?(editorial)

This Gulf upturn has legs:

Solid underlying demand and production trends are driving the continuing upsurge in U.S. Gulf of Mexico offshore activity