Ferry Conference: Technology Drives Vessel Advancements
On June 2-3, 2016, the Ferry Safety and Technology Conference will be held in downtown Manhattan. Throughout the world, the quickening pace of technological advances is impacting all sectors of the maritime business; ferries are no exception. The conference, now in its second year, will feature practical and affordable technologies already deployed in passenger transportation, or soon to be. Topics to be discussed will include Vessel Design; Landings – with a focus on their resiliency and Maritime Weather – with fresh information on timely fine scale marine weather detection. Information management and Communication applications will be center stage.
Waterfront Protection against Global Warming
Rising sea levels and changes in water chemistry in New York Harbor and beyond should trigger a comprehensive planning effort to protect waterfront development from the threat of potential inundation, according to Malcolm G. McLaren of McLaren Engineering Group. “People know about global warming but very little discussion has centered on how to plan for it,” said McLaren, founder, president and CEO of the West Nyack, N.Y.-based firm. “If sea levels continue to rise at their current rate, large stretches of shoreline development will be jeopardized. Due in part to glacial melting, tide levels around New York Harbor have risen more than a foot since the original mean sea-level readings were established in Sandy Hook, N.J., some 80 years ago.
