Editorial

Longtime readers of Maritime Reporter know by now that, above all else, I like to find and deliver a good story. Whether discovered at a small, family-owned business in the Bayou, or in a more corporate setting across the ocean, this industry offers an abundance of interesting characters and companies, each with a unique plot twist in the constant battle to make a living in an ever-changing, ever-challenging business environment. Admittedly, most of the really good stories come with the disclaimer: “but you can’t print that”, which I always honor, but in general I’m amazed to continually find top editorial ideas, often right in my own backyard. Such is the case this month, which in my opinion contains several worthy articles. I had the opportunity last month in New Orleans to spend some time with Larry Rigdon, owner of Rigdon Marine. The story of the creation of Rigdon Marine is a great one, if for no other reason it contains several key factors that make a story good, including: heated competition, political intrigue and capitalistic success. In the end, though, it is a simple story, a man and a company identifying and fulfilling an industry need, in this case filling it with Bender-built, state-of-the-art, DP-2 capable Platform Supply Vessels. On another day, not one mile from my office in Manhattan, I spent the time with Captain Greg Hanchrow, Director of Marine Operations for Spirit Cruises. While Captain Hanchrow was adamant that the story not be about him, I defy anyone to spend the day talking shop with him and not walk away enamored with the marine business. He entered the business at a young age and has seen the “maritime life” from many different vistas, and his and Spirit’s story are one of perseverance and success. Finally, Dennis L. Bryant of Holland & Knight, a long-time and highly valued contributor to our pages, presents the latest developments on the emerging National Cargo Security Strategy in his usual straight-forward manner. His article emphasizes the fact that no matter how much ground has seemingly been covered in the effort to keep shipping and U.S. shores safe from further terrorist attack, there is still much work to be done, and funds to be spent. And the story continues ...