Off the Clock but Still Plugged In: Part Deux

Published Jan 13, 2011 8:40 AM by The Maritime Executive

Bonaire, Netherland Antilles: From the veranda of my well-appointed waterfront suite, 20 steps from the beach, I can see a lot of things. Facing westward on the island paradise of Bonaire, our resort is situated in plain sight of what appears to be a vibrant local maritime economy. And, while all of it exists within 7 miles of our base of operations, none of it impacts what we came here for and to be perfectly honest, it is not necessarily unpleasant to look at. There are, therefore, lessons to be learned here.

About three months ago, my wife began her annual crusade to find someplace interesting to take the kids on spring break. I immediately suggested our modest cabin in the Blue Ridge Mountains where (always thinking prudently) I figured that we could save a little money. Instead (naturally), she announced that we would go to Bonaire. I then advised her that Bonaire was a tanker port (in a former life, I have attended at least twenty crude oil discharges in the States from Bills of Lading which originated there) and she might want to reconsider. She replied that Bonaire was the premier diving and snorkeling spot in this hemisphere. It turns out that we were both right.

Less than three miles due south of our gated resort lies the town of Kralendiik, where we have watched no less than five large cruise vessels -- sometimes two at a time -- berth along the waterfront. As I type this column, there is a particularly large one alongside which looks a little like a beached, white refrigerator. The cruise ships dock for a day, disgorge their passengers and then steam out on the same evening.

On adjacent berths, two RO-RO vessels have come and gone, slipping in silently and never staying more than five or six hours. And while it is definitely not a good idea to go into town when the cruise ship hordes are tearing the place apart, in the evenings, we have eaten a nice meal within a stone's throw of the RO-RO pier and watched as a huge vessel, leveraging its considerable sail area, was gently moored against a stiff sea breeze. I also (and for no particular reason) noticed that both RO-RO's arrived in a relatively light condition. Apparently, this is the last stop for many ships in their rounds of the local islands.

Still further up the coast is the airport, with its jet fuel tanks clearly visible along the waterline. And, if you take the boat out to go snorkeling on Klein Island, you can just make out the conveyor docks where bulkers come and go to load bulk cargoes of salt. Looking in the other direction, to the north, the BOPEC crude oil storage facility can be seen when the morning haze clears and the sun hits the massive green shore tanks at just the right angle. No less than five VLCC's have come and gone and our week is barely half over. A little closer to home, the island's power generating station (which looks to be diesel generated) and the desalination plant can be plainly seen from our favorite diving spot.

Supporting all of this commerce is a formidable fleet of SMIT Towing vessels. Smartly maintained, these are large, powerful tug boats, capable of any number of missions, something they are called on to do on a daily basis. As we arrived on the island last Sunday morning, I distinctly remember thinking to myself that this would not be a good week for an oil spill or other such calamity. Given the robust nature of the ship assist infrastructure here, there appears to be little to worry about.

I tell you all of this because -- well, because I like to brag -- but also because it occurred to me that, with all the talk of "green marine" and all of the environmental efforts currently underway to "clean up the maritime industry," here in Bonaire, a healthy eco-friendly tourism industry is thriving amidst all kinds of maritime industries. The scope of this industry is significant and I dare say would be envied by any number of midsized U.S. ports. The waters are crystal clear and as I type, my wife and kids are snorkeling less than one mile from the crude oil storage facility. It can be done. U.S. ports and their associated communities should take notice.

In places like Boston, MA, developers are slowly regentrifying a waterfront with condos and pleasure outlets, crowding out, one by one, the maritime industries that used to be the heartbeat of Beantown. On the West Coast and further up the East Coast in Maine, there are two chances of building new marine facilities: slim and none. In Alaska, and other U.S. coastal waters, billions of cubic feet of natural gas and similar volumes of crude oil energy remain off limits to exploration as we bankrupt ourselves by buying $4.00 per gallon gasoline, made from $100 per barrel imported crude oil. Through it all, the hypercharged frenzy of environmental activism is slowly drowning out any hope of a balanced approach to development that allows for common sense and prudent growth.

This week, The Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) approved proposed amendments to the MARPOL Annex VI regulations to reduce harmful emissions from ships. This is just one of score of new initiatives currently being formulated to help the maritime industry develop into the cleanest of industries. It's a great story, but there are another hundred just like it that get little or no attention. As an industry, we need to do a better job of telling our story. This week, I will begin that effort by telling the story of Bonaire: an island that proves conclusively that you can have it all.

It won't be easy. And like the 62 documents that I was compelled to sign yesterday prior to taking the "resort scuba" course (all promising not to sue anyone for anything anytime anywhere), there might be some paperwork along the way. But, if I can learn to scuba dive in a morning and then descend 40 feet deep on a submerged wreck (all in the same day), then I think that smarter people than me can figure out a way to integrate green maritime commerce with everyday life in America. Let's get started: tell me your story and I'll put it online next week. In the meantime, however, my wife is back and is now trying to forcibly yank the broadband Internet connection out of the wall. The children also appear to be restless. Gotta go. -- MarEx

Joseph Keefe is the Managing Editor of THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE. He is currently (and happily) being held prisoner in Bonaire during his kid's spring break. He can be reached at [email protected] with comments of this or any other piece in this e-newsletter.

Link to newsletter article: http://www.newsletterscience.com/marex/readmore.cgi?issue_id=293&article_id=3089

Link to newsletter archive: http://www.newsletterscience.com/marex/archive_view.cgi?issue_id=293