Editor’s Note

Just when I begin to think that some of the messages we reiterate in our pages are becoming trite, one of the largest ferries in our country’s most populous city smashes into a pier, killing 10 and injuring dozens. With tens of millions of passengers delivered safely to and fro via water transportation 365 days a year, it is foolhardy to damn an entire market based on one incident. But, given the horrific nature of the reported injuries, the mystery surrounding the exact sequence of events, and the reported refusal of cooperation from the vessel’s captain, the Staten Island Ferry crash of October 15, 2003 will likely serve as a lightning rod for change.

While it is hard, indeed, to find fans of additional rules and regulations, it is even more difficult to find those that can stomach another senseless accident where lives and/or the environment are imperiled.

By chance, the impact of ever emerging, evolving and convoluting rules and regulations, and their effect on the mariner — and ultimately their effect on the safety and efficiency of vessel, crew and cargo — is the topic of this month’s cover story. “E-Ship: The Paperless Trail,” which starts on page 82, details one company’s effort to alleviate some of the procedural burden onboard modern marine vessels, with the end goal being an elevated sense of security and efficiency.