
Well, here we go again. Another end of year list of things that manage to raise my passion or ire.
Strangely the list looks more like a 2025 “to do” list than a review of 2024.

- 1. The Crisis in Maritime Personnel.
There is a real shortage of personnel in maritime. In some countries it relates to a lack of operating personnel, in others it relates to a shortage in maritime engineers, and in others it relates to a shortage in skilled shipyard personnel. In most first word countries it relates to all categories including terminal labor and support industries such as insurance, law, and surveying and is reaching crisis proportions. What is most baffling is that first world countries still have pockets of underpaid or underemployed populations. Maritime is the single most secure path to the middle class, but somehow maritime is not connecting to the communities that can benefit most from maritime.
- 2. Finding Solutions to the Crisis in Maritime Personnel
We need to develop new strategies to reconnect young people to maritime. The same old, same old, training ship approach is no longer enough. Maybe a “Succession” style show that focuses on the delightfully crazy worldwide dynamics of maritime. Maybe a Smithsonian level exposition center that focuses on the continuing power of commercial maritime. Maybe many small grass roots programs. Maybe new crewing approaches. Most likely we will need all of these approaches to turn the ship around.
- 3. Mistakes that Happen
When thousands of ships are doing hundreds of different things while trying to become carbon zero, inevitably things will go wrong. The Dali incident was one of those. It is so sad that it took the lives of the bridge repair workers who could not be evacuated in time, but the rarity of these events is a testament to the skill of people involved in maritime. Skill; we just need to keep that pipeline filled.
- 4. The Role of Maritime in World Security and Peace
Maritime trade is the foundation for world peace when there is peace, and the focus of the fight when peace recedes. When peace recedes, navies are needed to restore the peace. Building navies in peacetime is a waste of money, and nations competing by increasing the size of their navies in peacetime is a path to war. The best way for the United States to convince other nations that navy size competition in peace time is pointless, is to be part of the most capable maritime team in the world. Capable and sizeable navies (consisting of the United States and its partners) are part of that, but nothing is more bracing than knowing that you don’t mess with a team that has the most skillful players that can respond rapidly in innovative ways against bullies. Yes, that goes back to making sure we have the personnel with the skills that can respond to the threat.
5. 2016 Redux
No need to repeat the worries and the effects of the 2016 change in administration. Nuts.
- 6. Mass Hysteria
Yes, mass hysteria still happens. Sort of poetic that we had a little event with the NJ drone invasion 25 years after the Y2K hysteria.

7. A Pig named AI went through the Python
It is interesting to see how AI mass hysteria settled down in 2024. AI is still here but now has become part of our lives. I don’t always love AI, but every now and then it also generates an interesting point to ponder. At this stage it looks like AI is becoming sort of the rational middle ground. AI is not perfect but looks smarter to me than people who refuse to regard basic data. Ironically those who refuse to regard basic data hate AI more than those who never really needed AI.
- 8. The Cost of a Recovered Economy
The US economy has roared back. That occurred with deficit spending, which is just fine during a crisis. However, once the economy has recovered, deficit spending needs to be dialed back through a combination of increased taxes, and reduced spending, with a focus on reducing inequality. Yeah right.
- 9. You can Lead a Horse …….
In the last days of 2024, we lost a great but underappreciated American. Jimmy Carter’s earnestness was his greatest strength and his greatest weakness. Great leaders are cheerleaders, and Jimmy Carter was too earnest to be a great cheerleader, but few politicians had a better sense of what needed to be fixed than Jimmy Carter. And he fixed a lot, despite almost continuous efforts by subsequent politicians to sabotage his vision for the future. Reagan-Carter will play in history like Lee-Grant. It will be a long slog, but history tends to bend to truth.

SNL celebrates 50 years this year. During the Carter administration, Dan Akroyd did a great impression of Jimmy Carter that, as great satire goes, actually rings true today. Dan Akroyd/Jimmy Carter even commented on energy in another skit. It is interesting to note the second skit ends with “Punk up bozos, you had your chance in 1977 and blew it”.
- 10. History: 1875 to 2025
Martin & Ottaway has something to look forward to in 2025. 150 years of continuous activity in the maritime community. We are writing a company history. It is a fascinating exercise. 150 years of industry ups and downs, and often the outlook felt no different than it feels today. Anything that concerned us most at any random time in the last 150 years, somehow worked its way to a solution by persevering and paying attention to the details. “Don’t Panic and Keep Bailing” is still the most powerful advice anyone can get.
“Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition” is a more religious equivalent of the same meme and is more fitting for our friends in Ukraine fighting for us. Let’s make sure we don’t forget them.

