From the Editor: New Features

I’m happy to announce that we’re soon bringing back a feature that had been a mainstay of the print edition of Pacific Maritime for many years, plus we’re also adding a brand-new column to our pages.

Starting with the April issue, the plan is to have a vessel feature in each issue of Pacific Maritime, focusing on a new or newly-updated marine craft in the maritime operations sector.

Writing the majority of the profiles will be a newcomer to the magazine, Seattle area-based writer Norris Comer. Norris, who regularly contributes to Pacific Northwest-based and national magazines on a variety of topics, is a sometimes-mariner whose debut book, a memoir titled Salmon in the Seine: Alaskan Memories of Life, Death, and Everything In-Between, will be released later this month.

For his first Pacific Maritime article, Norris will profile Athena, One of Crowley Maritime’s newest chartered ship assist tugs.

We’re also launching a column by Capt. Mike Anderson, the regional director of the Inland Boatman’s Union (IBU) in Hawaii.

In his new monthly column, which is called “Captain’s Corner,” Mike will write about various maritime workplace issues. His first piece, he’ll provide an overview of the job market in the marine towing/general commercial industry, plus elaborate on the need for up-and-coming qualified personnel.

He also plans to touch on how it can be daunting to someone who’s not versed in the industry on where to start and how to become “employable” as a commercial mariner.

Mike’s first column will also appear in the April issue, which will be mailed to subscribers the last week of March.

To Norris and Mike: welcome aboard. We’re glad and grateful that you’ve both become part of the Maritime Publishing family.

Managing Editor Mark Nero can be reached at mark@maritimepublishing.com

By Mark Edward Nero