I spent most of last week in New Orleans at the Work Boat Maintenance & Repair Expo. Met a lot of interesting people and saw some new products that we might start carrying or incorporating into our refrigeration systems. Also met the nice folks at Work Boat Magazine, who put on the show. I’ve corresponded with the Work Boat staff many times so it was good to finally meet them in person.
One of the highlights for me was Captain Nick Sloane’s presentation about salvaging the Costa Concordia. This was the cruise ship that ran aground off the Tuscan coast in 2012. Considered the largest and most expensive ocean salvage operation in history, the presentation was truly impressive. Between the massive logistical issues and the obstinate Italian government, it’s a miracle they were able to pull this off in just 30 months. A great review of his presentation can be found here: http://www.workboat.com/news-feed/2015/costa-concordia-salvage-master-at-workboat-expo
Captain Sloane and his very impressive presentation about salvaging the Costa Concordia.
New Orleans is a fun city. Spontaneous parades, good food, and strolling around the French Quarter; can’t go wrong. My hotel was just four blocks from the convention center. However the center is half a mile long and the show was, of course, at the far end of the building. I got some exercise for sure. The lunch spread was nice and you can’t argue with the open bar every evening. Made some new contacts, learned about new products, and came away with new knowledge so I’d call it a success.
There will be another, much larger Work Boat show in December. Contact Work Boat magazine for information on attending.
