There are two major shows each year targeting the workboat market. One is the International Workboat Show, held each year in December in New Orleans. The other is coming up here in early April, the Workboat Maintenance and Repair Expo, also held in New Orleans. These shows are dedicated to the needs of owners, port captains, fleet managers, and engineers and mechanics responsible for keeping our country’s commercial marine vessels up and running and getting business done.
Between keynote addresses and topical breakout sessions, this show is going to be ideal for anyone in the workboat sector who needs to be aware of what’s essential to know in the industry. The U.S. Navy has sent multiple staff members from their boat management department. Mark Miller from RSC Bio Solutions will talk about oil analysis’ role in extending fluid life and enhancing ship performance. John Eldridge from XeroPoint Energy brings the table the latest information on hybrid engine solutions as a means of getting more work done while lowering maintenance costs. Saving money is always music to our ears.
There may even be discussion about marine fuel storage. That’s the area in our wheelhouse. Today’s work boats need to make sure their marine fuel and storage systems keep functioning optimally. Especially with the recent moves towards making marine fuels ultra-low sulfur, which leaves them (and the storage systems they’re in) wide open to stability and microbial problems.
These kind of shows play a really valuable, yet under-the-radar, role in helping our country do what we need to do. The world could not function as we know it without workboats. Today’s workboats do more with less than generations past could ever have dreamed. One big reason is that industry today has the ability to share insights, knowledge and solutions better than ever before. The Workboat Maintenance and Repair Conference is just another example of collaborative excellence at work.