Summary
The Tankship Tromedy is an insider's view of the tangled web that is oil tanker regulation. The regulators - Classification Societies and Flag States - depend on and compete for the ship owners and shipyards that they are supposed to regulate. It is not regulation; it is an auction. The outside worlds steps in only in the aftermath of a high profile spill. In this media driven, highly politicized environment, technically stupid regulation is often hastily enacted. The combined result is a mess.
The tankship being built today is flimsy, highly unreliable, unmaneuverable, and nearly impossible to maintain. And the situation is becoming progressively worse. As a result, there will be gargantuan oil spills in the future that need not have happened.
At least in the tanker world, there is nothing remotely like this book. It has the feel of "Unsafe at Any Speed" but written by an insider.
This book outlines the sad history of tanker regulation and calls for fundamental changes in both tanker design and the regulatory system.
About the Author
Jack Devanney's background is unique, combining an unusual technical background (faculty member at MIT) with 25 years experience as a tanker owner and operator, during which time he was responsible for constructing the largest double hull tankers ever built.
