Skills

Computer have taken over control over at least half the world i guess. Children from four years old up to grandparents of ninety are able to work on computers. At sea the trend is the same. In the Offshore the main activity is to get hydrocarbons from deep below sea surface and seabed to the gas station round the corner of your street. Vessels assisting with installation work at sea need pinpoint navigation and station keeping on the spot. No float-offs are tolerated. Put some extra thrusters and propellers on your vessel, connect a big computer to them and you're done. True, and it works fine as well, but where are the captains and mates who can do this without computers? Where is the new generation captains and mates anyway? Skill shortage is a major issue at sea and people like captain William of the 'President Hubert' manoeuvering his vessel on this picture alongside the 'Retriever' without any computer at all, are becoming scarce.