b'Through no fault of their own, owners and opera- Gladding-Hearn Shipbuildingtors often have personnel assigned to a job in theYes, agreed as stated aboveit is important to have an ex-shipyard that have little or no experience attendingperienced owners rep on site. A person familiar with Coast to a shipyard project. As a senior manager, I haveGuard small passenger vessel regulations and inspector ex-been personally responsible for making that mistakepectations is important. A naval architect or engineer with myself. Simply put, if you are going to assign one30 years of deep sea or navy ship experience does not meet of your staff, regardless of whether theyre on thethese criteria. deck or engine side, you as the owner should have someone hold their hand a little until they get ac- Nichols Brothers Boat Buildersclimated to the shipyard environment. My questionMentoringinexperiencedprojectmanagersiscritical,as to the shipyard is do you generally agree with thethey are a direct reflection of the organization. By investing above statement? in mentoring programs, we can promote the professional growth of inexperienced staff, develop a skilled workforce, Bay Ship & Yacht Co.and create a productive work environment. Allowing the Yes, 100%. It leads to frustration for the shipyard as theexperienced staff to share their knowledge and best prac-person onsite is unable to give answers to questions ortices with inexperienced team members helps to transfer clear directions regarding the vessel. It is also unfair tocriticalskills,shipyard-specificknowledgeandproject the person onsite, as they are left in an impossible situ- specific insights. By providing guidance and opportunities ation that can make them defensive about any decisionfor mentees, we can build a pipeline of skilled professionals made or adversarial to the yard. It becomes a lose/lose forwho can assume key roles and responsibilities in the future both parties. to produce the best results.DeJong & Lebet, Inc.ExperienceNaval ArchitectsMarine EngineersWhen YouConsultantsSurveyorsNeed It. 71 Sea Island Explorer140 Odyssey Chicago Riverwww.dejongandlebet.com1734 Emerson Street, Jacksonville, FL 32207(904) 399-3673 info@dejongandlebet.com25 JULY 2023'