From our visits to the BSM Marine Training Center and Columbia group, we got a better glimpse into what is involved in the marine shipping and ship management industries. From BSM, we learned that a seafarer must have an understanding of many aspects of the ship before going out to sea. They must understand not only how to drive the ship and the engines functions, but also understand important safety and security measures. A good example of this is the fire fighting and first aid training given to any student in the BSM training center. These trainings teach students how to safely depart from a watercraft, fight fires on board, and provide minor medical assistance when necessary because there are no first responders readily available out at the open sea. In regards to steering and maintenance, seafarers must understand all functions of the boats engines, systems, and goals, to ensure the safe transfer of passengers or goods. These skills are acquired at BSM through simulation training. At the Columbia group, we learned that ship management works both on a business and logistics level. From a business standpoint, a company must understand where it can distribute its resources and how to do this to achieve a good profit. Ship management companies help with this process for independent ships and smaller companies, as well as for their own ships. For example, Columbia Group manages over 450 vessels, but owns only a few of those. On a logistics level, they have an internal team that watches the progress of each ship to determine if it is on target or not. This group analyzes this data and gives it to captains to determine the best course of action to get back on track. Both this tracking and the business aspects are required to make a successful ship management company.