Star of Japan

While Brunswick is not a busy port, cargo vessels and car carriers do come and go here.  The car carriers are on the other side of a spoil built island.  The cargo vessels come in just down the way from the marina where we are.  We are fascinated and a tad scared of these behemoths.  We didn't get a lot of these giant ships in Kansas!  HA!  I decided to hit the web to find out more about the current ship in port Star of Japan.  Here is what I found -
Principal particulars:
L (o.a.) x L (b.p.) x B x D x d: 198.00m x 187.00m x 31.00m x 19.00m x 12.00m
DWT/GT: 46,387t (at 12.3m draft)/ 32,844t
Main engine: Mitsui-MAN B&W 6S60MC diesel x 1 unit
MCR: 10,520kW x 96rpm
Speed, service: 16.55kt
  Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. (MES) has delivered the Star Japan (HN: 1532), a general cargo/ container carrier, one of the newest ships for the company Grieg Shipping and Maritime Transport A/S of Norway at its Tamano works. The Star Japan is the second vessel of the series built for the Grieg group after the first vessel, Star Juventus (HN: 1531) built for Grieg International II A/S in May 2004. These vessels are the so-called open hatch type bulk carrier with boxshaped cargo holds with hatch openings of the same size (length and breadth) as each hold for efficient loading of a variety of cargoes such as unitized cargoes of forestry products (papers, pulps and timbers), containers and bulk cargoes. The vessel has a double-hull structure, and is equipped with a pair of self-traveling gantry cranes of MES make with advanced technology on the upper deck for efficient cargo handling. To achieve the maximum cargo intake both on deck and in cargo holds, the accommodation space is designed in slim proportions and located far aft. The bow and stern thrusters and the Becker rudder achieve high maneuverability, previously used to cruise ships. The wheelhouse is designed for one-man-bridge operation. To secure the aft view from wheelhouse, two cylindrical funnels and spiral ladders are arranged. Free-falling type lifeboats are equipped, according to the news reported by MarNews.

Blah, blah, blah....wait, WHAT?    The wheelhouse is designed for one-man-bridge operation.  That can't be right.  Hum?   Let me look above again.  Yep, that is what it says.  Let me double check, maybe I didn't copy it right.  Nope, it copied correctly.  So this gigantic cargo ship (length overall 198m) is designed so that only ONE person needs to be on it's bridge, at the helm, running.....everything at the bridge?  O-N-E!  OMG!  And it seems this is marketed as a feature.  OMG! 

	Panamax	New Panamax
Length	294.13 m (965 ft)	366 m (1,200 ft)
Beam	32.31 m (106 ft)	49 m (160.7 ft)
Draft (TFW)	12.04 m (39.5 ft)	15.2 m (49.9 ft)
TEU	Approx. 5,000	Approx. 12,000

I am not anti technology.  I like/love the marine electronics we have (and the new stuff looks to be very kewl).  I am very, very glad we have them.  We use them.  When we are underway, one of us is on watch at the helm and the other is off watch and often below.  This means we only have one on our bridge and our marine electronics make this fairly easier.  But we are NOT 198 meters long!  We are 40 feet long.  While technology may have reached the level where the New Panamax monsters can be driven by one, should it really be?  
*A dock neighbor pointed out that "designed for one man bridge operation" does not necessarily mean that it is only manned by one person....she hopes.