Extreme Waves Author to lecture at Hawai‘i Maritime Center
Veteran sailor and author Craig B. Smith will present a lecture titled “Rogues, Freaks and Giants—the Story of Extreme Waves.” His presentation will be followed by a book-signing event at the Hawai‘i Maritime Center on Wednesday July 30. The museum will open at 6 p.m. Admission is $ 5 per person and will include a self-guided walk through of the museum and light refreshments. Craig B. Smith will begin his lecture at 6:30 p. m. His book will be available for sale in our gift shop and he will be happy to sign all purchased copies at the conclusion of his lecture. The evening will be free to all Bishop Museum members.
Smith’s new book, Extreme Waves, traces the origins of waves, explaining how calm seas change to stormy seas under the influence of winds, how waves propagate, the effect of currents, tides, and earthquakes, and how ships and offshore structures respond to extreme waves. There are one hundred real-life stories included in the book to illustrate the important topics—stories from U.S. Navy admirals responsible for nuclear carriers, to Brad Van Liew, who sailed single-handed through the most dangerous oceans in the world, to win the recent “Around the World Alone” race. Imagine being in a ship hit by a 100-foot high wave—a wave as tall as a ten-story building.There are ships that were hit and survived, and other vessels that did not survive. Each incident entails heroism, mostly unsung, beyond that which we can imagine experiencing.
Smith will also discuss the devastating effects of tsunami, their origins, and what you need to know in the event a tsunami warning is received. Finally, Smith raises the questions: are modern ships safe enough, given that today we know that large waves occur more frequently than previously thought? Be prepared for a surprise when you learn how many large vessels sink somewhere in the world every, every week.
Craig B.Smith is passionate about the sea. When not sailing, for the last 40 years he has been involved in the engineering and construction of large, complex projects. He has served as a project engineer, project manager, construction manager, or executive-in-charge on diverse projects including structural tests on offshore oil platforms in the North Sea, the California coast, and Gulf of Mexico; on seismic tests of dams and other large structures; construction of a waste-to-energy power plant; construction management of large mass transit systems and several large facilities in the Port of Los Angeles; airport expansion programs; and the renovation of the Pentagon, before and after 9/11. His projects have taken him to many parts of the world: Brazil, Peru, Chile, Mexico, Korea, Taiwan, Philippines, Egypt, England, Germany, Finland, Norway, and others.
Smith’s professional career began as an assistant professor of engineering at UCLA After seven years at UCLA, he co-founded ANCO Engineers, Inc., an engineering consulting firm in Los Angeles, where he served as the president and chairman. In 1992 he joined AECOM Technology Corporation, one of the world’s largest architecture, engineering and construction companies, as a vice president of Daniel, Mann, Johnson, and Mendenhall (DMJM). He was subsequently promoted to senior vice president, executive vice president, and chief operating officer. In 1999, he was named president of Holmes and Narver, Inc. In 2001, when DMJM and Holmes and Narver merged, he became the president of the combined companies, which are now called DMJM H+N. In 2003 he became chairman of DMJM H+N. Holmes and Narver was responsible for the design, construction and some cases operation and management of several military facilities in the Pacific, including a number located on Johnston Atoll, Enwetak, Kwajalein, Guam, and Hawaii.
Smith is a dedicated sailor; having sailed in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific and explored the offshore islands of California and Baja California, Mexico in his 10 meter sailboat Dreams (a cutter-rigged Hans Christian.)He is also the author of How the Great Pyramid Was Built, Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, D.C., 2004. Written for the general public, the book has many new insights into how the mammoth structure was actually built and is described as “highly readable; the most complete analysis from an engineering and construction perspective.”
His education includes a B.S. degree in electrical engineering from Stanford University and a M.S. and PhD. in engineering from the University of California at Los Angeles. He is a registered professional engineer in California. He lives on the Balboa Peninsula, Newport Beach, California, which is also the homeport for his boat.
For more information about the Craig Smith Extreme Waves lecture and book signing, call (808) 847-3511 or visit www.bishopmuseum.org.
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