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It's the third week of solo efforts by our host Jim Vinoski to do a deep dive into the crisis in American shipbuilding. This week's episode is focused on identifying the causes of the problems.

Jim discusses the crisis in American shipbuilding, citing historical inefficiencies and current challenges. He references articles by Brian Potter, Colin Grabow, Inu Manak, Daniel Ikenson, and Samuel Czwartacki to highlight issues like high labor and input costs, the impact of unions, and protectionist laws like the Jones Act. Post-WWII, America's share of global shipbuilding dropped from 60% to 2%. He notes the decline in shipyards from 50 to 14 and the shift from ocean-going vessels to barges. Vinoski criticizes current policies and regulations, advocating for deregulation and domestic mining to support the industry.

Highlights:
00:00 - Problems in the American Shipbuilding Industry
04:29 - Impact of the World Wars, and the Post-War Period
06:45 - Decline in Shipbuilding Capabilities
10:26 - The Specific Causes

Here are the links to the resource articles:

https://www.noahpinion.blog/p/why-cant-the-us-build-ships

https://www.cato.org/publications/policy-analysis/jones-act-burden-america-can-no-longer-bear

https://americarenewing.com/issues/primer-deterioration-abuse-and-waste-in-the-shipbuilding-industry/

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It's a second week in a row with a solo show by our host Jim Vinoski!

Jim discusses the reluctance he has encountered repeatedly in his efforts to address the crisis in American shipbuilding. Despite significant declines—from 60% to 0.3% of global ocean-going shipbuilding capacity—and critical national security implications, many experts and high-ranking officials avoid the topic like the plague. Jim cites examples of ghosting and political pressures as some of the possible reasons for this silence. He emphasizes the urgency of addressing the issue, noting the U.S.'s current Navy strength, and the need for collaboration with allies.

Highlights:
00:00 - Shipbuilding Crisis in America: Introduction and Background
03:15 - Challenges in Engaging with Shipbuilding Experts
04:32 - Potential Reasons for the Reluctance to Discuss Shipbuilding
07:45 - Call to Action and Future Plans

Jim plans to explore potential solutions in future episodes, urging open dialogue to prevent a decline similar to Great Britain's fall from greatness.

Resources:
- Our show with Brent Sadler: https://youtu.be/vSkzceC7gJs
- John Konrad's gCaptain website: https://gcaptain.com/
Jim Vinoski's Forbes shipbuilding article: https://www.forbes.com/sites/jimvinoski/2025/11/28/can-america-recover-from-its-shipbuilding-crisis/

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This week we've got a solo effort by our host, Jim Vinoski.

He's going over the basics of an article from a year ago last September by Brian Potter with the same title as our episode.

Jim discusses the decline of American shipbuilding, highlighting that the U.S. now holds only 0.3% of global shipbuilding capacity, producing about five ships annually, while China produces over 1,000. He references an article by Brian Potter, noting that American shipbuilding has been uncompetitive since the days of wooden ships. Factors include rising labor costs, government regulations, and lack of investment. Vinoski emphasizes the need for government focus and investment to improve shipbuilding quality and competitiveness, suggesting that a national strategy is required to address these challenges.

Highlights:
00:00 - Introduction
01:30 - Historical Context and Decline in Shipbuilding Capacity
02:15 - Challenges in American Shipbuilding
04:05 - Government and Industry Influences on Shipbuilding
07:55 - Efforts to Improve Competitiveness
09:26 - Future Directions and Call to Action

We'll be devoting all of January to the shipbuilding topic, so tune in next Tuesday for more!

In the meantime, here's the link to Brian Potter's excellent article.

https://www.construction-physics.com/p/why-cant-the-us-build-ships