This new ship has so many alarms - it's a wonder the "spy in the cab" microphones can hear us mere humans over the never ending cacophony of bells, whistles and hooters, augmented by the occasional rattle of the many printers, just to remind us that the "paperless" bridge is here to stay.

Rudyard Kipling put it quite eloquently many moons ago:


"The new ship here is fitted according to the reported increase of knowledge among mankind. Namely, she is cumbered end to end, with bells and trumpets and clock and wires, it has been told to me, can call voices out of the air of the waters to con the ship while her crew sleep. But sleep thou lightly. It has not yet been told to me that the Sea has ceased to be the Sea."

Rudyard Kipling