Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32JULY 2016 • FOGHORN 5 LETTER FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR John Groundwater to step up its enforcement of illegal charters nationwide.  Many PVA members have expressed frustration, and even outrage, about the presence of illegal charter operators in their ports with little or no enforcement. These illegally operated vessels skirt Coast Guard regulatory and safety oversight and compete directly with PVA member operators. The Internet is being used widely to market many of these operations; some of which are described loosely as “boat sharing.” Some of these offerings are legal but some are illegal. This activity is of extreme concern to PVA for a variety of reasons. First and foremost are safety concerns and the potential for negative public reaction to any related accidents and secondly is the loss of potential business for PVA member companies who operate safely and legally. What is PVA doing to help mitigate this problem? In a presentation to Coast Guard leaders during the PVA/Coast Guard Quality Partnership Meeting this spring, PVA staff laid out details about the situation and exhibited internet websites of companies that appeared to be illegally char- tering vessels. This presentation resulted in an agreement to charter a PVA/Coast Guard Working Group to address this growing problem. PVAPast President Mike Borgstrom, Wendella Sightseeing Boats, Chicago, IL attended the meeting and agreed to serve as industry chair of the new committee. Making Headway in Attracting New PVA Members PVA has added 16 new companies to its membership rolls so far this year.  We are very pleased with this continu- ing success as it can be tied directly to the efforts of PVA volunteers and staff to target prospective new member companies nationwide.  A great deal of effort has gone into communicating the many benefits of membership in PVA to awaiting companies.  PVA added 50 new member companies to its ranks in 2015 and has raised the goal to 60 for 2016.  To help us meet this goal, we would appreci- ate your help. If you are aware of a company or companies who would benefit from PVA membership please let me know and our staff will contact them immediately.  We look forward to representing your interests in the coming months. In the meantime, please let me know if we can be of any assistance to you. Sincerely, John R. Groundwater Executive Director n Letter to the Coast Guard about Survival Craft As you know, this year PVA prevailed in its efforts to adjust the 2010 Survival Craft law. This six-plus year effort was hard fought, yet the outcome was beneficial to PVA members in that it preserved the U.S. Coast Guard’s authority to require certain types of survival craft based on an analysis of risk and it saved PVA members thousands of dollars in unnecessary expen- ditures and logistical burdens. Yet, the same law also required the Coast Guard to conduct a review of casualties for individuals, children and the elderly which result from immersion in water. The report, which is due to Congress no later than December 31, 2016, directs the Coast Guard to report on the effect that out-of-water survival craft has upon passenger safety, improving survivability, cost, the efficacy of alternate safety systems and the number of small businesses that would be affected by mandating a “one-size-fits-all” approach to the carriage of out-of-water survival craft. Alarmingly, the law also requires that the Coast Guard includes in its report an examination of passenger vessel casualties that have occurred in other countries possibly including ones that have safety rules inferior to those of the U.S. In a letter last month to Admiral Paul F. Zukunft, Commandant of the Coast Guard, PVA President Margo Marks took an early opportunity to provide PVA’s thoughts, comments and input on this issue prior to the Coast Guard’s issuance of the final report. In her letter, she urged the Coast Guard to use its 2013 report on this topic as a starting point for their 2016 review, stressing that it was an “excellent product.” In addition, PVAPresident Marks encouraged the Coast Guard to use caution in considering the casualties of other countries citing that “Many nations in the developing world lack passenger vessel safety regulatory or compli- ance systems or have systems that are not even remotely comparable to the U.S. regime.” Addressing the issue of survival craft for persons with disabilities, children or the elderly, PVA President Marks wrote, “PVA believes that assistance by trained crew members is a critical factor of all passengers in an emergency. This assistance begins with the mandatory pre- voyage safety instructions. It is critical for crew members to be aware in advance of the presence of passengers who may require extra assistance in locating and donning personal flotation devices and in embarking into survival craft of whatever type is carried by the vessel.” Illegal Charter Operators For quite a few years, PVA has urged the Coast Guard