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 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 4022 APRIL 2017 • FOGHORN HOW PVA BENEFITS YOU By Jen Wilk, Director, Public Affairs and Development PVA Working For You www.incatcrowther.com OPERATIONAL STUDIES FUNCTIONAL DESIGN PRODUCTION DESIGN PROCUREMENT CONSTRUCTION SUPPORT THROUGH-LIFE SUPPORT CONSULTING DESIGNER OF ROBUST, EFFICIENT PASSENGER VESSELS Grey Lady IV | 48m Catamaran Passenger Ferry Builder: Gladding Hearn Shipbuilding Operator: Hyline Cruises Incat Crowther E V E R E V O L V I N G E V E R I M P R O V I N G F rom Portland, Maine to San Francisco, California and port cities in between PVA members and staff participated in Coast Guard Industry Days around the country. In gearing up for the spring season and preparing for inspections local Coast Guard put on these annual meetings to talk about compliance and safety with passenger vessel operators in their area. Get People Talking These events bring people together and get them talking. Whether it’s asking questions about drug and alcohol programs or sharing concerns about navigation rules these meetings facilitate conversations between oper- ations and Coast Guard. And asking these questions and having these dis- cussions reinforce our industry’s com- mitment to safety. PVA members know that continu- ously building relationships with their local Coast Guard is important, espe- cially as personnel and leadership are transferred around the country every few years. Gaining a understanding of expectations and fostering these rela- tionships has yielded operators a familiar face to work with when a situation arises that impacts their business which needs to be resolved quickly. Hot Topics At many of these events PVA was invited to speak on the issues impacting passenger vessel operators. PVA presented a number of topics with the objective of advancing our industry. PVA updated operators on proposed regulatory projects PVA Participates in Industry Days around the Country such as the increased dollar threshold for marine casualty reporting. Additionally, the PVA team informed operators about pending legislation such as the Commercial Ve s s e l I n c i d e n t a l Discharges Act (CVIDA), providing relief and streamlining the Vessel General Permit, which PVA has been advocat- ing for and encourag- ing companies to reach out to their members of Congress in support. PVA thanked the Coast Guard for their efforts in taking enforcement actions of current laws protecting passenger vessel businesses against illegal charter operators and other in- dividuals who interfere with the safe operation of a vessel, while also encour- aging the Coast Guard’s continuation of these enforcement activities. PVA’s participation in these events is also to continue to gain a better understanding about what’s going on around the country. We know that while policy may originate in Washington DC real world applica- tion happens on the local level. As an organization we understand the im- portance of going out and listening to the operators and Coast Guard per- spectives. We want to communicate directly with regional Coast Guard inspectors and personnel in the field. Additionally, we discuss with current members and prospective members the regional and national issues that impact their businesses. Thank you to the Coast Guard for hosting Industry Days and to members around the country for participating. PVA encourages the continuation of these events for years to come. n