JUNE 2017 • FOGHORN 29 SAFETYMATTERS need to better enforce current laws and regulations. Renewed Coast Guard Efforts L a s t y e a r , C o a s t G u a r d Headquarters issued Safety Alert 05-16 titled Enjoying the Waterways in a Safe (and Legal) Manner (page 30) to “raise awareness regarding federal safety re- quirements for vessels carrying any paying passengers onboard a vessel on navigable U.S. waters.” The alert was designed to educate the public and potential vessel owners who are considering chartering their vessels. In addition, the Coast Guard’s Office of Investigations and Analysis has started compiling and sharing education and enforcement best practices with field units. All of the raised concerns and discussions seems to have had an effect. Several Coast Guard Sectors and District offices have issued press releases and alerts, as well as hosted meetings, designed to educate the public on the requirements for legal operations and what to look for when booking a charter. They have also put would-be illegal operators on notice that the Coast Guard is looking for their operations and penalties have been and will be assessed. The Coast Guard cannot combat this problem alone. It takes all the stakeholders of the port to come together and take a stand. One Coast Guard unit recently went out to all hotels with marinas in their area to remind them of the legal requirements for vessels to take passengers for hire. Some vessel operators have posted in- formation on their websites designed to educate the public on the elements of a legal charter. Most importantly, legal operators know who the illegal operators are, and that information needs to be passed to the local Coast Guard investigations office. There is no place on the waterfront for illegal charters. We, as the legal industry, must keep up the pressure and engage our community – for their safety and our hard won reputation. n PVA CALENDAR For more information, go to www.passengervessel.com/SitePages/calendar.html January 28-31, 2018 PVA Annual Convention at MariTrends 2018 Savannah, GA