4 SEPTEMBER 2017 • FOGHORN Autumn News It’s hard to believe that September is here. It seems like it was just Memorial Day. Labor Day means the kids are going back to school. It’s the end of vacation season for most and the beginning of the busy fall season. It is also the beginning of the region meeting season for PVA. PVA Region Meeting Season These meetings are a good way to stay up-to-date on regulation, proposed legislation, and items of interest. The PVA Region Meetings have excellent presentations and there is always a strong U.S. Coast Guard presence. They’re also a great way to network and catch up with friends. The schedules for the PVA region meetings are posted on page 27 of this edition of FOGHORN, the online newsletter PV A Member Update, and also in the meetings section of the PVA website at www.passengervessel.com. The PVA Southeast Region Meeting kicks off this year’s season on September 26 at Island Queen Cruises in Miami. More information, including registration and program details, are available online at the PVA website. Board Business Last month, the PVA Board of Directors approved a tentative budget for 2018. The budget was developed by the Association’s Finance Committee and PVA Staff. The formula included incoming revenue and outgoing expenses for 2015 and 2016, current income and expenses to date for 2017, and projected income and expenses for 2018. The budget also included salary placeholders approved by the PVACompensation Committee for 2018. The budget committee members are Robin Trinko- Russell (Chair), Kevin Clark, Rob McMahon (Associate Chair) and your 2017 Board officers Vice-President Gus Gaspardo, Secretary-Treasurer Bob Lawler, and myself as President. The PVA Finance Committee was formed in 2009 to re-evaluate the organization’s dues structure and to formulate a plan to rebuild PVA’s reserve following the financial crisis of 2006 and 2007. This coming January, the full membership will vote on the 2018 budget at the upcoming PVAAnnual Convention at MariTrends 2018 in Savannah, GA. FOGHORN There was a revealing article in August’s FOGHORN about drug testing. In that article, Mr. Lee Seham, General Counsel for PVA Associate Member American Maritime Safety highlighted a report by Quest Diagnostics, which noted that drug test positives in the general U.S. popu- lation were up nationwide by five percent in 2016. And, it wasn’t just marijuana, which would seem logical due to its legalization in many states; it was all abused drugs. It is important to note that drug testing positives in the maritime industry have decreased in recent years. Mr. Seham concludes that, “it is crucial that employers maintain a robust drug and alcohol testing program.” If you missed the article, I encourage you to go back and find it. You can access the article at www.foghorn magazine.com and click on “Past Issues” to locate the FOGHORN archives going back to January 2014. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, tech- nology is defined as the use of science in industry and engineering to invent useful things or to solve a problem. We, in industry and personally, have benefitted greatly by the use of science to solve a problem. It gets dark at night. Whale oil used in lamps was replaced by coal oil and finally, a light bulb was developed to light the night. Although originally only available to the wealthy who could afford electricity (they had their own generators), today it is available to most. When they originally lit their homes with electricity the wealthy would have their servants turn it on and off. They were afraid of it. John Fitch is generally credited with inventing the steamboat, but it was Robert Fulton that made it commer- cially viable. Prior to Fulton, Hudson River sloops carried all manner of commerce up and down the river from New York to Albany. The sloops had one drawback: they needed wind and a round trip could take over a week in favorable conditions. In 1807, Fulton made the trip from New York to Albany and back again in 62 hours. This opened the way for the age of steamboats when hundreds of vessels carried cargo and thousands of people up and down the Hudson River. Although technology can have its downsides, the need for strengthening cyber security comes to mind, we must continue to embrace the newest innovations if we want to move forward and succeed. This issue of FOGHORN covers just a few of the technologies that impact our industry, and later this winter, the PVANew Technologies Conference, held in conjunction with the PVA Annual Convention at MariTrends 2018, will showcase even more emerging innovations that will help passenger vessel operators shine. Enjoy the early autumn and be safe. Have a safe summer. Jeffery M. Whitaker President n LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT Jeff Whitaker