50
FOGHORN
REGULATORY REPORT
maritime auditing, or crew training are 
encouraged to explore approval. Reach 
out to me at lboone@passengervessel.
com to learn more.
MOMENTUM IS BUILDING
BB Riverboats, with nearly 50 years on 
the Ohio River, also recently submit-
ted its notice of intent to participate 
in Flagship, a deliberate commitment 
to move beyond the Coast Guard’s 
Streamlined Inspection Program (SIP) 
to build its safety management pro-
gram. PVA appreciates Captain Alan 
Bernstein’s leadership in making that 
choice, and in the spirit with which he 
has made it. Alan has expressed a gen-
uine desire for BB Riverboats to serve 
as an example for operators facing sim-
ilar crossroads with the SIP. The most 
powerful advocates for Flagship SMS 
will not be staff, publications, or PVA 
convention presentations (I’ve been a 
part of all three), they will be operators 
who have lived the process and are 
willing to share what they learned with 
other members along the way. 
WHAT’S NEXT
The near-term focus for Flagship 
includes rolling out training, expand-
ing the RFO and FTSP network, 
completing Flagship audits for par-
ticipating operators, communicating 
the value and meaning of Flagship to 
operators and the Coast Guard, and 
building a culture of shared learning. 
PVA intends to create opportunities 
for members to share what they have 
learned: what worked, where they 
struggled, and what they would tell an 
operator just starting out. Like Wen-
della, Maid of the Mist and BB River-
boats want to lead and be a resource 
for others. That generosity, members 
helping members, is the spirit PVA 
was built on, and it is what will make 
Flagship something greater than the 
sum of its participating companies.
AN INVITATION
If your company has not yet submit-
ted a notice of intent and is thinking 
about it, now is the time. Contact me 
at lboone@passengervessel.com to 
get started.
Flagship SMS is not a compliance 
checkbox. It is a commitment to run-
ning a safer, better-managed operation 
and to being part of an industry and 
an association that holds itself to the 
highest standards.
PHOTO: JEFFREY EISEN/UNSPLASH
The Maid of the Mist received its Flagship certificate of eligibility this month.

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