b'SAFETY MATTERSSAFETYU.S. Coast Guard Annual Reporton U.S. Flag PerformanceERIC CHRISTENSEN // PVA DIRECTOR OF REGULATORY AFFAIRS & RISK MANAGEMENTT heU.S.CoastGuardhasnumberofdeficienciesissuedde- spectedpassengervesselsincreasing releasedits2023FlagStatecreased by two percent from the 2022from 2022, the fleet has now exceeded ControlDomesticAnnualcalendar year report. This is a goodpre-pandemic 2019 levels.Report.Thereport,mandatedbyoverall trend.Congress,summarizesstatisticsandDomesticpassengervesselshad informationregardinginspectionsU.S. FLAG FLEET STATS 11,535inspectionswith18,900de-andenforcementofregulationsonIn 2023, the U.S. Flag fleet containedficiencies issued. Based on the vessel U.S. flagged vessels for the 2023 cal- 17,577vesselssubjecttoinspection,populationof6,689vessels,that endar year.which is a decrease overall from 2022.means a rate of 2.8 deficiencies per Theinspectedpassengervesselfleetvesselin2023.Whileinspections The overall the number of U.S. Flagconsistedof6,689activevessels,numbersagainincreasedover2022 fleetinspectionsincreasedbytwowhich represented 38 percent of thelevels, deficiencies decreased just over percentover2022.Meanwhile,theoverall fleet. With the number of in- three percent from 2022.IncomparisontotheoverallU.S. Flagfleettotals,passengervesselin-spectionsaccountedfor56percent of the inspections and 63 percent of the deficiencies. Passenger vessels re-ceivedeightFlagStatedetentionsin 2023, which is down from 17 in 2022 andaccountedfor21percentofall detentions.Detentionsofpassenger vesselsdecreasedbyhalffrom2022 andshowedacontinuedsubstantial decline from 2019 when 48 passenger vessels were detained.Quick Fun Facts: 20passengervesselsparticipatein the Streamlined Inspection Program (SIP), accounting for 0.4 percent of Electrifying Ferries Across America the fleet. This is down by four ves-sels from 2022.Making smart, safe, and sustainable solutions a reality for ferries across the Americas.The average age of the domestic pas- senger vessel fleet is 29 years, which is just slightly older than overall U.S. Flag fleet average age of 27 years.FOGHORN 32'