b'LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENTAT THE HELM PVA Congressional Fly-in: Advocatingfor the Passenger Vessel IndustrySTEVE JONES // PRESIDENTE veryyear,thePassengerVesselAssociationhostscombating illegal charters, and ensuring public safety itsannualCongressionalFly-In,apivotaleventon federal waterways.where industry leaders and stakeholders gather in Washington,D.C.,toengagedirectlywithlawmakers.PV members also rely on the Coast Guard for timely A This initiative strengthens the voice of the passenger vesselinspections and investigations. A mechanical breakdown industry, ensuring that policies and regulations align withcan cost a company thousands of dollars in addition to the needs of operators and service providers. repair costs if a marine inspector is unavailable or must travel long distances to inspect the repair of a reportable The 2025 PVA Congressional Fly-In took place on Aprilmarine incident. A vessel cannot carry passengers until 29,2025.TheeventbroughttogetherPVAmembersthe inspection is complete, and the repair is cleared.andstaff,whometwithmembersoftheU.S.Senate and House of Representatives, or their staff, to discussCombating Illegal Charter Operations: The ongoing industry concerns that directly impact the safety, finan- battle against illegal charter operations was another key cial stability, and operationaldiscussionpoint.Thisissue success of the industry. is directly tied to the redistri-Public ferries are morebutionofU.S.CoastGuard Thisyear,38participantsthan just boats, they are aassets, which limits the Coast brokeintosmallergroupscritical part of the nationsGuardsenforcementefforts, andconducted27meetingsespecially for inland ports. An with offices relevant to theirtransportation network,illegal passenger vessel carries stateorareaofoperation;providing essentialpassengersforhirewithout eight of those meetings werecomplyingwithfederalre-helddirectlywithmembersservices to millions ofquirements.Thesevessels of Congress or the Senate. Americans each year. operate without a U.S. Coast Guard-licensed captain, often Severalcoreissueswerere- carry more than six passengers layed to Senators and Representatives, which PVA consid- without a Certificate of Inspection (COI) and lack ade-ers vital to the industry, such as: quate safety equipment and crew training.Fully Resourced U.S. Coast Guard Marine SafetyIncreasingFundingfortheSmallShipyardGrant Mission:PVAadvocatedforCongresstodirecttheProgram: Also discussed was the Small Shipyard Grant Coast Guard to maintain and prioritize staffing levelsProgram, established by Congress in 2006 and admin-for its Marine Safety mission. This mission is crucialistered by the U.S. Department of Transportation Mar-forsupportingjobgrowth,innovation,and,mostitimeAdministration(MARAD).Thisprogramhelps importantly, safety. A key concern is the diversion ofsmall shipyards remain competitive by providing funding Coast Guard resources to other areas at the expense offor capital improvements, workforce training, and effi-maritime safety, such as the reduction of U.S. Coastciency enhancements.Guard small boat operations in various inland ports. These patrols are essential for enforcing regulated nav- Small shipyards are essential to the domestic passengerigationareas,patrollingmarineeventsandparades,vesselindustry.However,modernvesselcomplexity Continued on page 48FOGHORN 4'