b'And, not long before my term began, the Ethan Allentour boat (not a PVA member) sank, with many lives lost, on Lake George in upstate New York in October PVA AT 502005. Even though the vessel operation was regulated under the State of New York, the accident motivated A PVA Past Presidentthe National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), andCoastGuardtoexamineregulationsaff ecting vessel stability. Remembers Previously, the accepted calculated average weight ofanadultwaspeggedto165pounds.Vessel passenger certifi cates of inspection (COI), and airline BY ROBIN TRINKO-RUSSELL // MADELINE ISLAND FERRY LINE passenger numbers for that matter, were not accurate forthe2005actualweightofthetypicalU.S. adult. In addition, because of the inadequate vessel insurancecoverage,otheroperatorsandinsurance Claire Karr (deckhand) and super providers were deeply concerned their own policies. Right Anna Lazorik (mate/passed her 100 ton captain exam this last winter) responsible! Sanitation engineer in 2020 Shannon Mager (100 ton captain since late 2011)Although the New York accident happened in 2005Molly Duggan (mate/passed her 100 ton captain test this last winter)My advice to anyoneY earsago,IwaslookingforagroupofWhat has kept me engaged in PVA is the broadthe issue bled into my year as president with JonathanSave time, increase revenue and passengervesselbusinessownersandgeographicrangeofoperations,itsoutreachtoClaughton as Vice President and Michael Borgstrom supplierstonetworkwithandshareferry operators (fi rst by means of the former PVAas Secretary/Treasurer, and we were expected to work ideas, and PVA fi t the bill. Not only did it off erFerry Council and now by the Ferry Conferencethrough the backlash. just entering thisextensive networking opportunities, I discoveredat the Annual PVA Convention), and serving onmake better business decisions.theorganizationprovidedtheaddedplusofthe legislative, fi and insurance committees. Fortunately, PVA staffprovided support to operatorsnance industry, my fi rstexpertise in legislative, legal and communicationIalsovaluetheinclusivenessandsmalltownand associates as needed. However, excursion, casinoPassenger vessels have a unique set of needs from their management piece of advice is,with the U.S. Coast Guard.The Great Lakesneighborly relationships with members as well asboats and dining vessel operators were fraught withsoftware. At RocketRez we have spent years building features to were fortunate to have the Great Lakes Passengerthe openness of working with PVA staff . I haveworryduetotheanticipatedreductioninCOIs dont assume thatBoat Association (since the late 60s) as a localalways liked that fall region meetings focused moreandinvalidstabilitytests.Infact,manyfearedautomate your routine tasksso you can focus on running a great tour. networkand,forme,longtimefriends.PVAon operational issues, while the wide spectrum oftheir revenue break would be even higher than the you can do itpermitted carriage.PVAs committees and officers extended that network nationally. annualconventionspeakersexpertiseprovided alone. PVA staff breadth and depth on a variety of topics that vesselwere feverishly working with the Coast Guard and Somethingelsethatinitiallydrewmetotheoperators need.legislativeconnectionstomonitornewlywrittenSpecialized booking tools and members canorganizationwasthecontinuityofNAPVOregulations. Advanced Seat maps and Passenger provide Ive been(the predecessor to PVA) and FOGHORN asOver the years, I have observedand applauded As I recall, the Coast Guard put immediate restrictionsManifests connect for a seamless trip asourceofinspirationandconnectionwithPVAs welcoming of both male and female owners/there advice. technical expertise and stories shared by others. captains.More recently theres been a concerted(reduced) capacity caps on passenger-only vessels (andmanagement experience.eff orttoencouragetheyoungergenerationtoupper decks) until a look back at the stability test becomeinvolvedintheorganizationandthecould be verifi ed. industry.I believe these initiatives are the result ofCarferries,likeours,garneredlessattentionwith the PVA Membership Committees tireless workour mixed loads of freight, cars, and passengers.OfCustom Scheduling and Capacity Managementover many years to connect with and recruit newcourse, Madeline Island Ferry Line (MIFL) had toSet up tour schedules, departure times and operators. verify that our stability tests would pass muster withcapacities based on operating seasons. All boats RELAX. THIS JOURNEYS2006 CHALLENGES the new 185-pound weight. for the whole year, or individual boats month-During my presidency, in 2006, whenever someone POWERED BY CATERPILLAR. asked me what being PVA President was like, IdPRESIDENTIAL HIGHLIGHTSby-month, our smart software makes it easy!respond the time was a whirlwind. I was very busyAttending the Canadian Passenger Vessel Association keeping in close contact with PVA staffwhile also(CPVA) meeting in Quebec City with my husband, When your cargo can talk, the stakes are high. Whenattendingregionalandannualmeetings.Now,Gary, and PVA Executive Director John Groundwater you choose Caterpillar, you dont have to worry aboutin retrospect, it is clear that the defi ning issue ofwas a memorable experience during my term.It wasDont let the weather get in the way meeting your passengers high expectations forvery interesting to hear about similar issues and more reliable, safe, clean operation. Our engines set themytermwasthegreaterfi healthofthenancialstringent regulations for operators across the border.Automated Trip Reminders and simplified standard, so everyone can sit back and enjoy the ride. U.S.I recognized then that economy was sketchy,CPVA made us all feel very much at home. refunding helps with the unpredictable part eventually moving into the great recession of 2007-Learn more about our Ferry2008.The Canadian Coast Guard more rapidly adoptedof outdoor tours.and Cruise solutions Remember, the U.S. (and several PVA members)thechangesthroughtheInternationalMaritime hadjustdealtwiththedevastatingeff ectsofOrganization and increased passenger weights (and Hurricane Katrina in August of 2005, which raiseda smaller passenger load) made Canadian operators fuel prices sky high and depressed traffic numbers.fearful they would soon be out of business.All-in-one cloud softwareFor more information, visit www.cat.com/marine It was a roller coaster of ups and downs that no oneNot unexpectedly, its not the things that stand outfor tours & attractions 2020 Caterpillar. All Rights Reserved. CAT, CATERPILLAR, LETS DO THE WORK, their respective logos, Caterpillar Yellow, the Power Edge and Catin our industry enjoyed.Modern Hex trade dress as well as corporate and product identity used herein, are trademarks of Caterpillar and may not be used without permission.PVA AT 50 24 FOGHORN JULY 2021 25 PVA AT 50'