Page 64: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (January 1994)

NPBOA: Maintaining The Fight For 43 Years

When the National Party Boat Owners Alli- ance (N.P.B.O.A.) was first organized in 1951, its founder could not have envisioned that 43 years later the fight to save its segment of the maritime industry would have become an endless battle.

Executive Director Capt. George F. Glas refers to N.P.B.O.A. as a "watch-dog" for the industry, and said "Any stand that we take has only the survival of our industry in mind. Our goal continues to be that of watching out for proposed laws or regulations that might be detrimental to our segment of the maritime industry."

N.P.B.O.A., comprised of U.S. Coast Guard (USCG)-licensed operators of party and charter fishing boats, sightseeing and excursion vessels, was formed in response to legislation being intro- duced by some overzealous congressmen in the wake of a series of disasters in the 1950's involv- ing small passenger boats. If allowed to become law, their measures would virtually have wiped out marine passenger-for-hire small businesses, according to the N.P.B.O.A. The years of work by the organization's leadership in helping to pro- mulgate regulations that would not only correct existing problems, but allow industry to survive, resulted in Subchapter T, the "Boat Regs."

While the initial challenge had to do with the

USCG, N.P.B.O.A. soon found itself embroiled in many other problems, which have run the gamut from FCC regulations to obtaining a 200-mile limit; from the decade-long user fee battle to the diesel fuel tax fiasco; from curbing illegal bareboat charters to challenging the misapplication of the ship departure tax.

According to the association, poorly-written legislation is many times the culprit it must battle. As an example, it cites Congress "osten- sibly rectifying one mistake" by the repeal of the 10 percent luxury tax, but in its stead imposing a diesel fuel tax on non-commercial boats to make up the shortfall.

Even though the members of the N.P.B.O.A. are exempt from the tax, the association claims the way the bill is written is pushing some of the member operators back into the tax-up-front, file-for-refund situation.

For more information on the N.P.B.O.A. and its membership, contact: National Party Boat

Owners Alliance, 181 Thames St., Groton, Conn. 06340.

BethShip Wins $34 Million Contract

Bethlehem Steel Corporation's BethShip, Spar- rows Point Yard, was awarded a contract by the

Maritime Administration (MarAd) for work on three Ro/Ro vessels acquired to upgrade its Ready

Reserve Fleet. The contract, worth approxi- mately $34 million, calls for activation, upgrades, modifications, repairs, sea trials and deactiva- tion of the Cape Rise, Cape Ray, and Cape Race, formerly the Saudi Riyadh, Saudi Makkah and the G&C Admiral, respectively.

David Watson, president of the shipyard, explained that the vessels will be reflagged to

U.S. flag, U.S. Coast Guard and American Bu- reau of Shipping (ABS) regulations. The contract also includes several options, which, if exercised, would increase the contract value to $45 million.

The yard is currently completing work on five vessels: two ready reserve vessels (RRF) - the

Cape Washington and Cape Wrath - are undergo- ing reflagging and general repairs and refur- bishments; a third RRF, the G. T. S. Callaghan, is undergoing general repairs; the Dolphin Lines' cruise ship S.S. Seabreeze and Union Carbide and Chemical Corporation's Chemical Pioneer, operated by Marine Transport Lines, are under- going drydocking, general repairs and cargo- tank painting. For more information on

Bethlehem Steel Corporation,

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