b'FOGHORN FOCUS Once I realized they are insonal vendettas or possess a gotcha attitude but are in fact just people doing their job of verifying that we do what we fact just people doing theirsay we will do, the stress of inspections went away for me.job of verifying that we doSector Puget Sound is a feeder port, meaning they serve as a training port and regularly receive apprentice marine inspec-what we say we will do,tors (AMI). Although they may have acquired considerable theoretical knowledge, nothing teaches the underlying why the stress of inspectionsbehind the textbook teachings more effectively than getting went away for me. their boots on the deck of an operational passenger vessel.Typically, Ill receive a call from the senior inspector in-forming me that they plan to bring three to six AMIs for For the past 28 years, I have been responsible for managingour inspection. I look at the boats schedule and any subse-Coast Guard inspections for the Argosy fleet of T and K ves- quent departures after the inspection and let the inspector sels in Seattle, Wash. I must confess, I dreaded these reviewsknow if our timeline is tight or if a departure is scheduled in the initial ten or fifteen years I oversaw them. I perceivedimmediately after the inspection. The inspector determines the inspectors as experts scrutinizing our actions and look- what level of training is suitable for the AMIs during this ing for flaws in our procedures. As time passed, I gainedinspection. If the vessel has no engagements following the insight into the process and how the inspectors conductedinspection, I ask that the training be held once the inspec-their examinations. Once I realized they do not have per- tion has concluded. This approach ensures the inspection PLEASE JOIN US FOR THE PVA 2023 CongressionalFly-In NOVEMBER 14, 2023Join PVA on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.,to participate in our annual CongressionalFly-In. Teams of PVA members and staff willmeet directly with members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives and theirkey staff. Take this opportunity to talkdirectly with lawmakers discussing the issuesthat matter most to PVA members.Click here for more information andto register to attend.PHOTO: QUICK PS / UNSPLASHFOGHORN 16'