Alan Bernstein
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Articles by Alan Bernstein
Spring start-up reflections
Spring is when many passenger vessel operators gear up after a long winter hiatus. With that comes numerous factors influencing pressing financial and operational decisions. Managing increasing costs has always been a challenge, but now it is worse than ever. Nearly everything in the marine industry, from parts to electronic equipment, costs more and takes significantly longer to procure.
A celebration of our river heritage
Cincinnati hosted America’s River Roots, a riverboat celebration showcasing the nation’s inland waterways heritage, in October 2025. The event featured American riverboats of all sizes, with the vessels serving as the focal point of the gathering. Over five full days, America’s River Roots brought Cincinnati’s Ohio River to life with two parades — one during the day and one at night — and filled the city with lights, music, and constant motion.
A Golden Opportunity for Canada
Topics A Golden Opportunity for Canada Author(s) Source National Newswatch Posted Share This week, Finance Minister Champagne announced in Budget 2025 an International Talent Attraction Strategy and Action Plan that allocates $1.7 billion to recruit over 1,000 researchers from abroad to Canadian universities. The expectation is that these new recruits will “help advance Canada’s competitiveness and contribute to the economy of the future.” This is a bold step and $1.7 billion is a lot of money.
Inspecting the inspectors
I have been watching the evolution of the maritime industry for nearly 50 years. I have seen good times, and I have seen bad times. I have battled spring floods caused by ice and rain, and I have successfully navigated low water during summer droughts. I confidently raise my hand when asked if I remember using paper charts to navigate, and I have seen the wheelhouse light up with a collection of electronics that ancient mariners could never have imagined.
PVA urges Trump administration to ease maritime industry regulations
A recent letter from the Passenger Vessel Association (PVA) has urged the Trump administration to reduce regulatory burdens on the domestic passenger vessel industry. The request is timely, given the administration’s clear focus on cutting unnecessary and inefficient regulations to support business. While some regulation in the maritime industry is justified, much of it could be eliminated.
Coast Guard cyber overreach
I was surprised that the Coast Guard’s Final Rule on Cybersecurity went into effect on July 16. After many months of public comments and waiting, I was lulled into believing that the Coast Guard might delay implementation of the rule or even, at best, decide that small passenger vessels do not pose a material cybersecurity risk to the maritime transportation system at large. It was easy for me to arrive at this hopeful assumption.
Drill once, drill twice, then drill again
Those of us with long careers in the maritime industry know that accidents often happen when we become too comfortable in our roles. It’s easy to fall into the trap of believing we have all the answers and have seen everything there is to see. In reality, we haven’t — and we must be the first to acknowledge that change is the only constant we can rely on, both in life and in our professional careers. Regular training and drills are essential for staying adaptable.
Mariners urge balance between reform and Coast Guard support
As a mariner and small business owner, I have been closely watching the new administration. Many issues are being examined that stand to impact the maritime industry and my business. For years, small businesses have sought relief from regulators. At BB Riverboats, we estimate that we have been regulated by at least 14 federal, state, or local agencies, which has often been overwhelming for staff and crew to manage.
Irony and Inner Death in Dante’s Inferno
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Canada’s Time to Step Up and Help American Scientists
Following the Second World War, the United States began to significantly invest in scientific research. The goal was to position the United States as the world’s preeminent science superpower.That decision succeeded beyond anyone’s wildest dreams. Research-intensive universities became a gold mine of novel ideas and highly trained young people, both essential ingredients for successful start-ups.
California harbor craft face daunting emissions rules
Many watch California for trends that lead the nation. Most recently, this fact has risen in the form of alarming emissions regulations affecting small passenger vessels, towboats, and other commercial vessels that the state calls “harbor craft.” It warrants the attention of all of us. More than a decade ago, the California Air Resource Board (CARB) enacted rules requiring harbor craft to be upgraded with lower-emitting engines.
Celebrating our inland rivers heritage
I am planning an event in Cincinnati in October 2025 called America’s River Roots. Formerly called Tall Stacks, this event has expanded its focus beyond traditional sternwheel riverboats — although 12 river cities will have steamboats there — to include a wide range of iconic historical and cultural features of our nation’s inland rivers from food to music and towboats and barges.
Drills are an essential part of our professional lives
Those of us in the commercial maritime industry know that drills are an essential part of our professional lives. We conduct drills regularly so that in the unlikely event of an accident we can take decisive action. Our first responsibility is safety and in order to achieve this we must plan and practice our responses to potential threats and accidents. We have learned that repetition eliminates guesswork and memorializes best practices.
Celebrating our inland rivers heritage
I am planning a major event in Cincinnati in October 2025 called America’s River Roots. Formerly called Tall Stacks, this event has expanded its focus beyond traditional sternwheel riverboats — although 12 river cities will have steamboats there — to include a wide range of iconic historical and cultural features of our Nation’s Inland Rivers from food to music to towboats and barges.
No-fly zones for drones
As populations in and around our cities soar, so do problems associated with this growth. Much of this development is on or near water. In my area, the Greater Cincinnati region, thousands of new residents have relocated to both banks of the Ohio River. We know that our nation’s waterways have become more crowded, and we recognize the potential for accidents has increased proportionately.
Improved business brings unexpected challenges
Passenger vessel operators nationwide have experienced outstanding business conditions. In most markets, travel and tourism related activity has surpassed pre-pandemic levels. This is great news for those of us who operate U.S.-flagged passenger vessels, and we appreciate the much-improved business climate. However, this continuing business success brings larger passenger numbers and some unwanted challenges. Rail Jumping is one such problem.
Build relationships that deliver lasting dividends
My father taught me that the key to succeeding in business is making customers happy and building professional relationships that stand the test of time. In my more than 40 years in running a family business I have witnessed this philosophy play out successfully repeatedly, and I have stressed the importance of this concept with my family members, employees, and crew.
The give and take of dealing with Coast Guard inpections
Most of us know that business is an ongoing process of compromise and give and take. For those of us who make our living on the water, interacting with Coast Guard inspectors and inspections is an important facet of our complex maritime existence. In fact, it is the one area that can unexpectedly halt commerce should an inspection go poorly. That is why it is important to be prepared for each inspection and approach it professionally and with respect.
Is the Streamlined Inspection Program still worthwhile?
December 14, 2023 Is the Streamlined Inspection Program still worthwhile? A Coast Guard vessel inspector examines a passenger vessel's operational, mechanical, and safety systems during an annual inspection in Long Beach, Calif., in 2016. Coast Guard photo
To tow or not to tow?
A friend called me recently and asked if I thought he could tow one of his passenger boats to drydock using one of his other passenger vessels. My immediate answer was “yes, I don’t see why not.” He needed to get one of his vessels to drydock and, with tight drydock schedules, he had to move quickly. During our conversation, I explained that I did not know of any federal regulations that would prevent him from using a certificated passenger vessel to tow another vessel.
Red Bull's Flugtag Cincinnati 2023
In August, Cincinnati hosted a major Red Bull Flugtag event on its riverfront. The event attracted more than 30,000 people to an already busy Ohio River and riverfront, where participants flew off a ramp into the river in a variety of “handcrafted flying machines.” A gallery of recreational boats, kayaks and rafts were scattered around the river and cheered for the flyers as each jettisoned down the ramp.
It’s time to license recreational boaters
It has been a busy summer. Business on the rivers has been very strong. That is the good news. The unwelcome news is that recreational boaters have been out boating in force. Unfortunately, they have been creating potentially unsafe conditions for commercial operators on the inland waterways. I support the rights of the recreational boating community, but I have witnessed firsthand an increase in reckless actions taken by pleasure boaters.
The government, Coast Guard and small business
If I have learned one thing in my 53 years in the marine business, it’s that the cards are generally not stacked in favor of small business when it comes to winning disputes with the government. While there are processes in place to allow operators to disagree with rulings, time is not generally in our favor. As a marine operator, I can disagree with my Coast Guard inspector. Everyone has the right to appeal a decision within 30 days of an inspector’s notification of a deficiency.
Improving vessel inspections
I was diagnosed with liver cancer last year and it was decided that a transplant was the best thing to do. I underwent surgery in October, and it was a success. I am now back in the saddle and ready to go. While recuperating, I received many calls from friends and Passenger Vessel Association members.
Fire and Brimstone
In 1927, Bertrand Russell, the Nobel Prize–winning philosopher, delivered a lecture entitled “Why I Am Not a Christian.” Later published in essay form, the work asserts something many people prefer not to consider: “there is great injustice, and often the good suffer, and often the wicked prosper, and one hardly knows which of those is the more annoying….” Christianity, Russell says, proposes a solution to this problem: the afterlife.
The passing of two industry giants
The maritime industry is made up of many individuals whose personalities were larger than life. Two of them passed away suddenly late last year, leaving a void in our industry and our lives. William “Bill” Dow, 86 I first met Bill Dow in 1980 at a meeting in New Orleans to negotiate the purchase of two sternwheel riverboats, the Becky Thatcher and Mark Twain. This meeting marked the beginning of a 50-year friendship in the passenger vessel industry. Bill and I spoke regularly over the years.
Racing scull safety and PFDs
As a professional mariner and business owner, I am committed to safety. The safety of my passengers and crew are at the forefront of how I approach my job each day. Crew training and drills are particularly important. These two items are a given and what we do as professionals. Those of us who work on the water witness a variety of unsafe activities from recreational boat operators. Most of the unsafe actions are the result of inexperience and a lack of knowledge of the rules of the road.
My Last Message as President and CEO of CIFAR
This will be my last message before I step down as president and CEO of CIFAR as of Oct. 31. The world today bears little or no resemblance to the world when I became president in May, 2012. The advances in research over the past decade have been truly remarkable. Indeed, there has never been a more exciting time to be doing science and scholarly research.
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Streamlined Inspection Program is still effective
The domestic passenger vessel industry has been inspected by the Coast Guard for more than 60 years. As a result, operators have amassed a great deal of knowledge about the inspection process and the regulations that apply to their vessels. There have been numerous efforts by the Coast Guard to streamline the inspection process.
Railroad strike could affect river navigation
A few months ago, U.S. rail workers threatened a strike that would have closed all bridges that crossed U.S. navigable rivers. A good friend of mine, a passenger vessel operator on the Mississippi River, raised the alarm about a possible strike and in turn notified the Passenger Vessel Association (PVA). PVA immediately contacted the Coast Guard, who has the licensing authority for these bridges, to determine the plan to keep the bridges open for vessel passage should a strike occur.
Customer service and finding employees
U.S. businesses continue to struggle to find employees. It is particularly acute in the maritime sector. Passenger vessel operators have been forced to eliminate cruises due to employee shortages, while shoreside businesses struggle. The maritime industry has an additional constraint. Its workers must have licenses and in most cases a Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC). In normal times, these requirements would just be part of the job.
Summertime and safe operations
Memorial Day weekend is traditionally the unofficial start of the summer season in my area. It brings an influx of all types of personal boats as people flock to our waterways for recreation. Professional mariners must be on high alert to expect the unexpected.
Customer service: attitude matters
Dealing with Coast Guard inspections is a fact of life for most of us in the passenger vessel industry. We have been inspected for more than 50 years and are accustomed to working with inspectors during and after a vessel inspection. I have seen many Coast Guard inspectors cycle through as their tours of duty take them from port to port. Through the years, I have worked with good and not so good inspectors.
The Jones Act is still relevant
I was recently invited to participate in a conference where the pros and cons of the Jones Act was discussed. At first, I didn’t feel I was qualified to speak on the topic, but I changed my mind after doing some research and talking to some Jones Act experts. As I reviewed the long history of the Jones Act, I recalled the many attacks on the law over the years by those seeking to change it.
What does our cyber future look like?
April 14, 2022 A team from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy participated in the National Security Agency’s 20th annual National Cyber Exercise (NCX) April 8-10, 2021, a three-day cyber competition that tests the offensive and defensive cybersecurity skills virtually. (U.S. For the last several years the Coast Guard has become increasingly concerned about cybersecurity and the maritime industry.
The value of face-to-face networking
Covid has certainly taught us to be flexible. The maritime industry has shown remarkable resiliency over the years, dealing with bad weather, high and low water, economic downturns, fuel price surges and a variety of other challenges. We have always emerged stronger and wiser. Yet, while we pride ourselves on being fiercely independent, we also need to interact and learn from each other.
The negative effects of TWIC
My Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) expires this year. So, I contacted a nearby TSA Enrollment Center to schedule an appointment to renew my TWIC. I did this even though TWIC has little or no use to me, my company, or the passenger vessel industry. The TWIC program was established after the 9/11 attacks to identify individuals in the transportation industry who may be terrorists or have serious criminal records.
Funding needed for inland locks, dams and bridges
For years, I have watched our locks and dams on the inland rivers age and deteriorate. In the late 1950s and early 1960s the Army Corps of Engineers began modernization projects for locks and dams built in the late 1800s and early 1900s. These projects took years to complete and there are still a few left that need to be modernized on the upper Ohio River.
Congo Basin forests: Climate science needed to unlock its value
Logging, farming and armed conflict still menace Africa's jungles, which include the Congo Basin, the world's second largest after the Amazon, but analysts are increasingly hopeful its remaining wilds can be rescued. Picture taken July 15, 2010. To match feature AFRICA-FORESTS REUTERS/Thierry Gouegnon The COP26 donor statement committing $1.5bn to support the protection of the Congo Basin forests marks a watershed moment for the region.
CIFAR Massey Talks: The future of vaccines
mRNA vaccines have been game changers in the fight against COVID-19. They also hold great promise in revolutionizing the treatment of diseases going forward. Join us for the latest CIFAR Massey Talks event that gives a glimpse into the future of vaccines and their impact on human health.
Canada’s life sciences sector: its time has come
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Putting a price on our natural environment could give Africa the edge
Soil quality is declining, freshwater sources are being exploited unsustainably, the world’s forests continue to be cleared, and our climate is changing rapidly, affecting millions of people globally. Reducing our fossil fuel consumption and “greening” our physical infrastructure won’t be enough to restore our natural environment and combat climate change.
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