3 key facts about the Delta Queen exemption
When talking to politicians and journalist about the exemption for the Delta Queen, there are three very important facts that everyone writing or deciding about this exemption should know:
1) It’s the Coast Guard, not the US Congress who is genuinely reponsible for the safety of all boats on US inland rivers. The Delta Queen has just received a certificate of inspection from the Coast Guard; according to DQ’s first mate "The inspector was very impressed with the crew during the Fire and Abandon Ship drills." (source: http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=104885691&blogID=382056040)
2) Exempting the Delta Queen from the Safety at Sea Act does not give the Delta Queen a direct permission to continue running as an overnight passenger vessel. The boat still needs the Certificate of Inspection from the Coast Guard, which the Coast Guard can and must refuse in case the DQ is not considered being safe. The exemption just allows the Coast Guard to issue this certificate at all despite the existance of the Safety at Sea Act.
3) We strongly believe that an American icon and National Historic Landmark like the Delta Queen must not be grounded by one single Representative by blocking legislation in his committee for obscure and impertinent reasons. We strongly believe that in a modern democratic country the people’s representation, the full House and Senate of the United States have the right and duty to make this decision.
And of course, the Delta Queen does have a steel hull, only parts of the superstructure is made from wood. Why am I mentioning this? Well, because now and then journalists and politicians still seam to believe that the Delta Queen is a historic boat in a sense that she’s on the technical level of the mid 1800s steamboats, pre Civil War. To make hat clear: No, she’s not! She has very high, modern standards when it comes to safety. No doubt about that at all.
Please, help us saving the Delta Queen. Check the postings below to see what you can do, especially contacting the House Leadership. It’s really important. Don’t sit back and wait for others saving the DQ for you. Every phone call, every fax, every e-mail, every signed petition counts!
April 25th, 2008 at 11:03 pm
As a further comment to one mentioned previously… The Delta Queen passed her Coast Guard inspection and her fire and abandon ship drill in a manner that was above average. In an open meeting, the Coast Guard officer stood at the front of the room and told the crew that it was the most professional drill he had every witnessed. We come to the boat from all walks of life, and we take what we do very seriously because we know that in an emergency, 176 aging and elderly passengers may depend on us to save their lives. We hope it never happens, but if it does we are prepared.
I and my fellow crew members drilled and trained for different scenarios, and it showed. We spent a week in safety training, and every crew on board held a fire hose and tested how it felt with water running though it. Everyone was allowed to use a fire extinguisher so that there was no doubt about it’s operation. Every member of the crew received first aid training and was certified in CPR.
The crew drilled as if there was a fire in areas of the boat that were normally used for muster stations. Afterwards the crew sat in the dining room and discussed each and every drill and talked about things that could be done better, or difficulties encountered.
Our boat has a state of the art fire alarm system, and probably one of the most well-trained crews of any passenger boat floating if the truth be known.
The comments of the political lap dogs who say it is a fire hazard have never been on the boat. If the Coast Guard considered us a fire hazard, we would not continue to be certified as safe to sail.
We are held in limbo for one reason, and one reason only. POLITICS!! Oberstar has dug his heels in the sand and stands to lose face if he changes his position. The vote was mostly along party lines. This is all politics…and politics of the worst kind that will lead to the loss of American jobs.
The Delta Queen is my home, and she is safe and river-worthy. Please continue to do what you can to help SAVE OUR SHIP.
August 15th, 2008 at 10:49 pm
The Deltas Queen is an historical monument to those people of our country who grew this nation to its significance today. If we cannot protect our heritage, we die. Any votes against retaining this vessel “as is”, for what it represents, is an act of treason. Those casting such votes are doing so for political purposes alone and are not worthy of the privilege of citizenship in the United States of American