U.S. Coast Guard Halts Illegal Florida Charters
The U.S. Coast Guard recently intercepted five illegal charter boat operations in Florida waters. The unpermitted vessels were cited for violating safety regulations and operating without proper licensing, which could endanger passengers. Authorities are cracking down on such illicit maritime activities and advise the public to verify operator credentials before booking.
- Common violations include operating without a valid Certificate of Inspection, failure to employ a credentialed mariner, and not having a drug and alcohol program. Lack of proper safety equipment, like having enough Type I personal flotation devices for everyone on board, is also a frequent citation. - Financial penalties for illegal charter operations can be severe, with owners and operators facing civil penalties that can exceed $69,000. Specific fines include up to $20,468 for not having a valid Certificate of Documentation and up to $9,624 for lacking a drug and alcohol program. - Willfully violating a Captain of the Port (COTP) Order is a Class D felony. This can result in civil penalties of up to $117,608 per day, up to six years in prison, and fines up to $250,000 for an individual or $500,000 for an organization. - A frequent violation involves misuse of "bareboat charters." In a legal bareboat charter, the renter must have the option to choose their own captain or operate the boat themselves. Illegal operations often occur when a captain is assigned without giving the renter a choice, which legally reclassifies the vessel as an uninspected passenger vessel. - Federal law requires that any vessel carrying more than six paying passengers must be inspected by the Coast Guard and have a Certificate of Inspection visible to passengers. Vessels carrying six or fewer passengers for hire must be operated by a mariner holding at least an Operator of Uninspected Passenger Vessels (OUPV) credential. - In one recent weekend crackdown in the Miami area, the Coast Guard, along with partners, terminated 13 illegal charter voyages, with two vessels found to be violating active Captain of the Port Orders. Another multi-day operation in Miami resulted in the termination of 12 illegal charters. - To verify a charter's legitimacy, passengers should ask to see the boat operator's Merchant Mariner Credential. For vessels carrying more than six passengers, they should also ask to see the Certificate of Inspection (COI). - Florida's Boating Safety Act of 2022 increased the non-criminal fines for violations such as unsafe navigation and expired registration from $50 to $100 to further deter illegal operations.
