USCG New England will be inspecting charter boats this summer looking for illegal charters. Don’t be this Captain and get fined over 40,000 for illegal charters. Our OUPV COURSE will help you understand the laws and help set you up to be a legal charter vessel.
Coast Guard halts third weekend illegal charter in Miami
MIAMI — The Coast Guard terminated the voyage of a 42-foot pleasure craft, Breaking the Habit, with 11 passengers aboard Sunday near Monument Island making this the third illegal charter in the Miami area interdicted in three days.
A Coast Guard Station Miami Beach 33-foot Special Purpose Craft—Law Enforcement boatcrew conducted the boarding of the pleasure craft near Monument Island where they discovered the following violations:
Violation of 46 C.F.R. 176.100A for not having a valid Certificate of Inspection.
Violation of 46 C.F.R. 15.515B for not having a credentialed mariner in control while operating a small passenger vessel.
Violation of 46 C.F.R. 16.201 for failure to have a drug and alcohol program.
Violation of 46 C.F.R. 170.120 for failure to have a valid stability letter.
“Safety is always the number one priority when out on the water,” said Lt. Cmdr. Byron Rios, investigations officer at Coast Guard 7th District. “Having an unqualified person charter your vessel puts yourself, passengers and other boaters in danger.”
Owners and operators of illegal charter vessels can face maximum civil penalties of $58,389 for illegal passenger-for-hire operations. Some potential fines for illegally operating a charter vessel are:
Up to $18,477 for failure of an inspected vessel to be under the control of an individual with the appropriate Coast Guard license.
Up to $7,250 for failure of operators to be enrolled in a chemical testing program.
Up to $4,685 for failure to provide a Coast Guard Certificate of Inspection for vessels carrying more than six passengers.
Up to $15,995 for failure to produce a valid Certificate of Documentation for vessels over 5 gross tons.
Up to $11,712 for failure to have been issued a valid Stability Letter prior to placing vessel in service with more than six passengers.