Editor's note: All Coast Guard Southeast imagery can be found on DVIDS, here.
CLEARWATER, Fla. — A Coast Guard Station Cortez law enforcement crew terminated an illegal charter operating on the Intracoastal Waterway near Anna Maria Island, Thursday.
After investigating, the law enforcement team deemed the 24-foot boat to be operating as an illegal small passenger vessel, terminated the charter’s voyage, and escorted the nine passengers and boat back to Coquina North Boat Ramp.
The violations include:
- Violation of 46 C.F.R. 176.100 (a) – failure to have a valid Certificate of Inspection.
- Violation of 46 C.F.R. 180.71 – for failure to have sufficient life jackets on board.
“Anyone paying for a trip on a traditional passenger vessel should ask to see the Merchant Mariner Credential of the boat operator to verify their captain is properly licensed by the Coast Guard,” said Brian Knapp, chief of investigations at Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg. “If the captain can’t produce their license, do not get on the boat.”
The Coast Guard would like to remind the public that anyone who's looking to hire a bareboat charter must be given the option to hire any captain of their choosing or operate the vessel themselves. If the renter is assigned a captain without any options, the bareboat charter designation no longer applies.
Owners and operators of illegal charter vessels can face maximum civil penalties of over $60,000 for illegal passenger-for-hire operations. Charters that violate a Captain of the Port Order can face a maximum penalty of $111,031. Some potential fines for illegally operating a charter vessel are:
- Up to $22,324 for failure to operate a passenger vessel without a merchant mariner credential.
- Up to $9,086 for failure of operators to be enrolled in a drug testing program.
- Up to $5,661 for failure to provide a Coast Guard Certificate of Inspection for vessels carrying more than six passengers.
- Up to $19,324 for failure to produce a valid Certificate of Documentation for vessels over five net tons.
Anyone suspecting a vessel of violating the law is asked to report the alleged violation to Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg at 727-502-8720.
Join and follow Sector St. Petersburg's UPV & Bareboat Charter Outreach Facebook group for charter vessel education.
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