Coast Guard halts illegal charter operation near Bahia Mar Marina

Coast Guard halts illegal charter operation near Bahia Mar Marina

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MIAMI — The Coast Guard terminated the voyage of a 23-foot pleasure craft with nine passengers aboard Friday near Bahia Mar Marina.

A Coast Guard Station Fort Lauderdale 33-foot Special Purpose Craft—Law Enforcement crew conducted the boarding of the pleasure craft near Bahia Mar Marina 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. 170.120 for failure to have a valid stability letter. 

"Illegal charters can be very dangerous to boaters," said Lt. Cmdr. Mark Cobb, chief of enforcement at Coast Guard Sector Miami. "It's important that boaters protect themselves by knowing what to ask before going on a charter." 

Owners and operators of illegal charter vessels can face maximum civil penalties of over $58,000 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.

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-USCG-