News Release

U.S. Coast Guard 7th District PA Detachment Tampa Bay Contact: Coast Guard PA Detachment Tampa Bay 305-965-4672 PA Detachment Tampa Bay online newsroom

Coast Guard boards illegal charter in Longboat Pass

SAINT PETERSBURG, Fla. – The Coast Guard boarded a 21-foot uninspected passenger vessel with seven passengers aboard Sunday in Longboat Pass, Florida.

A Coast Guard Station Cortez 29-foot Response Boat-Small law enforcement boatcrew discovered the vessel was operating a commercial passenger service, and was not in compliance with regulations governing passenger vessels. Uninspected passenger vessels are only legally permitted to carry six passengers. The following violations were noted during the boarding:

1. Violation of 46 C.F.R. 176.100 (a) for not having a valid Certificate of Inspection.
2. Violation of 46 C.F.R. 170.120 for failure to have a valid stability letter.

“The Coast Guard will continue to aggressively pursue vessel operators who place the lives of patrons at risk by not complying with Coast Guard passenger vessel regulations,” said Mr. Brian Knapp, Senior Investigating Officer at Coast Guard Sector Saint Petersburg. “We urge anyone paying for a trip on a passenger vessel to ask to see the Merchant Mariner Credential of the vessel operator to verify their captain is properly credentialed by the Coast Guard. If the operator cannot produce a Merchant Mariner Credential, don’t get on the boat.”

Owners and operators of illegal charter vessels can face maximum civil penalties of over $50,000 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 $4,685for 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.

-USCG-