Coast Guard halts 2 illegal charter operations over holiday weekend near Miami 

A Coast Guard Station Miami Beach 33-foot Special Purpose Craft—Law Enforcement boarding team conducted a boarding of a 24-foot pleasure craft Saturday with eight passengers aboard and discovered the following violations: 

• Violation of 46 C.F.R. 176.100(a) for not having a valid Certificate of Inspection.
• Violation of 46 C.F.R. 15.515(b) for not having a credentialed mariner in control while operating as a small passenger vessel.
• Violation of 46 C.F.R. 170.120 for failure to have a valid stability letter. 
• Violation of 46 C.F.R. 16.201 for failure to have a drug and alcohol program.
• Violation of 46 C.F.R. 15.401(a) for failure to employ an appropriately credentialed mariner.  

A Coast Guard Station Miami Beach 33-foot Special Purpose Craft—Law Enforcement boarding team conducted a boarding of a 22-foot pontoon boat Sunday with four passengers aboard and discovered the following violations:

• Violation of 46 C.F.R. 16.201 for failure to have a drug and alcohol program.
• Violation of 46 C.F.R. 24.05 for operating as an uninspected passenger vessel.
• Violation of 46 C.F.R. 15.605 for failure of having a credentialed operator in control of an uninspected passenger vessel.
• Violation of 46 C.F.R. 25.25(c) for operation of a vessel carrying passengers for hire without the approved type of personal flotation devices.
• Violation of 33 C.F.R. 160.105 for violation of a Captain of the Port order.

"Before you step aboard a vessel ask to see the captain’s credentials and their vessel’s certificate of inspection to ensure the vessel has all the required safety equipment required aboard in case of an emergency," said Chief Warrant Officer Michael Micucci, marine investigating officer, Coast Guard Sector Miami. “Illegal charters can be dangerous with unqualified and untrained operators unaware of what to do in maritime emergency situations.”

Owners and operators of illegal passenger vessels can face maximum civil penalties of: $60,000 or over for illegal passenger-for-hire-operations. Charters that violate a Captain of the Port Order can face over $95,000. Some potential civil penalties for illegally operating a passenger vessel are:

• Up to $7,846 for failure of operators to be enrolled in a chemical testing program.
• Up to $4,888 for failure to provide a Coast Guard Certificate of Inspection for vessels carrying more than six passengers for hire.
• Up to $16,687 for failure to produce a valid Certificate of Documentation for vessels over 5 gross tons.
• Up to $12,219 for failure to have been issued a valid Stability Letter prior to placing vessel in service with more than passengers for hire. 
• Up to $95,881 for every day of failure to comply with a Captain of the Port Order.