CLEARWATER, Fla. (WWSB) – A Coast Guard Station Sand Key law enforcement crew terminated an illegal charter operating on the Intracoastal Waterway near Madeira Beach July 13.
A law enforcement team deemed the 50-foot boat to be operating as an illegal passenger vessel, ending the charter’s voyage, and escorting the 40 passengers and boat back to the Cambria Hotel, the Coast Guard said.
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 – failure to have sufficient life jackets on board.
- Violation of 46 C.F.R. 15.501 – failure to have an inspected passenger vessel under command control of a credentialed mariner
- Violation of 46 C.F.R. 67.313 – failure to have a valid Certificate of Documentation on board
- Violation of 46 C.F.R. 16 – failure of crew enrolled in a drug testing program
“The Coast Guard regulates passenger vessel operations to ensure public safety,” 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.”…