It s about time they start cracking down. They caught some big fishes a few months ago including a 147 footer against whom a captain of the port order had been issued. They had to finally do something after a highly publicized death on a 90 footer with an unlicensed captain on video doing cocaine.
https://www.workboat.com/news/passen...egal-charters/
Bareboat charters up to 12 (plus charterer) are legal but you have to follow the rules incl charterer supplies food fuel and drink, owner can not be on board, charterer can pick his crew etc. and most critically you need to have two contracts, one for the boat and one for the crew,paid separately This is the first thing the USCG asks for when boarding. I forgot you don’t have the contracts, you are automatically a standard charter and if you have more than 6 pax on an unisnpected vessels the fines kick in
I used to run bareboat charters before on a 70 footer and NEVER left the dock without the signed contacts. Now I run an 84 which is over 100GT so we can do do 12 pax charters without having to do bareboat