COI for small private yacht

Hello all. I’m working p/t for a yacht owner and he asked me to research options to charter his vessel with more than 6 passengers. I made him well aware that a COI will be required and that it doesn’t happen overnight. It’s a 76’ express cruiser, clearly built for private use only. Has anyone had any experience with this? I have worked with a couple OCMI’s before but only involving tour and public charter boats, never a private boat. The owner’s goal is to charter out to small groups, preferably no more than 15 passengers doing coastal port to port destinations.

Anyone have any advice and/or experience with this? Thanks

You would be going from an uninspected vessel to an inspected vessel. It would be a good idea to talk to a naval architect to learn about USCG requirements for inspected vessels.

Read this:

46 CFR Subchapter T - SUBCHAPTER T—SMALL PASSENGER VESSELS (UNDER 100 GROSS TONS) | Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (e-CFR) | US Law | LII / Legal Information Institute

Is it US built?

A charter boat is a charter boat, a charter is a charter. A “private boat” is not a charter boat. Look up the different types of charter and what they mean to the owner.

The owner’s goal is to charter out to small groups, preferably no more than 15 passengers doing coastal port to port destinations.

Do you know what a “passenger vessel” is? Time to hit the books, laddie.

If your owner is one of those poor misinformed souls who believes that he can pay for his yacht by “chartering” he is in for an expensive surprise. As far as your involvement, the CG knows every trick and scam that has ever been devised to call a spade a fork and if you are going to be the captain you may be in for an unpleasant surprise as well.

More than 15 Passengers, SOLAS?

Start with your local OMCI and a naval architect that does this type of work. There is a USCG process for obtaining certification to carry passengers for hire. It’s not quick or cheap to do. Foreign built yachts can get waivers to carry passengers. The USCG has a process for that too; it no longer requires on act of Congress like it did years ago.

With all do respect, I work in the “passenger vessel” industry. You may have misunderstood the nature of my question. He already owns a Yacht and it is US built. He simply asked me to research this for him. He would like to be able to charter 15 but I informed him the most he may be able to get would be 12 because there is a 12pak for uninspected vessels. So I am well aware of the headaches and hurdles of obtaining a COI, I was simply asking if anyone had experience with this…

[QUOTE=cwneblett;165912]With all do respect, I work in the “passenger vessel” industry. You may have misunderstood the nature of my question. He already owns a Yacht and it is US built. He simply asked me to research this for him. He would like to be able to charter 15 but I informed him the most he may be able to get would be 12 because there is a 12pak for uninspected vessels. So I am well aware of the headaches and hurdles of obtaining a COI, I was simply asking if anyone had experience with this…[/QUOTE]

I’m fairly certain everyone understood that he already has a yacht. The problem is that there are certain construction requirements to get a COI as a small passenger vessel so it might be prohibitively expensive to retrofit an existing pleasure craft, hence the suggestion to talk to a naval architect.

The 12 passenger thing is for vessels over 200 GRT, you will be limited to 6 passengers without a COI.