Coast Guard stops illegal small passenger vessel near Fort Lauderdale

The Coast Guard terminated an illegal charter of the 50-foot vessel, Colleen Marie, Saturday in the Intercoastal Waterway of Fort Lauderdale.

A Coast Guard Station Fort Lauderdale 33-foot Special Purpose Craft-Law Enforcement team conducted a boarding of the Colleen Marie with 14 people aboard: 12 were passengers for hire, two people were crew members operating as an illegal small passenger vessel.

The voyage was terminated and cited for the following violations: for not having a valid Certificate of Inspection; for failure to have a drug and alcohol program; for violation of a Coast Guard Captain of the Port order; for failure to have a certificate of documentation on a vessel over 5 net tons with a Coastwise Trade endorsement.

“The vessel was operating as an illegal bareboat charter because it did not meet all of the elements of the Passenger Vessel Safety Act,” said Chief Warrant Officer Michael Micucci, marine investigator, Coast Guard Sector Miami. “We’d like to remind people who charter a boat, they have a choice of captain and crew, and make sure there is a copy of a signed bareboat charter agreement with the owner of the vessel and the person chartering prior to stepping aboard.”