CharterXO

Captained Charter

A charter where a USCG-licensed captain operates the vessel. The customer is a passenger, not the operator.

A captained charter is a trip in which a licensed captain, hired by or through the vessel owner, operates the boat. The customer and their guests ride as passengers. Because a paid operator is aboard, the trip is treated as a "passenger for hire" arrangement under U.S. Coast Guard regulations.

Captained charters fall into two main categories in U.S. waters. On vessels carrying six or fewer paying passengers, the captain must hold at minimum an OUPV ("six-pack") license and the vessel does not need a Certificate of Inspection. On vessels carrying seven or more paying passengers, the vessel must be a Certificated Inspected Passenger Vessel (COI) and the captain must hold a Masters license of appropriate tonnage.

Captained charters are the default format for most yacht day charters because they require no boating experience from the customer and remove most liability from the guest.

Examples

  • A half-day Biscayne Bay trip with a captain and mate on a 60-foot yacht.
  • A birthday cruise where the owner provides the captain and the guests only bring food and drinks.

On CharterXO

Captained charters are the most common listing type on CharterXO. Every captained booking shows the captain's license level and years of experience directly on the trip card.

Related Terms

Bareboat Charter—A charter where the customer leases a yacht without crew or captain and assumes full operational responsibility for the voyage.USCG Captain's License—A Merchant Mariner Credential issued by the U.S. Coast Guard that authorizes the holder to operate a vessel for hire.Six-Pack License—Informal name for the USCG OUPV license, which caps carriage at six paying passengers on an uninspected vessel.Certificate of Inspection (COI)—A USCG certificate required for passenger vessels carrying seven or more paying passengers.

References

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