BEWARE OF UNLICENSED, UNINSPECTED CHARTER BOATS

Local charter boat operators warn public about risks of private vessels offered for charter

Tampa Bay, FL | January 7, 2009 — With several major events upcoming in the Tampa Bay area including the Super Bowl, the Gasparilla Festival and the SEC Men’s Basketball Championship, local professional charter boat operators are issuing a warning to visitors looking to charter boats for excursions on Tampa Bay’s numerous waterways: Beware of private-boats-turned-charter-boats which might not be in compliance with commercial chartering requirements. Additionally, would-be charterers should also avoid charter boats whose owners/skippers lack the proper U.S. Coast Guard licenses to operate “for hire”, or ones that utilize a ‘Non-Commercial’ facility. Continue reading press release ›