we charter
Bareboat charter rules — the 12-passenger rule, and why 13 fit aboard
People ask us this every week, usually while trying to fit one more friend on the list. The short answer: the law allows 12 passengers plus the person who signs the charter — 13 in your group — and the number is not ours to move.
The 12-passenger rule on charter yachts, explained
The "12-passenger rule" comes from the US Passenger Vessel Safety Act and Coast Guard regulations: any vessel that carries more than 12 passengers for hire must hold a Certificate of Inspection as a small passenger vessel. Charter yachts and catamarans that are not USCG-inspected — which is most private charter boats in Florida — are therefore legally limited to 12 paying passengers, no matter how large the boat is.
The rule counts passengers, not people. A licensed captain and working crew are not passengers — and in a bareboat charter, neither is the person who signs the charter agreement, because the signer legally takes on the role of the vessel’s owner for the day. That is the "+1": the signer plus 12 passengers, or 13 people in your group, plus captain and crew.
It's federal law, not just our policy
US Coast Guard rules draw a hard line at twelve passengers. A vessel carrying more than twelve passengers for hire has to be a USCG-inspected passenger vessel — a different category of boat, with a different certificate, different construction requirements and a different kind of crew.
Our catamarans are big, luxurious and perfect for a great day out. They are not inspected passenger vessels. So the math is: the signer (acting as owner) + 12 passengers = up to 13 in your group, not counting the captain and crew. That is exactly the capacity you can book online.
What happens if we go over
- The Coast Guard can stop the charter mid-sail and send everyone back to the dock.
- Fines can land on the owner, on the captain, and on the guests.
- Licences can be suspended — which ends a captain’s career, not just their afternoon.
None of that is worth one extra seat, which is why no amount of asking nicely will move the number.
So what's a bareboat charter, anyway?
In a bareboat charter you are technically renting the boat itself and taking on the role of owner for the day. You choose your captain from an approved list, you bring your own food and drinks, and you decide where the day goes.
That is why the captain is hired and paid separately and is never bundled into the online price — it is what makes the arrangement a bareboat charter rather than a ticketed passenger trip. The 12-passenger limit still applies either way — signer + 12, or 13 in the group.
What about a private party?
It does not change anything. The limit is about the vessel and the arrangement, not about whether the day feels private or who is paying. A birthday, a bachelorette or a company outing all count the same.