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Tip halts tour boat's operation

The Coast Guard was anonymously informed t he vessel hadn't been properly inspected . Its certification lapsed in 2004.

By BARBARA BEHRENDT
Published January 14, 2007

CRYSTAL RIVER - The 38 children and their four adult chaperones were likely anticipating a memorable boat ride where they would learn everything they could ever want to know about manatees.

Instead, the very short voyage turned out to be a disappointment for the children - and an education for the boat owner and operator.

On Jan. 7, the U.S. Coast Guard terminated the trip just as the boat was leaving its dock at Pete's Pier.

Coast Guard officials had gotten an anonymous report that the vessel Sea Venture had been operating without a certificate of inspection. That certificate, which verifies that a boat is in compliance with passenger-carrying safety requirements, is in essence the Coast Guard's license to operate for a boat tour business.

A Coast Guard investigator from St. Petersburg saw the pontoon boat pull out of the dock and immediately ordered it to turn back. He questioned the crew and passengers and confirmed that the boat was operating illegally.

Coast Guard records show that the boat had been operating in the area since 2002, but the agency had deactivated its Certificate of Inspection in 2004 when the owner failed to have the vessel inspected.

Boats must undergo various inspections in a strict time frame but the owner of this boat, Sea 4 Yourself, had allowed that time to lapse yet continued to operate it, according to Lt. Robert Butts, senior investigating officer for the agency's St. Petersburg sector.

"We have to make sure that these vessels are safe and that everyone enjoying the manatees is safe," Butts said.

Sea Venture's operator and officials with Sea 4 Yourself could not be reached for comment.

It is an owner or operator's responsibility to contact the Coast Guard in a timely manner to make sure a vessel gets its regular inspections. Those include making sure that there are enough life jackets in good condition and inspecting the actual boat itself up out of the water to make sure it is seaworthy and poses no safety concerns.

The Coast Guard works regularly with local tour businesses making sure everyone is complying and they report that more than 20 properly certified boats operate in the area.

Even with that cooperation, Butts said the agency wants to make sure everyone knows that these inspections must be kept up to date. That means the public should also pay attention to the Coast Guard certification that is posted in a passenger boat. It actually states when an inspection is due.

Elevator and fire extinguisher inspections are posted where people using the device can see it. Likewise, Butts said, a vessel's inspection report has to be posted in passengers' clear view. Checking these inspections are a good way for passengers to verify that safety rules have been followed.

"This whole situation could have been easily avoided if the owner/operator had just met those inspection dates," he said.

The owner of the boat faces a possible civil penalty of $5,000 for each day that it operated without a valid Certificate of Inspection and operator could have his merchant mariner's license suspended or revoked.

"As the Coast Guard, our job is to ensure safety of life at sea whether that sea is the Crystal River or the Atlantic Ocean," he said. "Can you put a dollar amount on someone's safety?"

Fast Facts:

How to check if your boat is safe

The Coast Guard urges the public to pay attention to the certification posted in passenger boats. The inspection reports are required to be in passengers' clear view. If a boat is operating without a valid inspection certificate, the operator could face fines, or worse, have his merchant mariner's license suspended or revoked.

[Last modified January 13, 2007, 20:26:45]