The US Coast Guard terminated the voyage of the 147-foot yacht Golden Touch II with 47 people onboard near Nixon Beach, on Sunday August 19. This came after USCG discovered a number of safety issues, including carrying more paying passengers than they were certified to carry onboard the vessel.
A US Coast Guard Station Miami 33-foot Special Purpose Craft-Law Enforcement boatcrew carried out the boarding of the Golden Touch II in the vicinity of Nixon Beach, where they discovered the following violations:
- Violation of 46 C.F.R. 176.100A for not having a valid Certificate of Inspection;
- Violation of 46 C.F.R. 16.201 for failure to have a drug and alcohol program;
- Violation of 46 C.F.R. 170.120 for failure to have a valid stability letter.
The owner and operator of the Golden Touch II now faces maximum civil penalties amounting up to $41,456 for this illegal passenger for hire operation.
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Capt. Ladonn Allen, chief of Coast Guard 7th District prevention department, stated:
The unsafe atmospheres that these types of companies and unlicensed captains, who knowingly engage in illegal activity, create on their boats show a complete disregard for passenger safety and have been responsible for multiple deaths in Florida alone.
For this reason, Mr. Allen stresses the importance of verifying the captain’s license and safety of the vessel, when looking to charter a boat.
