Sharing Expenses - 46 CFR 175.400

[clt_capt]

Is there a hot tuna bite at the hambone now? Got numbers???

[eppefour]

TomL- that is taken from the debate that has gone on for the past 2 years- there used to be a lot of postings that said something like...

"Me and Billy Boy are taking our Canyon Whupper out to the hambone on Saturday to ass rape the tunas- we need 3 more guys at 100 dollars a head- pm me for more details"

Now i ask you- charter or private?

Ok if I say 3 guys to share expenses probably about 100 bucks a head ? I ask beacuse I have a 6 pack license now but I don't use it and probably will not renew. Right now I am only fishing back bay and artificial reefs. If I'm taking friends out I don't charge them because I don't need the money to run the boat especially on such short trips. I may ask them to pick up bait but noyjing else. I am retiring in 2 months and will be able to fish more with less income, so doing a split up may help on longer trips

[frankypettolina]

I would say taking your friends and asking to split expenses you are fine

In my opinion soliciting strangers for a fixed amount would be a charter, but some would disagree-

You could always take the path of renewing your license and having the right safety equipment (and if you are going offshore you probably want it anyway), and getting the additional permits, and join a random drug testing program, and get charter insurance......... Oh wait you are looking to cut costs on a fixed income.

[eppefour]

I have thre right equipment. I just changed my tuna permit to recreational. I don't want to be a charter captian and fight for business. I will probably just pull up to the pump and split the gas. I only fish with friends. Somedays you just want a relaxing day on the water and don't want to work hard finding fish for paying customers. You guys have enough problems and competition.

[fowlscay]

saying ass, gas or grass ... nobody rides for free????

My favorite bumper sticker ,I used to see it around the Annapolis area when I was in JR high school. I can,t remember if it was a bar or a marina ,s but it was great . If they just give up ass and grass is that a charter??

[Sea Draggin]

Its funny. One of my closest friends, that I talk to at least once a week, was a "stranger" on a fun trip about 3 years ago.

[Admin]

So
If your a private boat owner.

Posting I need 4 guys to fish tomorrow at 300 a piece.
This is a ad and makes you a charter for hire.

If you post, Im going fishing tomorrow and looking for friends to fish! What is this?

If they mention money, ask for money, ask for bait, fuel split of any kind its a charter for hire?

But what about we are fishing any one want to ride along?

I think one thing is needed.

Poeple who understand this and understand in full need to write up examples of write and wrong.

No doubt I understand charter boats not wanting to see this.

I no doubt understand people who own boats wanting crew.

I ask the charter guys and boat owners to speak up and help us make a great thread of what is write and wrong and debate it.

This way we can send this thread to those that post up something that is wrong.

One thing that I think all of us need to do is openly educate one another with out a fight.

I no doubt have a tough spot as Im the one asked to delete this stuff when a battle breaks out.

I actually have left a few cause in my eyes the thread became pretty damn educational on this subject.

So thanks in advance for anyone who can step up and really laymen this out.

[LuckyLady]

I always understood it to be if you accepted any predetermined amount of money, insurance and laws would frown down on you. Especially if there was an accident at sea of any sort and you accepted money for that trip, your insurance would not support the claim as you do not have the proper "charter" insurance.

One thing I was told this past summer, that i was not aware of is that if you are a license captain on a private vessel as a guest and the private vessel owner is not a licensed captain and something goes wrong, the guest captain can and will be held liable for anything that goes wrong because he is a licensed captain.

[AARON ROGERS]

So
If your a private boat owner.

Posting I need 4 guys to fish tomorrow at 300 a piece.
This is a ad and makes you a charter for hire.

If you post, Im going fishing tomorrow and looking for friends to fish! What is this?

If they mention money, ask for money, ask for bait, fuel split of any kind its a charter for hire?

But what about we are fishing any one want to ride along?

I think one thing is needed.

Poeple who understand this and understand in full need to write up examples of write and wrong.

No doubt I understand charter boats not wanting to see this.

I no doubt understand people who own boats wanting crew.

I ask the charter guys and boat owners to speak up and help us make a great thread of what is write and wrong and debate it.

This way we can send this thread to those that post up something that is wrong.

One thing that I think all of us need to do is openly educate one another with out a fight.

I no doubt have a tough spot as Im the one asked to delete this stuff when a battle breaks out.

I actually have left a few cause in my eyes the thread became pretty damn educational on this subject.

So thanks in advance for anyone who can step up and really laymen this out.

Unfortunately John its really not that simple,you are really up to the discretion of of the coasties.The simplest way is to keep the $$$ out of it until you are in a more private arena.Franky as well as everyone here has made valid points as to how it can be interpretted,but ultimately it would probably boil down to if someone had their wheaties pissed in that day already! Just my $.02

[Deep C]

Always been a grey area for me... I'm both sides of the fence. If somebody I don't know wants to go fishing, I'll take em on my charter boat for a set fee. If somebody I know wants to fish and if I was going out any way, they ride for free. If I have to make a special trip for them, I expect them to cover at least part of the expenses but don't ask for it. Almost always as a common courtesy they offer and I accept. I do not accept though more than the base expenses.
I also run private boats. Boss's friends we do not accept any shared expense or even gratuity...

Now we get to my grey areas... If someone wants to go that I know and I let them know roughly what the expenses will be in advance is that a charter?

What if I offer for friends to cover only part of the expenses just so I can get off the dock? What is that considered?