PA-Ron. - This is incorrect and misleading.

The USCG inspection requirement only applies to Passenger Vessels over 100 GRT carrying more than 12 passengers, and Small Passenger Vessels less than 100 GRT carrying more than 6 passengers.

There is NO USCG inspection required for vessels to operate as a Charter Vessel (no crew, with up to 12 passengers) in the USVI, Florida or elsewhere in the US.

The Charter Vessel needs a USCG Certificate of Documentation, which just establishes that vessel is 100% owned by a US citizen or a corporation/LLC that has majority US ownership. The USCG has a basic list of safety equipment that must be onboard depending on boat size, but this list of safety equipment also applies to ALL recreational vessels operating in US waters. Of course the USCG can choose to board and inspect any vessel for compliance at any time.

The USCG safety equipment requirements for Charter Vessels & Recreational vessels do not include the items that have been recently mandated by the BVI government, such as propane detectors or high water bilge alarms.

I would be interested to see the full list of BVI safety requirements for charter vessels. I'm presuming they reference or mirror the USCG safety requirements. At a minimum I would expect any BVI charter company, such as Moorings/Sunsail, that allows its vessels to visit USVI (at least in pre-Covid days) would confirm they meet minimum USCG requirements in case of an inspection.

I can say that CYOA Yacht Charters significantly exceeded the USCG safety requirements when they managed my boat. We had 15 readily accessible Type 1 jacket-style offshore PFD (not flimsy Type 2 PFD best used on a small lake), a Type IV throwable horseshoe float as well as a separate offshore MOB pole, 5 fire extinguishers (one in every living compartment). They also met the other USCG requirements which I didn't always find on my 30 some pre-2015 BVI charters (such as unexpired flares, functioning nav lights, functioning air horn or whistle, book of International Navigation Rules, pollution placards).