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Bertram31.com General Bulletin Board
Re: Gas to Diesel Justification:
Posted By: Capt Patrick McCrary In Response To: Re: Gas to Diesel Justification: (Scott D.)
Date: Friday, 10 June 2005, at 8:08 p.m.
Scott,
Shared fuel expenses certainly take some of the bite out of operational cost... But this brings up a sticky legal point, that you should at least be aware of.
Any shared cost of vessel operation, even amongst friends, constitutes a charter as defined by the USCG. As a "chartered vessel" you are required to:
1. Have a valid USCG Merchant Marine License that covers the vessel that you are operating.
2. Have all necessary state, local, and federal charter licenses governing your specific charter.
3. Have all commercial fishing licenses as are applicable to your specific charter.
Granted, many owner's defray their operational expense by sharing the money load and don't meet the USCG guidelines. The Fed's have too much to do to be chasing around looking for these occurrences, so not many get caught.
But, in the case of an accident or incident that brings USCG into an investigative mode, it is more than likely that the "charter" will be discovered, and all hell could break loose. The fines can be staggering...
Again, from numerous threads on diesel vs gas, more than just dollar bills go into making an intelligent decision about which way to go. Not everyone is a candidate for diesel conversion.
A lot depends on hours per year of use, average round trip mileage, family budget, & even a sensitive nose that can't stand the smell of napalm in the morning can be valid reasons to stick to gas. My comments are not meant to prod anyone into a diesel conversion, but just to point out that a diesel conversion can be affordable under the right conditions and with the right frame of mind.
Br,
Patrick
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