“Bareboat” means you charter the boat and skipper it yourself, no captain aboard. Before a charter company hands you the keys to a $200,000 boat, they want evidence you can bring it back. Florida issues no skipper’s license, but one state credential does apply: anyone born on or after January 1, 1988 needs Florida’s Boating Safety Education ID Card (a one-time FWC course) to operate a vessel of 10 horsepower or more, and every charter boat’s auxiliary clears that bar. Beyond that, each charter company sets its own bar, and they’re remarkably consistent about what it is.
The two things they check
1. Certification
The widely accepted standard is ASA 104 (Bareboat Cruising) from the American Sailing Association, or its US Sailing equivalent (Bareboat Cruising). ASA 104 doesn’t stand alone; it sits on top of a short ladder:
- ASA 101 (Basic Keelboat). Sail a small keelboat (roughly under 25 ft) in light-to-moderate wind.
- ASA 103 (Basic Coastal Cruising). Handle a 25–35 ft auxiliary sailboat: navigation, anchoring, sail trim, weather, living aboard.
- ASA 104 (Bareboat Cruising). The charter-ready skills: passage planning, provisioning, systems, crew management, and running an unfamiliar boat.
Most people earn all three in a week or two of instruction, often on the same boat they’ll later charter. Find a course on the Florida sailing schools directory; several run 101→104 as a single liveaboard package.
2. A sailing resume
Certification proves training; the resume proves recent, relevant experience. A charter company will ask you to fill one out. List:
- Boats you’ve skippered or crewed (make, length, sail vs. power).
- Where and when (bays, coastal, offshore; how recently).
- Certifications and the schools that issued them.
- References who can vouch for you.
Be honest. An overstated resume gets found out on the dock, and a good charter base would rather right-size your boat than set you up to fail. If your experience is thin, they may require a checkout sail (a captain rides along for a few hours to sign you off) or simply put you on a smaller boat.
What Florida charter companies actually require
It varies by boat and location, but a typical Keys or Gulf-coast bareboat operator wants ASA 104 (or equivalent) plus a resume, sometimes with a checkout sail for bigger or twin-engine cats. Bareboat cats and boats over ~45 ft often carry a higher bar. Always confirm with the specific company: the requirement is listed on each operator’s page in the charter directory.
Not certified yet? You still have options this week
You do not need any of this to get on the water:
- Crewed charter. A captain (and sometimes a cook) comes with the boat. Zero certification, maximum learning-by-watching.
- Day sails and sightseeing charters. By the seat, by the afternoon.
- Club-membership charter (SailTime and similar). A fractional model that includes the checkout and keeps you sailing regularly.
Browse all of these in the Florida charter directory, then use ASA 101→104 to graduate to bareboat when you’re ready. If the Keys are the goal, pair this with the Keys cruising itinerary.
Last reviewed July 2026.