List Your Vessel for Burial at Sea Charters
Put your boat to work in a market most operators overlook
Sunset cruises and fishing charters are crowded, seasonal, and priced against every other boat in the harbor. Memorial charters are different work. Families are not comparison-shopping your hourly rate against a booze cruise. They are looking for a captain who will handle a hard day with care, and they book midweek and off-season as readily as a Saturday in July.
Maritime Burials is a nationwide marketplace for burial at sea and ash scattering ceremonies. Families search by city, compare vessels, and book directly. If you run a licensed, insured passenger vessel, you can list it and start taking that demand in your own port.
Why captains list with us
- Demand that fills your quiet days. Memorials are not tied to peak tourist season or weekends.
- Families arrive ready. They found us searching for a ceremony, not browsing for something to do.
- You keep control. Create and manage your own listings, set availability, and work from your own booking calendar.
- Payouts in one place. Track what you are owed inside your Boat Owner account.
- Nothing extra to build. Families add flowers, biodegradable urns, and keepsakes through our catalog. That is our side of it, not yours.
What we ask of you
- A current USCG captain’s license appropriate to your vessel and waters
- Commercial marine liability insurance, with proof before you go live
- A vessel that is safe, properly equipped, and has deck space for a family to gather
- The judgment to run a ceremony, not a cruise
That last one is the one we do not bend on. Most of these charters are quiet, slow, and short. Someone on board is having one of the worst days of their life. Captains who understand that get repeat referrals from funeral homes and families both.
What the work actually looks like
Most charters run a two-hour minimum, which gives a family time for readings, a release, and a few moments afterward without feeling rushed. Groups are usually small. For ocean ceremonies you will run at least three nautical miles out before the release. Only biodegradable materials go in the water, so there is no cleanup and nothing left behind.
How to get listed
- Create a customer account.
- Create your Boat Owner account. The customer account has to come first.
- Add your vessel: photos, passenger capacity, duration options, pricing, and availability.
- Send us your license and insurance so we can verify them.
- Go live and start receiving booking inquiries for your port.
Questions captains ask
What license do I need?
A current USCG captain's license, Master or OUPV, appropriate to the vessel and waters you operate in. If you are already running passenger charters legally, you are almost certainly covered.
Do I need a special permit to hold a burial at sea?
No. Ash scattering in ocean waters is covered by an EPA general permit under the Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act. There is no application to file and no approval to wait for. The only obligation comes after the ceremony: a report to the EPA within 30 days.
How far offshore do I need to go?
At least three nautical miles from land for ocean ceremonies. The Great Lakes are inland waters, so the federal three-mile rule does not apply there, and state rules govern instead.
What insurance do you require?
Commercial marine liability coverage appropriate to carrying passengers. We ask for proof before your listing goes live.
How big does my vessel need to be?
There is no single answer. Our network runs from intimate six-passenger boats to vessels that carry 40 or more. What matters is that the vessel is safe, properly equipped, and has deck space where a family can gather.
Do I have to be a funeral professional?
No. You are providing the vessel and the seamanship. Families bring the remains and choose their own ceremony.
How do I get paid?
Payouts are tracked in your Boat Owner account alongside your listings and booking calendar.
Who sets my pricing and availability?
You do, from your Boat Owner account, the same place you manage listings and your calendar.
Ready to talk?
If you would rather ask before you sign up, get in touch and we will walk you through how listings work, what your port looks like in terms of demand, and our terms for operators. You can also reach us at 1 (888) 721-9976.
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