A yacht combines every hard security problem in one hull: it is a home, a workplace with rotating crew and contractors, a venue for parties with guest lists that change nightly, a garage for tenders and toys worth a small fortune, and a very public symbol of wealth parked where anyone can walk past. This yacht security checklist is written for owners, captains and managers in South Florida — Miami, Miami Beach, Fort Lauderdale and Palm Beach — and covers the dock, the crew, guests and events, privacy and the moments when licensed security aboard is worth the cost.
1. Dock and marina
- ☐ Know exactly what marina security covers — gate, dock patrol hours, cameras, response — and where it stops.
- ☐ Passerelle raised or secured when the vessel is unattended; deck lighting on at night; no boarding without a crew member present.
- ☐ Cameras covering the passerelle, aft deck, tender garage and the dock side of the hull, recording to storage off the vessel.
- ☐ Motion and door sensors on exterior doors and hatches, tied to the crew’s phones and, ideally, to a monitored service.
- ☐ A written boarding policy: who may board, who is escorted, who signs a log. Delivery drivers and photographers are the classic gap.
- ☐ For high-profile vessels, a fixed dockside security post during periods the owner is aboard or when media attention is high.
2. Crew and contractors
- ☐ Background checks on every crew member before the first day — identity, criminal, employment history, references verified by phone. A licensed investigator can complete this discreetly.
- ☐ NDAs for crew and regular contractors; a clear phone and social media policy about guests and the vessel’s location.
- ☐ Contractors and day workers logged aboard and off, escorted in owner and guest areas, work areas photographed before and after.
- ☐ Keys, key cards and alarm codes controlled; codes changed after crew turnover.
- ☐ Cash and valuables never handled by a single person without a record.
3. Guests, charters and parties
- ☐ Guest list closed before boarding; one boarding point; credential or wristband for larger events.
- ☐ An officer at the passerelle and, if guests arrive by water, one at the tender or dock; nobody boards from an unknown boat.
- ☐ Screening policy agreed with the captain: bags, prohibited items, plus-ones.
- ☐ Owner’s cabin and office locked; art, watches and electronics secured before guests arrive.
- ☐ Intoxication and overboard risk: officers on deck watching the rails, not the party; a swim ladder ready; no unsupervised swimming at night.
- ☐ A clear end: last tender time, a calm exit, and a sweep of the vessel for stragglers and left-behind items.
- ☐ For celebrity or high-net-worth guests, close protection that coordinates with the captain rather than fighting him for authority.
How we staff and run these is on our event security page; for Art Basel, the Miami Grand Prix and the Boat Show weeks, book early.
4. Tenders, toys and equipment
- ☐ Tenders, jet skis and seabobs locked, GPS-tracked and photographed with serial numbers on file.
- ☐ Outboards and electronics marked; garage secured when not in use.
- ☐ Inventory of expensive equipment updated at each crew change.
5. Privacy, cyber and surveillance
- ☐ A TSCM sweep for hidden cameras, microphones and trackers after yard periods, charters, crew turnover or any dispute — guest cabins and the owner’s suite especially.
- ☐ Wi-Fi segmented: guest network separate from crew and vessel systems; default passwords changed; remote access to navigation and CCTV protected.
- ☐ AIS and location sharing considered: many owners switch AIS to receive-only where legal and keep arrival times off social media.
- ☐ Crew briefed on tailgating photographers, drones and “boat tour” operators.
6. Yard periods and hurricane season
- ☐ Interiors sealed and inventoried before the vessel enters the yard; photographs of every space.
- ☐ A patrol or fixed post at the yard during long refits or after storms when yards are crowded and understaffed.
- ☐ Storm plan that includes security: who watches the vessel after evacuation, how the claim is documented.
7. Threats against the owner or family
- ☐ Any specific threat, stalking, disgruntled ex-crew or contentious divorce: a threat assessment, close protection when aboard and ashore, and a review of who knows the vessel’s schedule.
- ☐ Family members and children: a low-profile agent for outings ashore.
- ☐ Travel between airport, residence and vessel: secure transfers with a protective driver.
When to hire licensed onboard security
For most quiet nights in a good marina, disciplined crew procedures are enough. Licensed security earns its cost when the owner is aboard and known, when guests are aboard in numbers, during yard periods and storms, when contractors you do not know have access, when there is a specific threat, or when a single theft — a watch collection, a tender, a piece of art — would cost more than a season of security. In Florida the company must hold a Class B security agency license and the officers Class D (and G if armed); ask for the numbers and the certificate of insurance.
Yacht and marine security in South Florida
FSO Guard provides yacht and superyacht security in Miami, Miami Beach, Fort Lauderdale and Palm Beach — dockside posts, onboard officers for charters and events, close protection for owners and guests, crew background checks and TSCM sweeps — under Florida Security Agency License B3100530 and Private Investigative Agency License A 1000095. Officers speak English, Spanish and Russian. Call (786) 659-5011 or message us on WhatsApp with your dates and marina.
