List your boat for burial at sea services
Families planning a farewell at sea search Maritime Burials for a captain near them. 81 boats in 36 coastal cities are listed today. Add yours, answer inquiries on your schedule, and get paid after each trip.
No listing fees. 11.5% commission only when a trip is booked.
How it works
Step 1
Create your account and add your boat
Tell us about your business, upload your captain’s license and insurance, and build your listing: vessel, departure marina, prices and photos.
Step 2
We review it
Maritime Burials checks that your license, insurance and listing are on file and complete before it goes live.
Step 3
Families request a date, you send an offer
You get each family’s date, group size and wishes. Reply with a written offer. Nothing is booked until they accept and pay.
Step 4
Get paid after the trip
Your share goes to your bank through Stripe 48 hours after each trip. We never see or store your bank details.
What you’ll need
A current USCG captain’s license for the passengers you carry
Vessel documentation or state registration
Commercial and liability insurance (there is no damage deposit, so your policy covers the boat)
Services held where the rules for your area allow, with any required reports filed (in the open ocean: 3 nautical miles out and an online EPA report within 30 days; many bays and sounds follow state rules instead)
Know the rules where you sail
Ash scattering is allowed in far more places than most captains realize. There’s no EPA permit to apply for: in the open ocean the ashes go 3 nautical miles out, with a short online report within 30 days. Bays and sounds follow state rules instead, and many allow scattering there without the 3-mile run, including California’s bays and harbors (500 yards from shore), Galveston and Corpus Christi Bays, Puget Sound and North Carolina’s sounds. Because the family scatters the ashes and you run the boat, you usually don’t need a state scattering license either. We’ve put the rules for each state in plain language, and we walk you through your area when you sign up, with a checklist on every booking so nothing gets missed.
Scattering rules by state
Questions captains ask
What does it cost?
Free to list, with no monthly or setup fees. When a trip is booked, Maritime Burials takes an 11.5% commission from the charter price.
Do I set my own prices?
Yes. You set a price for each trip length, add optional extras like an officiant or flowers, and can adjust any offer before the family accepts it.
Do I need a permit or a special license?
Usually not. Burials at sea are covered by the EPA’s general permit, so there’s nothing to apply for: in the open ocean the ashes go 3 nautical miles out and a short online report is filed within 30 days. Bays and sounds follow state rules, and many allow scattering there without the 3-mile run. In states that license scattering, such as California and Washington, the license is for people who scatter ashes for others; when the family scatters and you run the boat, you don’t need it. Check the rules for your state below, and we’ll walk you through your area when you sign up.
Can I list my boat as a bareboat charter?
Yes. Choose Bareboat when you set up the listing and upload your bareboat charter agreement. The family charters your boat and chooses a licensed captain from your list of approved captains (the ones named on your insurance), or suggests their own for you to approve. You set the captain’s pay; the family pays it as part of one booking, and we pay the captain straight to their own bank after the trip. Up to 13 aboard: the charterer plus 12 guests.
I’m a licensed captain without a boat. Can I join?
Yes. Make a free captain account at maritimeburials.com/captain/join, or search “Maritime Burials” on the App Store or Google Play. Boat owners add you to their list of approved captains, families choose you for bareboat trips, and your pay goes straight to your own bank through Stripe.
What if weather cancels a trip?
You offer new dates first. If none work for the family, they get a full refund and you are not charged.
I’m already listed on the old site. Do I need to do this?
Yes, once. Sign up with the same email, accept the new operator agreement and connect payouts. We move your existing listings over so their web addresses stay the same.