Many years ago in the United States and other major yachting destinations there were several laws passed in order to protect local boat manufacturers. One such law was the Jones Act, which among other things deemed that unless a vessel is a US Coast Guard Inspected Vessel, it may not carry more than 6 or 12 passengers during a paid charter. There’s a long list of factors used to determine if a boat may qualify for either a 6 or 12 persons maximum capacity while under hire, but most major yachting destinations do have a 12 guest limit unless the vessel is coast guard certified to hold more passengers.