Plenty of Galveston boats sell a deep sea trip that never leaves sight of the beach. This one runs under federal NOAA permits to the reef and bluewater between 20 and 60 miles out, with the gear and the range that distance requires.
Replies within the hour. The captain answers his own phone.
Federal water is not a marketing term. It is a boundary with permits attached, and it is where the fish that people book a deep sea trip for live.
Out there the targets are red snapper, wahoo, kingfish, ling, grouper, and, on the summer long-runs, yellowfin tuna and dolphin. Reaching them takes a boat that can make the run safely and a captain permitted to fish them commercially.
The Half Time is a 31 ft Ocean Master center console, built in 2001 and refit top to bottom in 2023 with twin 300 HP Suzuki outboards, dual Seastar Ram steering, and full Garmin electronics. It cruises at 30 knots, which is what turns a 60-mile grounds into a workable day rather than a delivery trip.
Safety gear scales with the distance: an eight-person SOLAS-grade life raft, a registered EPIRB, a 2023 VHF radio, Garmin radar, and a GXM-54 weather antenna for live forecast on the water. First mate Blake comes aboard for offshore runs and the longer nearshore days.
Both renewed in 2026 and valid through June 30, 2027. They are what authorize federal offshore charters out to 60 miles.
Authorizes charters for red snapper, grouper, amberjack, and other reef species in federal Gulf waters.
Authorizes charters for kingfish, Spanish mackerel, cobia, and other migratory species in federal Gulf waters.
Shannon LaBauve has held a USCG license for over thirty years and has run out of the Galveston Yacht Basin since 1995. ID and credentials verified on FishingBooker.
Every Federal Offshore trip is $2,500 all-in for up to six anglers. Hours change with the daylight and the season.
Federal species closures rotate through the year, which is why the windows do not line up end to end. The captain confirms what is open when you book.
Between 20 and 60 miles depending on the trip, the season, and the weather. The 10-hour long-run reaches the farthest water the boat covers.
The boat cruises at 30 knots, so the near grounds are inside an hour and the far end is closer to two. That run time is included in the trip hours.
Open water past 20 miles moves more than the jetty does. If anyone in the group is unsure, take something before you leave the dock rather than after, or book a jetty or nearshore trip for the first outing.
Red snapper, wahoo, kingfish, ling, and grouper depending on the season, plus yellowfin tuna and dolphin on the summer long-runs.
Six maximum. The boat has a six-passenger Coast Guard capacity and every trip is a private charter, so the price is for the boat rather than per person.
An eight-person SOLAS-grade life raft, registered EPIRB, 2023 VHF marine radio, Garmin radar and chart plotter, weather antenna, and USCG-approved life jackets in adult and child sizes.
Same boat, same captain, different water. Every trip below runs off the same dock at Slip C7.
Federal Offshore trips are $2,500 all-in for up to six anglers, fuel and tackle included, no booking-platform commission.