Captain Josh Wilson
Owner and Captain · USCG Master 100‑Ton Near Coastal
Josh Wilson is the founder and owner of Yacht Away Now in St. Petersburg, Florida, and the captain at the helm of every charter the company runs. He owns the flagship 52ft Marquis Flybridge, holds a U.S. Coast Guard Master 100-Ton Near Coastal license, and keeps his CPR, AED, and First Aid certifications current. When you book a charter on Tampa Bay, he is the person who answers the phone, builds the itinerary, checks the weather, and drives the boat.
Yacht Away Now is owner-operated by design. There is no rotating roster of contract captains and no broker in the middle. Josh started the company in 2024 with one boat to prove what a premium private charter feels like when nothing is outsourced, and he still makes every day-of judgment call himself, on the water, in real time.
The credential behind the helm
Josh has held a U.S. Coast Guard Master 100-Ton Near Coastal license for more than a decade. It is the same class of license required to operate inspected passenger vessels well beyond the size of either yacht in the fleet, and it covers the full Tampa Bay area, the Gulf Coast, and the Bahamas crossings Yacht Away Now runs on multi-day charters. His CPR, AED, and First Aid certifications are kept current at all times.
Most of his time on Tampa Bay water is spent in the Marquis itself. The rest is two decades of recreational and professional boating across the Gulf and the Florida Keys. That combination matters most when something unexpected comes up: a guest who is not feeling great offshore, a thunderstorm cell that was not on the morning radar, or a holiday weekend when the bay is crowded enough that you need to know which sandbars are still calm.
How Josh runs a charter day
Josh returns your texts and emails personally, helps you pick between a sunset cruise, a sandbar day, or a longer Gulf run, and builds the itinerary around your group. Charters are all-inclusive, so captain, crew, and fuel are already in the rate.
He sends a captain check-in the evening before your charter, confirms timing and the plan for the day, and reviews the forecast for your departure window.
Once everyone is aboard and settled across the three decks, Josh runs the safety briefing, then takes the yacht out toward the route you planned together, whether that is Pass-a-Grille and the Skyway for a sunset, or Shell Key and Egmont Key for the day.
If a sandbar trip needs to swap to Egmont Key because the wind shifted, he is the one making that call on the spot. The hospitality crew handles service and anchoring so guests can relax.
The charter ends on your schedule, and the same person who planned the trip is the one who ties the boat up and sees you off.
The 52ft Marquis Flybridge at the dock in St. Petersburg, where every charter with Josh begins.
Safety is the first decision, not the last
Josh monitors the forecast for every booked date and makes the final call on conditions. If the weather is unsafe, the charter does not run, and guests choose any open future date at no extra cost with the booking valid for 12 months. During hurricane season he watches every booked date, and a named storm forecast within 72 hours of a charter is treated as a captain cancellation, not a guest one.
The Marquis carries a full safety inventory that Josh maintains himself:
- USCG-rated life jackets for every guest aboard
- EPIRB emergency beacon and redundant VHF radios
- GPS and radar at the helm
- Starlink connection for live weather offshore
- Captain certified in CPR, AED, and First Aid
Because he owns the boat, the maintenance schedule is his too. The yacht gets serviced on the schedule he sets, and the Sly Fox passes annual Coast Guard safety inspections. Insurance certificates are available on request for corporate, wedding, and group bookings.
The two yachts he captains
Yacht Away Now runs two yachts, not a fleet, so nothing is double-booked and no trip is treated as routine.
52ft Marquis Flybridge
The flagship Josh owns and runs most days. Three decks, up to 13 guests, a master stateroom and guest cabin, two restrooms, a full galley, and a 600-mile range that puts the Keys and the Bahamas within reach. All-inclusive from $500 per hour on weekdays and $600 on weekends, with a 4-hour minimum.
Explore the MarquisSly Fox
The second yacht in the fleet: a luxury 3-stateroom, 2-bath yacht that sleeps 6 overnight, built for larger groups and multi-day Gulf Coast itineraries, with an optional private chef. $650 per hour on weekdays and $750 on weekends on the same all-inclusive structure.
Explore the Sly FoxWhat guests say about the captain
"The captain and crew were very accommodating and attentive. Very clean and up to date. I highly recommend their services."Krystal EvansVerified Google Review
"The captain was great and the experience was top-notch. We can't wait to come back and book again."Whispy BrownVerified Google Review
"Best experience on the water in Tampa Bay. Josh and the crew went above and beyond to make our bachelorette party unforgettable."Google reviewerVerified Google Review
Read all 133 reviews on Google.
Charter with Captain Josh
Call or text Josh directly to check a date. Weekends book 2 to 4 weeks out, and he responds within 24 hours.