If I run or start a bordello on the high seas (international waters) beyond the authority of the US government, it's only ten miles off the shore, could it work?
I mean I'm sure I could find the girls, and then find the men willing to pay, and get a ferry, I"m on to something here.... legal advice and it just might happen.
I mean Cruises allow gambling on the high seas, and during prohibition, there were parties where the liquor and ran freely on the high seas. I gotta find my buddy who went to the merchant marine academy.
Before casinos on Indian Reservations and in certain other locations became widespread, entrepreneurs would organize gambling casinos. The ship would take on passengers, sail out to the 12-mile limit, and the casino would open. Folks would gamble; when the time was up, the casino would close and they'd sail back.
An odd vestige of this is that in places like Mississippi, casinos still technically must be on the water. Thus, the proliferation of casinos along the Mississippi Gulf Coast. You find there huge structures that technically are floating on the ocean's surface.
The difficulty with your idea, however, is that many laws make "soliciting" illegal. So it might be difficult to advertise -- it's a tough question: if it's legal outside the limit, can you "solicit" for it, if "solicitation" is illegal. Don't know.
They tend to be very discrete in their advertising, but there are regional cruise ship companies registered in the Turks and Caicos, Caymans or other non-extradition carribbean countries and working our of Ft Lauderdale and other FL ports that regularly do overnight and longer "gambling cruises"; the ships simply go out beyond the 12-mile limit, anchor and open the casino. These ships carry a healthy supply of working girls, and some of the companies offer package deals (including a girl or girls) on their web sites. Obviously, those sites are not hosted or operated in the US.
I haven't looked at one of those sites in at least a couple of years, but a Google search should turn some up.
So, sorry, but your idea is neither original nor untested.
Among other issues is the cost of getting into the business. For starters, you need a cruise ship or something that will be luxurious and sleep 12 or more(??) plus the crew. You need a crew, insurance, training, discretion from the crew and on and on. That's a lot of upfront money that won't be paid back on cruise one.
Aside from the facts that one would be an international pimp or whorehouse owner, all the legal issues and the like, it just doesn't seem to be a good business. If it were, there'd be lots of them.
I know it's been done on an occasional basis where someone would put together a group but, as an ongoing venture, unlikely I think.
I am mystified by the suggestion that this would not be a
good business, especially on the idea that everyone would
be doing it. I don't buy that at all.
Of course, getting the boat is a problem. More than likely
you could find a boat owner who would love to have beautiful
girls around in exchange for a cruise on his boat.
First, you do need to worry about advertising (soliciting)
in the U.S. Although an attorney cannot help you commit
a crime, legal advice to tell you what is and is not
legal IS proper for an attorney to do. Therefore, the
question "WHAT would be illegal?" under different State
laws is a legitimate question.
You should base this out of a State that has the least
problems in this area.
Second, think long and hard about what exactly you are
advertising.
For example, there was a guy here where I live who would
have regular swinging parties. Couples were $50 and
singles $100. Girls for free. The whole party would
go out on the water in a boat.
So the money was FOR THE PARTY. That's legal. People were
contributing to the cost of the party. And the common
interest of everyone going was loose sex.
Now, you could pay the girls out of the common fund.
Third, you could invite guys out on the boat (for free or
a modest fee) advertised with lots of beautiful women.
Then when you are in international waters, let guys know
that the ladies will perform for money. Or the girls
could offer then. (Note that telling you about something
that is NOT illegal is not aiding someone to do something
illegal, because it's not illegal. Get it? It's not illegal.)
The key there is that you are NOT advertising inside the
U.S. sex-for-money. Of course, you would choose guys
most likely to be interested. And hopefully you would
get repeat customers and word-of-mouth. But just don't
say inside the U.S. sex-for-money.
Just make sure that the girls are all 18+. There are some
very serious new laws that make it illegal for an American
to travel to have sex with underage girls and these apply
even OUTSIDE the U.S.
I saw a discussion of this a few years ago on a usenet board. From the information given by others on the board, a ship sailing from a US port is still under US law until it reaches another jurisdiction.