Sources familiar with the situation tell TMZ … the rapper had been driven away from the yacht, when he told his driver to go back to the marina early last Thursday morning.

We’re told Travis realized he’d left his bag and phone on the yacht, and banged a u-turn to retrieve the items.

Our sources say when Travis got back to the dock, he asked for a police escort to get his stuff off the boat.

Remember, he’d already had a heated argument on the yacht, so we’re told he was trying to avoid further conflict — but his request to cops ratcheted up the tension, because the sergeant had already warned him to stay away when he’d initially left.

The decision to go back ultimately led to Travis’ arrest for disorderly intoxication and trespass.

A Miami Beach Police spokesperson tells TMZ they’re going to respect the judicial process, and allow it to take its course accordingly.

Remember, the whole ordeal began when Travis got into an argument with one of the yacht owners. According to the police report, obtained by TMZ, cops claim he was yelling obscenities at the people aboard as they started to escort him away from the boat.

When he returned they decided to cuff him and take him down to the station for booking.

Travis quickly posted bond and was released — and folks in his camp downplayed the incident as a “minor charge.”

TS clearly wasn’t sweating the arrest — posting memes of his mug shot before hightailing it back to Los Angeles.