Who May Operate Your Boat?
26th January 2009 by Boating Laws No CommentsWho May Operate Your Boat?
Owning a boat has a lot of perks mainly because not everyone can proudly say that he/she is a boat owner. Most boats are usually used for business purposes but there are also a lot of boats that are operated strictly for leisure. But just like what Spiderman says with great power come great responsibility. And if you’re a proud owner of a boat then you should know that along with the perks come the responsibilities.
One of the most asked questions when you own a vessel is “Who may operate your boat?” Obviously not everyone can manage and operate it. Plus the fact that there are different and distinct laws on who may operate your boat that changes from one state to another. But in general, the minimum age requirement of a boat operator, who is the boat “driver”, is 12 years old. Any youngster who is below the minimum age requirement can only operate the boat if he/she is accompanied, attended and escorted by an adult who personally knows how to operate a boat.
Realistically, you still don’t really want a 12 year old to be the one who may operate your boat. To make this law bearable for those who are not in favor of it, these youngster are required to take the basic course on boating and only if they’ve received their safety education certificate can they truly and legally be allowed to operate a boat. To be declared as a legit boat operator by the law for potential operators aged 16 and above, they still need to surpass their own set of course and certification process.
