Soon You’ll Need Training And A License To Drive A Boat In Maine

This is definitely going to ruffle some feathers.

I've had a camp in my family longer than I've been alive. It was a rite of passage in my family to be taught how to hook up and use the motor for the catamaran. It was nothing serious. We had two old open-body kayaks that we'd hook together and slap a small 4-horse motor on it. I'd tool around the lake and catch whatever was biting.

My first "training session" was when I was about 10. My grandfather would come out to the dock and watch me start the boat and then insist that I stay in sight of the camp. Of course, as I got older, I was allowed to spread my radius a bit and go to other parts of the lake. By the time I was 16, it may as well have been my car, hahaha.

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This kind of "training" is likely about to change.

According to the State of Maine, young Mainers are going to be required to take a boating safety course and obtain a license to operate a motorboat here. Starting on Jan. 1, 2024, if you were born on Jan. 1, 1999, or after, you'll be required to take these courses and get certified. The same goes for jet skis and the like.

However, for jet skis, the initial age requirement will be 16. The age limit for motorboats will be 12 years old. If you're over 25 at this moment, this won't even affect you at all, as you'll be grandfathered in due to age. If folks decide to skirt the new laws, the fines aren't exactly chump change.

Fines could range anywhere from $100 - $500. I imagine that will depend on previous offenses or the severity of the violation. Luckily, it'll be a pretty simple, straightforward test. No one's trying to keep you off the water, they just want it to be safe for everyone. Can't really blame anyone there...

You'll definitely need a boat if you're going to try and live here...