Safe Harbor New England Boatworks

Rhode Island sets no general minimum age for operating a motorboat alone. A child may operate a boat other than a personal watercraft alone with a boating safety certificate; without one, the child must be directly supervised onboard by someone age 18 or older who meets the education requirement. A certificate is required for anyone born on or after January 1, 1986 who operates a vessel with more than 10 horsepower, and for every personal watercraft operator regardless of age. DEM says a certified child under 16 may operate a personal watercraft. Rental operators set their own minimum age, so confirm it when booking.

Source: Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (dem.ri.gov)

Yes. Rhode Island requires a boating safety certificate for anyone born January 1, 1986 or later who operates a vessel with more than 10 horsepower, and for every personal watercraft operator regardless of age or residency. DEM sets no age limit for its exam; a child may operate a non-PWC alone if certified, and someone under 16 may operate a PWC if certified. Exemptions include supervised training with a qualified adult age 18 or older, valid commercial operator licenses, temporary nonresidents meeting their home state’s requirements, and new residents for 60 days. Renters of boats over 10 horsepower who otherwise do not qualify must watch a DEM-approved safety video and pass a written exam. DEM administers certification.

Source: Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (dem.ri.gov)

From Portsmouth, you can boat the Sakonnet River, Mount Hope Bay and Narragansett Bay’s East Passage, with quieter stops in Blue Bill Cove and Potter Cove. The Sakonnet’s buoyed channel connects Mount Hope Bay with Rhode Island Sound, but NOAA notes shoals and outlying rocks. Mount Hope Bay also connects with East Passage. In Blue Bill Cove, the area north of Hen Island and south of Spectacle Island, between the escape bridge and state ramp, is no-wake. Potter Cove on Prudence Island is a nearly landlocked harbor with a buoy-marked entrance. Public put-ins include Weaver Cove, Gull Cove and Stone Bridge.

Source: Town of Portsmouth (nauticalcharts.noaa.gov)

From Portsmouth, three practical Narragansett Bay day trips are Potter Cove on Prudence Island, where boats may anchor clear of the private moorings; Bristol Harbor, where town docks are a short walk from historic shops and restaurants; and Newport Harbor, where rental moorings, a transient dock and several public dinghy docks make it easy to go ashore. Each offers a distinct island, waterfront town or harbor stop without leaving the bay.

Source: Portsmouth, Bristol and Newport municipal harbor offices, portsmouthri.gov, bristolri.gov and cityofnewport.com (portsmouthri.gov)