Ohio River Launch Club

In Ohio, age 12 is the point at which someone may operate a motorboat other than a personal watercraft without supervision, but the rental operator decides its booking minimum. Under 12, operation requires direct visual and audible supervision by someone 18 or older; for powercraft over 10 horsepower, that supervisor must be aboard. Personal watercraft operators must be 16 to operate alone; ages 12 through 15 need a supervisor 18 or older aboard, and under 12 may not operate. Under Ohio Revised Code sections 1547.052 and 1547.06, operators and supervisors of rented powercraft over 10 horsepower born on or after January 1, 1982, must document approved education or pass the rental business’s abbreviated exam. Confirm the rental company’s minimum when booking.

Source: Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Parks and Watercraft (dam.assets.ohio.gov)

Ohio requires a boater education certificate, not a traditional license, for anyone born on or after January 1, 1982, operating powercraft over 10 horsepower, including personal watercraft. Children under 12 may operate non PWC powercraft over 10 horsepower only under direct supervision of an adult 18 or older aboard. PWC operators must be 16, except ages 12 through 15 may operate with an adult 18 or older aboard. Covered rental customers may show prior education or score at least 90 percent on the rental exam and be named on the agreement; approved online rental proof is temporary and valid 14 days. Holders of qualifying Coast Guard merchant mariner credentials are exempt. Ohio’s Division of Parks and Watercraft administers these rules.

Source: Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Parks and Watercraft (dam.assets.ohio.gov)

From Cincinnati, go boating on the Ohio River, Winton Lake, or William H. Harsha Lake at East Fork State Park. For the city’s river route, put in at Schmidt Boat Ramp or Riverside Boat Ramp; both Cincinnati launches operate subject to river and weather conditions. Winton Lake is a park-lake option for smaller craft, with rowboats, canoes, kayaks, motorboats, and mini pontoons rented at Winton Woods Harbor. Harsha Lake offers a broader open-water outing; the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers maintains a boat ramp used by boaters and anglers.

Source: Cincinnati Recreation Commission (cincinnati-oh.gov)

From Cincinnati, boaters can make Ohio River day trips to Newport on the Levee for waterfront dining, entertainment and skyline views; the Licking River for a tributary cruise beside Newport and Covington; Mill Creek for another urban tributary detour; the Little Miami River and Magrish Preserve for a more natural paddle; and North Bend for forested river scenery. The Ohio River Way’s Cincinnati-area guides specifically recommend exploring the Licking River, Mill Creek and Little Miami River, while identifying North Bend as a notable stop beyond the city.

Source: Ohio River Way (ohioriverway.org)