The Boat Locker

Connecticut DEEP’s minimum operating age depends on vessel type. To operate a motorboat over 10 horsepower alone, an operator must be at least 12 and hold an SBC or CPWO; under 12 requires an onboard certificate holder age 18 or older. Under 16 without a certificate, a person may operate a non-PWC vessel only under direct supervision of someone 18 or older who has held a boating certificate for two years. A PWC operator under 16 needs onboard supervision by someone at least 18 who holds a CPWO. At 16, that supervision requirement ends. Confirm the rental operator’s minimum when booking.

Source: Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (portal.ct.gov)

Yes. Connecticut generally requires a boating certificate rather than a license, with no birth date cutoff. Connecticut residents, real property owners and operators of Connecticut registered vessels need an SBC or CPWO for motorboats or sailboats 19½ feet or longer. Personal watercraft operators need a CPWO or an accepted reciprocal certificate.

Children under 12 cannot operate over 10 horsepower without a certified adult onboard. Operators under 16 need adult supervision onboard a personal watercraft; for other vessels, they may operate uncertified under a qualified adult. Non-PWC rentals from a boat livery for 14 days or less are exempt. Temporary certificates are available to qualifying new boat owners. Connecticut DEEP administers the program.

Source: Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (portal.ct.gov)

From Bridgeport, you can cruise Bridgeport Harbor and the Pequonnock River, head onto Long Island Sound, or enter Black Rock Harbor and Cedar Creek. Bridgeport Harbor is protected by converging breakwaters, while the Pequonnock is a small craft route with sharp bends. From the line between Tongue Point and Pleasure Beach Pier into the harbor, the limit is 5 mph with no wake.

Long Island Sound offers open water beyond the harbor entrance. Black Rock Harbor is reached separately from the Sound through a marked dredged channel leading toward Cedar Creek; from buoy FL G 7 onward, it is also 5 mph with no wake. Listed city launch points include Brewster Street, Newfield Avenue and Seaside Park.

Source: Connecticut DEEP (portal.ct.gov)

From Bridgeport, boaters can make Long Island Sound day trips to Fayerweather Island, The Gulf, Milford Harbor and Sheffield Island. Cruise past Fayerweather Island for its historic lighthouse and Seaside Park shoreline; anchor in The Gulf for shelter except in southerly weather; continue into Milford Harbor, a recreational boating harbor where local small craft anchor; or run to Sheffield Island, where visiting boats use a sheltered bay and the lighthouse museum provides a shore attraction.

Source: City of Bridgeport (bridgeportct.gov)