Freedom Boat Club – Stuart – Hutchinson Island

Florida law requires you to be at least 18 to rent a livery vessel other than a human-powered vessel. Florida sets no general minimum age to operate a boat, but a personal watercraft operator must be at least 14.

Under section 327.395, anyone born on or after January 1, 1988, operating a vessel powered by 10 horsepower or more must carry the required boating safety credentials. An exemption applies when accompanied by a credentialed or exempt person age 18 or older who is attendant to the operation and responsible for safe operation and violations. The rental operator sets its own booking minimum subject to state law, so confirm it when booking.

Source: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (myfwc.com)

Florida does not issue a boating license, but operators born on or after January 1, 1988, must carry photo ID and a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission boating education card when running a vessel with a motor of 10 horsepower or more. This includes personal watercraft. There is no general minimum age for boats; personal watercraft operators must be at least 14, and no one under 18 may rent any vessel other than a human powered one. Exemptions include Coast Guard licensed masters, private lake or pond operators, operators accompanied aboard by someone 18 or older who holds the card or is exempt and is responsible for the vessel, and nonresidents with proof of a NASBLA-approved out of state course. Any non exempt operator may instead pass an FWC approved temporary certificate exam and carry that certificate with photo ID for 90 days.

Source: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (myfwc.com)

From Stuart, the St. Lucie River links you to Manatee Pocket and the Indian River Lagoon/Intracoastal Waterway, while St. Lucie Inlet opens to the Atlantic. The river is the branching local route through the city; Shepard Park has a boat launch on it. Manatee Pocket is a protected harbor suitable for anchoring, and Sandsprit Park provides ramps at the Pocket’s entrance. The Indian River Lagoon is broad and shallow in places, so stay with its well-marked Intracoastal channel. St. Lucie Inlet is the open-water option, but NOAA calls it hazardous for small boats and warns of cross-currents where the river and Intracoastal meet.

Source: NOAA Office of Coast Survey (nauticalcharts.noaa.gov)

Boaters from Stuart commonly head to St. Lucie Inlet Preserve State Park, downtown Stuart, and Port Salerno’s Manatee Pocket. The preserve is accessible only by boat and offers a boardwalk through mangroves to an Atlantic beach for swimming and picnicking. Downtown, the city docks allow free daytime visits, placing crews by the Riverwalk, restaurants, shops, and Flagler Park. In Manatee Pocket, boaters can use the county mooring field and go ashore by dinghy; downtown Port Salerno has multiple restaurants within walking distance.

Source: Florida State Parks (floridastateparks.org)