Freedom Boat Club – Scituate, MA

Massachusetts sets 12 as the minimum age to operate a motorboat without direct adult supervision, if the operator satisfies the applicable boater safety certificate rule; personal watercraft operators must be at least 16. A child under 12 may operate a motorboat only while accompanied on board and directly supervised by a certificate holder at least 18. Direct supervision requires visual contact and verbal communication at all times while underway.

Certification is phased by birth date under Massachusetts General Laws chapter 90B, section 9E: people born after January 1, 1989, have been covered since April 1, 2026; those born on or before that date must comply by April 1, 2028. Rental operators set their own minimums, so confirm when booking.

Source: Massachusetts Environmental Police and Boat and Recreation Vehicle Safety Bureau (mass.gov)

Yes. Massachusetts requires a boater safety certificate, rather than a boating license, for motorboat and personal watercraft operators born after January 1, 1989; those born on or before that date must comply by April 1, 2028. Personal watercraft operators must be at least 16. Children under 12 may operate a motorboat only under direct onboard supervision by a certified adult age 18 or older.

Rental customers are not generally exempt, and temporary rental certificates are only under consideration for lower power boats. Exemptions include direct supervision, qualifying nonresident certificates, merchant mariner credentials, certain military and commercial fishing operators, and recent boat buyers carrying a temporary certificate. Massachusetts Environmental Police administers the program.

Source: Massachusetts Environmental Police (mass.gov)

From Scituate, point toward partly sheltered Scituate Harbor, open Massachusetts Bay, the tidal North and South rivers, or nearby Cohasset Harbor. Scituate Harbor opens directly to the bay; trailer boats can use the Cole Parkway or Jericho Road ramps, while Driftway Park serves small craft on the North River. The harbor has a buoyed dredged channel and anchorage basin. The North River is shallow and narrow in places, and the South River also requires local channel knowledge; both reach the bay through New Inlet, where the shifting channel and breaking bar are hazardous for unfamiliar operators. Cohasset Harbor is a shallow bight with a protected inner cove, but its rocky approaches demand caution.

Source: Town of Scituate (scituatema.gov)

Good day trips from Scituate include Bassing Beach, Government Island in Cohasset Harbor and Humarock Village on the South River. Bassing Beach is accessible by boat and draws transient boaters for swimming, picnicking, fishing and beach walking. Government Island has a public pier, and its Beacon Rock Trail leads to panoramic views of Cohasset Harbor and the Gulf River. Humarock combines sand beaches and marina facilities with casual shops and restaurants for time ashore.

Source: Town of Cohasset (cohassetma.gov)