Freedom Boat Club – Deale, MD (Harbour Cove Marina)

Maryland sets no general minimum age for operating a motorized vessel other than a personal watercraft, but an operator under 16 is never unsupervised. Under Natural Resources §8-712.2, someone under 16 must both hold a boating safety certificate and have an eligible supervisor aboard. For vessels under 11 feet, the supervisor must hold a certificate; for vessels 11 feet or longer, the supervisor must hold one and be at least 18. Someone born before July 1, 1972, may also supervise.

Personal watercraft operators must be at least 16 and carry a certificate if born on or after July 1, 1972. The rental operator sets its own minimum, so confirm it when booking.

Source: Maryland Department of Natural Resources (mgaleg.maryland.gov)

Maryland does not issue a recreational boating license, but people born on or after July 1, 1972 generally must carry a boating safety education certificate when operating a numbered or documented pleasure vessel. This includes personal watercraft, whose operators must be at least 16. Anyone under 16 operating a motorized vessel 11 feet or longer without a certificate must instead be supervised by someone 18 or older who holds a valid certificate, or who was born before the cutoff. Exemptions include commercial operators, qualifying visitors, private waters, and those born before the cutoff. Renters of motorized vessels other than personal watercraft may be issued a 10 day temporary certificate after reading a safety sheet. Maryland Natural Resources Police administers the program.

Source: Maryland Department of Natural Resources and Maryland Natural Resources Police (dnr.maryland.gov)

From Deale, you can explore Rockhold Creek, Herring Bay, Tracys Creek, the Chesapeake Bay and West River in a day. The practical starting points are the ramps and protected slips at Deale marina facilities along Rockhold Creek. Rockhold is sheltered small boat water with a marked channel and a 6 mph limit. Tracys Creek branches from it and is bridge limited. Herring Bay is broader, but Long Bar creates extensive shoal water, so stay with marked routes. The bay opens directly to the Chesapeake’s open water, while West River offers a marked channel toward Galesville and becomes shallower in its tributaries.

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

From Deale, good day trip choices include Galesville on the West River, Flat Island in the Rhode River and Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse on the Chesapeake Bay. Galesville offers a waterfront village stop with dockside dining and West River views. Flat Island is suited to swimming and rafting boats together, but the Smithsonian asks visitors to remain in the water and enjoy the island from a distance to protect its shoreline. Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse makes a distinctive sightseeing destination; the 1875 light remains an active navigation beacon and a National Historic Landmark.

Source: Visit Annapolis (visitannapolis.org)