Gulfcoast Yacht And Boat Show

Under Mississippi’s operating age rule, a person must be at least 12 to operate a motorboat or personal watercraft without the special accompaniment requirement. An operator under 12 must be accompanied onboard by someone who is at least 21. The same rule applies to personal watercraft.

The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks requires people born after June 30, 1980, to complete an approved boating education course, and required operators must carry their certificate onboard. A rental operator sets its own booking minimum, so confirm the rental age when reserving.

Source: Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks (dmr.ms.gov)

Mississippi does not issue a traditional boating license, but operators born after June 30, 1980, must complete an approved boater education course and carry proof when operating a boat or personal watercraft on public waterways. Operators under 12 must have the certificate and be accompanied onboard by a parent, guardian, or other qualified person at least 21 years old.

State law exempts someone operating a motorboat rented from a motorboat rental business from the requirement to possess the certificate. MDWFP also allows someone replacing a lost card to download a temporary card. The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks administers the program.

Source: Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks (mdwfp.com)

From Gulfport, you can boat Mississippi Sound, Ship Island, Cat Island, Bernard Bayou and Turkey Creek. Put in at Gulfport Small Craft Harbor for the Sound; its marked entrance joins Gulfport Ship Channel. The Sound is island-sheltered, but boaters should remain chart-aware outside dredged channels. Ship Island offers open-water cruising, a natural harbor and boat-only beach access. Cat Island is a wooded barrier-island outing with a marked channel leading into shallower Sound waters.

For a quieter trip, launch at Gulfport Lake Boat Launch. Bernard Bayou can have light chop, while Turkey Creek offers flat water with light current.

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

From Gulfport, boaters use Mississippi Sound for day trips to Ship Island, Cat Island and Biloxi Small Craft Harbor. Ship Island combines a swimming beach with Fort Massachusetts, and the park map shows the passenger route from Gulfport. Cat Island is accessible by private boat and suits visitors prepared for a stop without staff, drinking water, shelter or other facilities. Biloxi Small Craft Harbor offers a downtown stop for docking and dining, with a public ramp, fuel dock, bait shop and seafood restaurant on site.

Source: National Park Service (nps.gov)