SkipperBud’s Boats

In Ohio, age 12 is the point at which someone may operate a motorboat other than a personal watercraft without supervision, but the rental operator decides its booking minimum. Under 12, operation requires direct visual and audible supervision by someone 18 or older; for powercraft over 10 horsepower, that supervisor must be aboard. Personal watercraft operators must be 16 to operate alone; ages 12 through 15 need a supervisor 18 or older aboard, and under 12 may not operate. Under Ohio Revised Code sections 1547.052 and 1547.06, operators and supervisors of rented powercraft over 10 horsepower born on or after January 1, 1982, must document approved education or pass the rental business’s abbreviated exam. Confirm the rental company’s minimum when booking.

Source: Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Parks and Watercraft (dam.assets.ohio.gov)

Ohio requires a boater education certificate, not a traditional license, for anyone born on or after January 1, 1982, operating powercraft over 10 horsepower, including personal watercraft. Children under 12 may operate non PWC powercraft over 10 horsepower only under direct supervision of an adult 18 or older aboard. PWC operators must be 16, except ages 12 through 15 may operate with an adult 18 or older aboard. Covered rental customers may show prior education or score at least 90 percent on the rental exam and be named on the agreement; approved online rental proof is temporary and valid 14 days. Holders of qualifying Coast Guard merchant mariner credentials are exempt. Ohio’s Division of Parks and Watercraft administers these rules.

Source: Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Parks and Watercraft (dam.assets.ohio.gov)

From Lakeside Marblehead, you can start in East Harbor or West Harbor, follow either harbor’s channel directly to Lake Erie, and continue to the nearby islands. East Harbor State Park has a campers-only ramp into East Harbor and a marina ramp into West Harbor. Mazurik Access is another mainland launch point for the Marblehead shoreline, where boating quickly becomes exposed open water. Kelleys Island offers varied limestone shoreline and village access, while Put-in-Bay Harbor on South Bass Island is a practical stop with docks and mooring buoys for private boats.

Source: Ohio Department of Natural Resources (dam.assets.ohio.gov)

Popular Lake Erie day trips from Lakeside Marblehead include Kelleys Island, Put-in-Bay, Middle Bass Island and Sandusky. Kelleys Island draws boaters with transient marinas, downtown dining and natural areas; Put-in-Bay on South Bass Island offers public docks and harbor moorings near restaurants, shops and attractions; Middle Bass Island combines transient dockage at its state park marina with the historic Lonz Winery property; and Sandusky’s Paper District Marina sits beside Dockside Café in the downtown waterfront area. Each offers a convenient place to dock, eat and explore before cruising back to the Marblehead peninsula.

Source: Shores & Islands Ohio (shoresandislands.com)