Boat Rentals in Vermont

Rental fleets in Vermont include Center consoles, Deck boats, Jet skis, Pontoon boats, Sailboats, Ski boats, Wake boats and Waverunners. What is available on the day depends on the company and the season, so it is worth checking a few listings.

Yes. Vermont requires motorboat operators age 12 or older who were born after January 1, 1974, to complete approved boating safety education and carry the card; this includes personal watercraft. Anyone under 12 may not operate a motorboat over six horsepower, and no one under 16 may operate a personal watercraft. Rental customers are not listed as a blanket exemption, and official guidance does not describe a rental-only temporary certificate. Exemptions include U.S. Coast Guard licensed commercial operators and operation on private-property waters; substantially equivalent NASBLA-approved out-of-state cards are accepted. The Vermont Department of Public Safety administers the program through Vermont State Police.

Source: Vermont State Police Marine Unit (vsp.vermont.gov)

Know Vermont’s key life jacket, alcohol, registration, PWC, and speed rules. The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department says each vessel except sailboards must carry a wearable U.S. Coast Guard approved life jacket for each person; children under 12 must wear one while underway on an open deck. Operating at 0.08 percent blood alcohol or higher, or while impaired, is illegal. Motorized vessels on public waters need a Vermont registration certificate and validation stickers. PWC operators must be at least 16, everyone aboard must wear a secured approved life jacket, and PWCs may not operate from sunset to sunrise. Within 200 feet of shorelines, swimmers, docks, certain vessels, or anchorages, generally stay below 5 mph and create no wake.

Source: Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department (vtfishandwildlife.com)

June through August is the best time for boating in Vermont, with July and August offering the warmest part of the short summer season and the widest availability of state park facilities. Most Vermont state parks operate from Memorial Day through Labor Day, while some remain open into October.

Late May is a quieter shoulder period, but Vermont waters remain dangerously cold; Lake Champlain is typically only in the 40s during May. September is another good shoulder month, with less powerboat traffic, water that can remain warm, and fall foliage. Check local wind and weather conditions before launching.

Source: Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation (vtstateparks.com)

Vermont’s best boating variety is found on Lake Champlain, Lake Memphremagog, Harriman Reservoir, and the Connecticut River. Lake Champlain offers broad, deep water along the state’s western side for sailing and cruising. In the Northeast Kingdom, Lake Memphremagog extends north from Newport into Quebec. Harriman Reservoir provides a large southern Vermont lake bordered by Green Mountain National Forest. For river boating, the Connecticut River forms a long eastern corridor, with paddling access through southeastern Vermont state parks such as Wilgus.

Source: Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing (vermontvacation.com)

Vermont’s most popular boating destinations include Lake Champlain at Burlington, with broad water, mountain views and an active waterfront; Malletts Bay in Colchester, with beach access and seasonal paddling; Lake Memphremagog at Newport, a cross border lake suited to cruising and paddling; Burton Island in the Champlain Islands, reached only by boat and served by a state park marina; Lake Bomoseen near Castleton, Vermont’s largest lake entirely within the state; and Waterbury Reservoir, known for mountain scenery, multiple launches and remote boat access campsites.

Source: Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing (vermontvacation.com)

In Vermont, a person must be at least 12 to operate a motorboat powered by more than six horsepower on public waters, and at least 16 to operate a personal watercraft. Under 23 V.S.A. § 3305b, anyone born after January 1, 1974 must hold a certificate of boating education to operate a motorboat on public waters; that requirement is tied to date of birth, not to age. These rules appear in 23 V.S.A. §§ 3305a and 3305b. A rental operator sets its own minimum age for renting, so confirm it when booking.

Source: Vermont State Police, vsp.vermont.gov, and Vermont General Assembly (legislature.vermont.gov)

Alongside the boat rentals on this page, Vermont has 3 boat clubs, 24 marinas and 20 boat dealers.