Nantucket Boat Basin

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 Nantucket, you can cruise Nantucket Harbor, its shallow upper reaches, or pass through the jetties into broader Nantucket Sound. Nantucket Harbor is mostly minimal wake and carries daily ferry traffic. Head of the Harbor offers more sheltered anchoring, but its approach is a narrow, unmarked channel bordered by shoals. Polpis Harbor is enclosed and protected, with no-wake signs at its mouth. On the island’s west end, Madaket Harbor and Hither Creek are shallow waters requiring local knowledge; launch there at Jackson Point or Walter Barrett Pier, or use Children’s Beach for Nantucket Harbor.

Source: Town of Nantucket (nantucket-ma.gov)

From Nantucket, good day-trip targets are Coatue, Great Point, Polpis Harbor and Wauwinet. Coatue is a boat-accessible sandy barrier with beaches and birdlife; Great Point draws visitors for surf fishing, wildlife watching and photography; Polpis Harbor suits a secluded-beach swim or picnic; and Wauwinet offers remote harbor scenery on a cruise through Nantucket Harbor.

Source: Town of Nantucket (nantucket-ma.gov)