Towboat US Sandusky

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 Sandusky, you can cruise Sandusky Harbor and Sandusky Bay, run out onto Lake Erie, or continue to Pipe Creek or East Harbor. Shelby Street Public Boat Launch puts trailer boats directly on Sandusky Bay.

Sandusky Harbor is a natural small craft refuge with a 10 mph limit; beyond the entrance between Cedar Point and Bay Point, Lake Erie is the open water choice. The bay is shallow, with about 5 feet through much of it, and channels toward Muddy Creek Bay are indefinite and unmarked. Pipe Creek uses a marked, privately dredged channel. East Harbor is another shallow bay, entered between parallel piers marked by private lights.

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

From Sandusky, boaters make Lake Erie day trips to Kelleys Island, Put-in-Bay, Middle Bass Island State Park and the Huron Boat Basin. Kelleys Island draws visitors to its Glacial Grooves and other natural areas, while Put-in-Bay on South Bass Island offers downtown shops, food stops and lake views. Middle Bass Island State Park provides transient dockage near the historic Lonz Winery landmark. The Huron Boat Basin sits on the Huron River, with transient dockage, an outdoor amphitheater and restaurants, shops and parks within walking distance.

Source: Shores & Islands Ohio (shoresandislands.com)