Bicki Howell, Nellie D. 37VT63
According to the American Boating Association, boating education saves lives. And in that vane many states are requiring boat operators provide proof of completion of a safe boating course (Boating Education Card) when operating a vessel in their state waters.
When operating your boat in various state waters it is important to know their specific laws and requirements for possessing a Boating Education Card. But, it gets a little confusing because the law tends to vary from state to state. In our State of Maryland, the Boat Education Card is mandatory for anyone born on or after July 1, 1972 who is operating a motorized vessel on Maryland waters. In Washington State, all boat operators born after January 1, 1955 must have proof of completing a safe boating course. Florida requires anyone born after January 1, 1988 to have the Boat Education Card. Everyone operating a pleasure craft in Canada must have a Pleasure Craft Operator Card or proof they passed a boat safety course in Canada [Note: US Citizens operating a boat in Canada for more than 45 consecutive days must have the Boating Education Card or the Pleasure Craft Operator Card]. The good news is that every state (and Canada) which has mandatory boater education requirements also has reciprocity, in other words they will accept Boat Education Cards issued by any other state.
Since we routinely cruise our boat outside of our state and are currently in Canadian waters, we thought it prudent to complete the course work to obtain our Boating Education Card. There are several ways to complete the training. Courses are offered by the US Coast Guard Auxiliary, The US Power Squadron, National Safe Boating Council, Boat-Ed and Safe Boating America, just to name a few. Courses can cost upwards of $29.95 and most can be completed on line.
I searched for the least expensive and easiest way to complete the course and obtain the Boaters Education Card. The winner, in my view, was BOATUS Foundation's On-line State Specific Boating Safety Courses at: https://www.boatus.org/free/#state The Maryland course has 6 lessons which are estimated to take 4-8 hours to complete, followed by a 75 question final exam. After passing the exam you can print a certificate for proof of completion (free) or submit the printed certificate to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources for an official Boat Education Card ($10 fee). . So, this Winter Dave and I plan to complete the boating safety course through BoatUS. With the Boat Education Card we will both be in compliance with any state and Canadian laws regarding boater education requirements.
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