Sail Salem To Offer Boating Safety Course for State’s Required Safety Certification

As a new Massachusetts law requiring safety certification for motorized boat operators born after Jan. 1, 1989, takes effect, Sail Salem is stepping up to provide a boat safety certificate course this spring.

According to a Patch of Salem report, Sail Salem is partnering with the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary (Marblehead Squadron) to hold a class on Saturday, April 25, in the Function Hall at Winter Island in Salem. 

The course will run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with sign-in starting at 8:45 a.m. Attendees are advised to register in advance due to the limited class size. 

The $50 course fee covers eight hours of instruction and testing, an accompanying textbook, all required paperwork for certification, and pizza for a working lunch. More information about the course is available online.

As the Patch noted, the recently passed Hansen-Milone Act requires any boat operator in Massachusetts born after Jan. 1, 1989, to get a safety certificate. Those born before 1989 have until 2028 to be certified.

This law applies to operators of personal watercraft, powerboats, and powered sailboats. Regulations take effect on April 1, but citations for noncompliance will not be issued until Sept. 1.