SOUTHWICK — With the new state law requiring all boaters to eventually earn a safety certificate to operate any powered craft on the state’s waterways, the Massachusetts Environmental Police will hold a free boating safety course starting Tuesday, May 6, at Town Hall.
“This course will take you from what you might consider common sense when boating to why you should be safe on the water,” said Richard Grannells, the chair of the town’s Lake Management Committee, which manages the three Great Ponds of the Congamond Lakes.
The LMC had been “lobbying” for years for the state to require boaters to earn a safety certificate, he said.
“We used to be one of a few states that don’t require a safety certificates. Now we’re one of the many,” he said.
Before the state Legislature adopted the Hanson Milone Act and Gov. Maura Healey signed it in January, the state was one of 12 that didn’t require boaters to have any education before getting on the water.
When the bill was adopted, Grannells said it was “long overdue.”
He wanted to stress that anyone who wants to operate a powered craft in the state must have the certificate.
And that means every powered craft, like a JetSki, Sea-Doo, Waverunner, or a jetboard, which is motorized surfboard, he said.
When the law was adopted, it established a timeline for boaters to attend the safety course.
All boaters born after Jan. 1, 1989, will have until April 1, 2026, to obtain their certificate, and that no boater shall be cited and fined until Sept. 1, 2026.
Also, anyone born on or before Jan. 1, 1989, must obtain their certificate before April 1, 2028, according to the legislation.
Included in the legislation was a provision that anyone younger than 18 years old can’t operate a powered craft unless there is someone on board that has a safe boating certificate, which the town’s Chief Administrative Officer Nicole Parker, an avid boater, said was sorely needed.
“This would have prevented so many accidents,” she said, adding that all too often inexperienced boaters, especially teenagers, have no regard for being safe on the water.
However, anyone between the ages of 13 and 17 can take the course and exam, and upon passing, will be allowed to operate a motorboat without adult supervision, according to the legislation.
Grannells said the MEP has been offering boating safety courses for years, and the LMC and the lake advocacy group, Citizens Restoring Congamond, have been hosting the classes at Town Hall.
He said that anyone who has attended the course and still has physical copy of the certificate awarded at its completion aren’t required to retake the course.
However, he said if a boater doesn’t have the physical copy of the certificate, they will need to retake the course.
And once completed, no other classes are needed.
“It’s one and done,” Grannells said, adding the certificate is issued immediately at the end of the course.
The certificates will be valid for the lifetime of the person named on it, according to the legislation.
For those who don’t pass the examination, they can take it as many times as necessary.
Active members of the military, including the National Guard, will not be required to complete the course or take the exam.
The course will be held over three days – from 6-9 p.m., starting on Tuesday, April 6 and ending on Thursday, April 8.
And participants are required to attend all three classes, and registration is required, which can be found here.
Grannells said the course is limited to 50 participants, so registering now is important.
The course will cover topics like navigation rules on how to safely maneuver on the water and avoid collisions; emergency procedures in case of an emergency to protect yourself and your passengers; and environmental protections to gain awareness of practices that protect Massachusetts’ treasured natural resources.
The new program aligns Massachusetts’ boating regulations with federal U.S. Coast Guard safety standards and aims to ensure that every boater is equipped with the knowledge and skills necessary to safely navigate the state’s waterways, according to an announcement by the MEP, which regulates the state’s waterways.
Grannells said with the renewed interest in boating safely, he expects the law enforcement officials monitoring the ponds this summer will also have a renewed focus on making sure all watercraft have equipment required by the U.S. Coast Guard.
The legislation was named for David Hanson who was 20 years old when he was killed in a boating accident in 2010, and Paul Milone, the late harbormaster from Weymouth who dedicated his life to boater safety and was a tireless advocate for this legislation.
Read the original article on MassLive.