Question

At what age is someone really ready to start boating alone?

Answer 1

16 IF.....

1. you are a responsible person

2. you have taken and PASSED the water safety courses

Answer 2

Depends on the body of water. Here in CT, as a kid, I went to power squadron, got certified, and had my own 13' whaler at what I think was 16 years old.

Answer 3

Check with your local and state regulations, they all vary. My state of California law requires a person to be 16 years of age or older to legally operate a vessel powered by a motor of more than 15 horsepower, including personal watercraft . Some states also require you to have a drivers license and have taken a boaters safety course. 

Answer 4

Depends on the maturity of the child. Louisiana requires you to be 16 and take a safe boating course for boats with motors. Some 20 year olds dont need to operate a boat alone.

Answer 5

Let's separate the question from politics (legally operate).

My friends and I regularly "stole" our dads 32' sportfisher under the guise of sleepovers at each other's houses for overnight fishing trips to an island 30ish miles offshore.  We started doing this around 12 or 13.

We cleaned up the boat and dad never knew until he came down, found the boat gone & reported it missing. We were 17.

Then, there are the many young teens - of both sexes - who have circumnavigated in craft smaller than I would take on.

I really didn't boat alone until recovering from many years of racing sailboats. I felt I had "lost" overall skill after so many years sailing the same positions on teams of 10 or more.

Eventually, I cruised my powerboat alone for five years on the Pacific Coast.

It really depends on the person, their parents, and desire to boat alone.