In Minnesota, the boating season has begun, and a new law that is intended to make our lakes safer could have an effect on you as soon as the following month.
Beginning on July 1, individuals between the ages of 12 and 21 will be required to obtain an operator’s permit in order to operate a motorboat.
A couple of years ago, Tom Jacob, the proprietor of the Bay to Bay Boat Club in Excelsior, decided to hire a lobbyist in order to assist in the passage of the piece of legislation.
In his 25 years of business, he claims that Bay to Bay has maintained an impeccable safety record. A portion of that success can be attributed to the forty-minute orientation that he provides to anyone who rents a boat.
“If they don’t like it, I guess they can go somewhere else, but I don’t want to put anyone on the lake that just wants to go out and party,” Jacob stated.
Within the next few years, the law that mandates a boating licence will be extended to include all Minnesota residents who are younger than 41 years old. Every single person, regardless of their age, will require a boat in order to rent one.
According to Ryan Mann, a teenager from Wayzata who obtained his permit when he was 15 years old, “I think it is a good idea because a lot of people don’t even know what the signs [on the water] mean.”
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Obtaining a permit necessitates successfully completing a safety course and paying a fee of $35, which is paid to the organisation that is responsible for the training.
According to Jacob, he has heard that some boat clubs are concerned that the new rules might discourage customers from joining.
“I think it’s worth sacrificing a couple rentals,” Jacob stated. “Dollars over safety? I take safety.”
According to data provided by the Department of Natural Resources, the number of deaths that have occurred while boating has reached an all-time low over the past two years.
“We see this new requirement, which had bipartisan support and strong support from the boating community, as an important part of ensuring that trend continues,” Lieutenant Colonel Robert Gorecki with the DNR Enforcement Division stated.
