BOSTON — According to Lt. John Girvalakis of the Massachusetts Environmental Police, all that has been required to legally take a boat out on a ride are two things: “money and a boat,” with few exceptions.

But starting a little over a year from now — April 1, 2026 — anyone operating a motorized vessel in Massachusetts will be required to complete an approved boating safety education course that aligns with standards laid out by U.S. Coast Guard boating regulations.

The Hanson-Milone Safe Boating Act — named after two Bay State residents — was signed into law on Jan. 24 by Gov. Maura Healey with the goal of reducing accidents on the water. The required course focuses on navigation rules, emergency procedures and environmental protections. Similar mandates are laid out by 36 other states.

Anyone born after Jan. 1, 1989, has until April 1, 2026 to obtain a safe-boating certificate, and no penalties for noncompliance with this mandate will be issued until Sep. 1, 2026. Those born on or before Jan. 1, 1989, must obtain their certificate before April 1, 2028.

At present, several organizations offer boater education for free, including a program offered by the Massachusetts Environmental Police. It is unclear whether such courses will be charged for going forward.

Up to this point, boater education had only been required for boaters ages 12-18, and many have been advocating for this bill for over a decade.

Girvalakis explained that boaters who have a current Coast Guard license will be spared the need for training, as laid out by the bill. But, he said, there are still questions as the bill rolls out over the course of the year, with more guidance expected to be provided by the state by Oct. 1, 2025.

Girvalakis said he heard a lot of positive feedback about the new law at the New England Boat Show last month in Boston, with many concurring the measure had been long overdue.

The Coast Guard said in its 2023 data that alcohol remains one of the leading causes of boating accidents nationwide, and is involved in almost half of accidents on the water. Of 564 boating fatalities in 2023, approximately 96 deaths resulted from boater being under the influence.

Meanwhile, operator inattention, improper lookout, operator inexperience, excessive speed and machinery failure ranked as the top five primary contributing factors in accidents.

Hanson-Milone

Rep. Kathy LaNatra, a Plymouth Democrat who spearheaded the bill, said after its signing that the measure “establishes a straightforward program to make sure anyone operating a boat in the commonwealth has the necessary safety knowledge to keep themselves and others safe.”

“Massachusetts is home to some of the most beautiful waterways in the world, but too often, a day of fun on the water ends in tragedy because someone operates a boat without proper safety training,” she said.

The bill is named after David Hanson, who was a 20-year-old firefighter from Kingston who died in 2010 after his boat capsized in Plymouth Bay, and Paul Milone, a harbormaster from Weymouth dedicated to boat safety before his death in 2020. Hanson’s tragic death spurred advocacy groups to work toward increasing boating safety.

Both families have been strong advocates of the bill, and last month Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll presented the signed bill to Lisa Milone, Milone’s widow, and Eric Hanson, Hanson’s brother.

Boating vs. driving

“Education is important — having the knowledge of what to do is important,” said Girvalakis.

Boats aren’t as easy to maneuver as ground vehicles, he explained. Cars are guided by painted lines, kept in check by curbs, and kept secure by traction between rubber and asphalt, while boats are made to glide on water, are less confined by signage or restrictions, and are also less connected to emergency resources in an emergency.

“There is a lag time between disaster and emergency,” Girvalakis observed.

On many waterways, there is also an increasing density of boaters, which increases the risk of accidents. This past August, a boater was injured at Lake Wyola in Shutesbury following a collision, which raised questions about increased congestion on waterways, with more boaters and swimmers heading to the water for summertime reprieves in many areas.

But while the Hanson-Milone Act has been a long time in coming, there has also been a decrease in waterway accidents, according to national statistics provided by the U.S. Coast Guard on the Statista website. Girvalakis, who has worked for the Environmental Police based in Forestdale for the past 16 years, has witnessed first-hand a decrease in boating fatalities across the state, he said.

For instance, there were 4,062 boating injuries and 750 deaths in 2002, compared to 2,126 injuries and 564 deaths in 2023. Incidents have consistently trended downward from 2002 to 2023, except for during the pandemic when there was a slight spike in boating casualties.

Samuel Gelinas can be reached at sgelinas@gazettenet.com.