E-renewals Growing Every Year

Online Boat Registration Renewal is open and runs through September 30. If your boat is up for renewal in 2008, look for your renewal notice in the mail this month. If your boat registration expired in 2006 or 2007 and a PIN was issued to your boat, you can use the Division's secure web site to expedite your renewal.   » read more

Education Grants Top $360,000

More Ohio school children and special needs youth will be introduced to boating thanks to education grant funds from the ODNR Division of Watercraft. The Division awarded 33 recipients a total of $364,417 in grants to help fund boating safety education programs during 2008.   » read more

Highlight On Access: Ritter Park, City of Napoleon

The City of Napoleon in northwest Ohio completed renovations to the Ritter Park boat launch with the help of a boating facility grant from the Division of Watercraft.   » read more

TSA Lets Inflatable Lifejackets Fly

In August 2007, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) decided to once again allow passengers to board planes with personal inflatable lifejackets plus two spare CO₂ cylinders. In 2006, inflatable PFDs were included among banned items, making it tougher for boaters and anglers world-wide to use their own lifejackets: They had to be shipped ahead, or purchased at the destination, or the boaters had to forego the comfort factor and wear inherently buoyant PFDs -- a step backward for promoting the wearing of lifejackets. Even though the TSA has approved them for carry-on and checked luggage, check with your air carrier about their policy. Visit the TSA website in Related Links.

Watercraft Year In Review

2007 was an extraordinary year for boating in Ohio. Here’s a recap of some of the programs, initiatives, and achievements of the Division of Watercraft’s employees, volunteers, and boating partners.   » read more

Boat Show Season Is Here!

It’s January again and that means Ohio’s winter boat show season has opened. Shows in Toledo and Columbus have already been held.   » read more

New Watercraft Officer Cadets Coming On Board

The Division of Watercraft has been working on hiring 27 new Watercraft Officer Cadets. The hiring process began in April 2007 and there were over 1,100 applications (a new record).   » read more

Reporting Requirements For All Private Boat Operators On Lake Erie

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has implemented enhanced security procedures for small boat arrivals and inspection of associated crew and passengers.  » read more

Federal Discharge Permit Includes Recreational Boats

The EPA is required by a court decision to develop and implement a national permit system by September 30, 2008, for operational discharges for all vessels in the United States. If the permit system becomes a reality, you will be required to pay for a permit for each of your boats for non-pollutants (deck runoff, grey water, bilge water, engine cooling water, etc) as well as pollutants (oil, fuel, garbage and sewage --which are already regulated). The proposed “Recreational Boating Act of 2007” (H.R. 2550/S. 2067) allows an exemption for recreational boats and does not alter any of the existing environmental regulations for pollutants. Visit BoatUS in Related Links for more details of this potential permitting system and the proposed legislation concerning it.

Boating Travel Destination: Alum Creek

The 3,400-acre Alum Creek reservoir located in southern Delaware County is Ohio’s 7th largest inland lake and has been one of Ohio’s most popular boating destinations since it was opened in 1974 by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.  » More from Boating Destinations Audio Tour