Staff photo / R. Michael Semple New boat owners Ashley Haines, left, and husband Jerry of Niles take their new Yamaha AR 195 out of the water at the Mosquito Lake State Park marina after a morning on the reservoir in Bazetta.
BAZETTA — The supply-chain problems caused by the COVID-19 pandemic turned out to be a charm for the Haines family of Niles, new boat owners who have rented dock space for the summer at the Mosquito Lake State Park marina.
With spring’s better weather, boat owners in the Mahoning Valley have spent the last few weeks getting their watercraft ready for water sports and other recreation at the area’s reservoirs.
Ashley Haines said the family’s new 2022 Yamaha AR 195 is “the only model of its kind” that was available in America.
“We just got lucky that the man who purchased the Yamaha ended up not wanting it, and we were at the right place at the right time to get it,” she said about the new purchase.
Haines said she and husband Jerry had fished for years on Mosquito Lake, but they hadn’t done much cruising on the reservoir. She learned about boating by spending the summer days of her youth on her aunt and uncle’s watercraft. She said they decided this spring was the right time to get a boat for their family.
The couple was on the docks in Bazetta recently, getting the new Yamaha ready for some fun.
“We plan to go out every weekend. The kids were already tubing last weekend, something they had never done before,” Ashley said about her 10-year-old son and 9-year-old daughter. “We plan on taking the new boat out to Lake Milton and Berlin soon.”
Before getting lake-worthy, the Haines said they had to go through some boating safety courses mandated by the state.
An Ohio Boating Education course, offered Saturday at Lake Milton and June 4 in Middlefield, is taught by certified instructors who review such topics as know your boat; safety habits before launch; operating safety rules; legal requirements, water sports; and boating emergencies.
This class fulfills Ohio’s mandatory boater education law requirements.
A class met for eight hours Saturday at the Lake Milton Fire Department, and another meets 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. June 4 at Great Lakes at Outdoor Supply, 14855 N. State Ave, Middlefield.
A test is administered at the end of the day. The class is free, but preregistration is required by calling 330-235-0030 or 440-466-8400.
Bill Rafferty of Girard, who takes his kayak for fishing trips on Mosquito, said he is careful to steer clear of the “big wakes and big waves” created by the bigger boats. He said he carries a life jacket on board in case the craft flips.
“You don’t want to be anchored down when that happens,” Rafferty said about being in his 10-foot kayak facing large waves made by other boats or high winds. “There’s nothing you can do about that.”
Rafferty said he is careful to go no more than 100 feet from shore in his smaller craft. Last weekend, a fishing tournament brought boats of all sizes to the lake.
“It was pretty bumpy going,” he said. “I have been doing this for five years, and I have been extremely careful and fortunate not to overturn.”
With the warmer temperatures the last few weeks, Rafferty said the water temperature in Mosquito Lake has gone up considerably.
“Around the first (of May), I wouldn’t want to have fallen in,” he said — noting he also takes his kayak along the Mahoning River.
At Lake Milton, a man who works for a company that installs and repairs docks said his crews have had a busy spring, signaling perhaps the lake may be crowded with watercraft this summer.
Brian Martin Sr., who is employed by Kelly’s Marine, says his three-man crew works all day on the like using a pontoon-like watercraft. The company website says it provides service at Lake Milton as well as Lake Erie, Berlin Reservoir, Lake Mohawk, Lake Tomahawk, Roaming Shores, Portage Lakes and Seneca Lake.
Meanwhile, several local groups have received Ohio Department of Natural Resources grants for training in boating safety.
In Mahoning County, Youngstown State University received $22,154, while the Ashtabula YMCA received $9,865.
“The safety training provided by local grant recipients strengthens our efforts to make sure Ohioans enjoy a fun and safe boating experience,” ODNR Director Mary Mertz said.
This year’s recipients include several local school districts that will be providing boating safety classes to their students in environmental science and recreation programs for the first time, according to a news release.
The grant program also supports local purchase of safety equipment, such as kayaks, life jackets and trailers.
The grants are funded by Ohio’s recreational boaters through the Waterways Safety Fund, which is comprised of a share of the state motor fuel tax, watercraft registration and titling fees, and funding from the U.S. Coast Guard.
Ohio requirements for safety equipment are based on type of boat, type of propulsion, length of boat, your boating activity and the age of the boater (when it comes to required life jacket wear). Local rules or ordinances may exist that are more strict or require additional safety equipment. It is the boater’s responsibility to be aware of these local requirements.
For more information, ODNR has available for free. The Ohio Boat Operator’s Guide, a summary of boating laws and rules, that can be downloaded at the ODNR website or obtained by filling out a form on the website. It contains information such as:
• Before boating, your vessel must be titled properly, if required, and registered. A boat title is similar to an auto title. Both provide proof of ownership. Like an auto title, boat titles are obtained from any county title office. A boat requiring a title may not be registered until a title is issued in the new owner’s name.
Sailboards, kiteboards, paddleboards and belly boats or float tubes are exempt from Ohio registration and titling laws.
No person is permitted to sell, purchase or otherwise acquire any of the following without a certificate of title: Outboard motor of 10 horsepower or greater, watercraft 14 feet or greater in length, watercraft less than 14 feet in length with a permanently affixed mechanical means of propulsion of 10 horsepower or greater.
• Under Ohio law, no person shall operate or permit to be operated any vessel under 18 feet long with a child less than 10 years of age on board unless the child is wearing a personal flotation device. The PFD must be U.S. Coast Guard approved wearable, in good and serviceable condition, of appropriate size and securely attached.
Be sure to check the U.S. Coast Guard approval label before purchasing a life jacket. Not all life jackets are suitable for all uses or all people. The label will tell you the weight and chest size limits, plus any age restrictions for that particular life jacket. It also will tell you what water activities the life jacket is designed for, such as water skiing or riding on a personal watercraft. Some life jackets are not designed for weak swimmers.
• No person shall operate or permit the operation of a personal watercraft unless each person on the watercraft is wearing a personal flotation device. A “personal watercraft” is defined as a vessel fewer than 16 feet in length, propelled by machinery and designed to be operated by an individual sitting, standing or kneeling on the vessel.
• No person shall ride or attempt to ride upon water skis, surfboards, inflatable devices or similar devices being towed by a vessel without wearing a U.S. Coast Guard approved wearable PFD specifically designed for water skiing.
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