Watching your teenager drive off in the family car can be a nerve-wracking experience, especially with the brake lights flashing during jackrabbit starts and stops up the street. Watching the boat drive away with your teen at the wheel can be even more spine tingling. There are no brakes on a boat, and you're helpless to do anything from the dock if your child panics or runs into unexpected trouble.

Nonetheless, letting your teen take the boat out on their own has a significant upside. If handled correctly, it can teach responsibility and instill a sense of pride. So when's the right time to cut the dock lines - a boat's umbilical cord - and let your child run the boat sans parents? The answers range from "never" to "when they reach XX age." But many parents also say it depends on the individual.  

Of course, there are legal stipulations that form the baseline for allowing your child to operate the boat alone. "The majority of states have some form of mandatory education requirements that affect youth," says Susan Engle, president of Marine University in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, which has NASBLA-approved boating safety education courses online and at dealerships. "Many of these laws are written with a specific birth date included, so that over time more people will be required to take boating safety education courses."

Requirements also vary from state to state. Anyone under the age of 22 in Florida, for instance, is required to have a boating safety education certificate that requires an 8-hour classroom course and exam. Alabama, by contrast, requires a Boat Operator's Certificate that has the same legal status as a driver's license. In that state, anyone over the age of 12 can operate a boat with the operator's certificate. In Florida, there's no minimum age requirement to operate a boat - unless it's a personal watercraft, in which case you have to be 14 years old.  

The idea of a 10-year-old at the helm of a 36-foot go-fast boat with triple outboards screaming through the Florida Keys seems ridiculous, but it's technically within the law. What about a 12-year-old or even a 14-year-old? Do you let them operate a boat just because it's legal? Of course not. But how do you know when they're really ready? A poll of about 15 parents on the Crownline Owners' Forum returned a range of answers to the question, "When will you let your child drive your boat alone?" "Just as soon as they're old enough to buy their own boat," says Steve Hunt. "I'll second that," says Greg Dahlem, and a few others joined the refrain.  

Others took a different view of the subject, and argued that it depended on the maturity level of the child. "My son is 15 months old and has been on the boat since before he was 3 months," says Craig Kiester. "If he earns it, he'll be able to take the boat out by the time he's 16."

Kiester intends to raise his son on his Crownline much as his parents did with him, first on a 12-foot aluminum boat and then on a 26-foot Penn Yan. "By the time I was 7, I was sitting on my dad's lap and 'driving' the boat," he says. "When I was 14, I'd back the boat off the trailer when my dad would park the truck." When he was 16, he was allowed to take the boat out with friends to go waterskiing.

Ryan DeLoach tells a similar story. "At the ripe age of 8 years old, I was always at the helm of my parents' houseboat, and by 11, I was docking it," he says. "In high school, a friend had a Scarab. We used it over the weekends, following the rules because we knew the boat would be taken away if we didn't. It's up to parents to lay groundwork and set out consequences in advance."

So once the certificates are earned and the skills are honed, how do you know when it's the right time? "I think age has nothing to do with being able to operate a boat," says Crownline owner Jim Knollenberg. "Every person is different in their own abilities." Capt. Dana Whitton, who teaches boating courses out of Sarasota, agrees with this. "I think you have to distinguish the level of maturity," says Whitton. "Is the child responsible, and have they shown responsibility in other areas of their lives? Are they showing you that they're really striving to learn about the boat and trying to do it right?"

Whitton allowed her daughter to run a small fishing boat near the family dock when she was 10 years old. "She was fine in a small 8-foot boat with a tiny motor, but I obviously wouldn't have put her in a boat that goes 100 mph." Whitton says she's taught boat-handling to two teenage sisters with varying results. "One was 15, but couldn't care less about boating," she says. "The other was 13 and learned a lot more. I'd trust the younger one more."

Does age matter, even if the teenager has demonstrated a prowess in boat-handling and a responsible personality? Definitely, say the parents. "I can't imagine letting a 12- or 14-year-old drive a car by himself," notes Ryan Bretz on the Crownline forum. "Why is a boat any different?"

Boat size also seems to be a factor for parents who let their child operate a boat before they turn 18. Brad Davison, a 17-year-old high school senior who runs the family's 18-foot Aquasport in the waters around St. Petersburg, Florida, started out on a 14-foot McKee Craft that his father Jeff bought him. "I felt really comfortable on that smaller boat," says Brad. "When I got to the Aquasport, I felt uncomfortable driving it alone at first. When I came in to dock, that's when I really got scared."

But Jeff, a salesman at Thunder Marine in St. Petersburg, believes that he's trained his son well. "We raised our kids on the water, so they had plenty of boating time," he says. "By the time he was 10, I let Brad run the wheel while I was reeling in kingfish. I trusted him because he was careful and steady."

It was still a bit of a heart-thumper when Brad pulled the boat away from the dock for the first time alone. "I could see Dad was nervous," says Brad. "We spent like an hour on what to do and what not to do before I left. After a few times, he got comfortable. He told me it's the other boaters you have to worry about, and taught me to drive defensively."

"I also make sure he knows that he's the captain and all the safety requirements that come with that," says Jeff. "But he loves it. He'd sell his car in a heartbeat if he could buy his own boat."

While the specific age for flying solo seems to depend on the parent's comfort level with their teen's maturity and seamanship skills, most parents agree that children should be taught all aspects of boat-handling in case an emergency comes up.

That paid off handsomely for Larry Sherwood, who had a medical problem a few years ago. "When my daughter Jaime was 18, she started driving the boat and towing me on the skis," he says. "About the same time, I started to teach her about trailering the boat."

Two years later, when Sherwood had a health concern at a Crownline owners' rally, his daughter drove the family and the boat 650 miles back home, dropping Sherwood at the local hospital and then unhitching the boat in the driveway. "I'm very thankful I took the time to teach her, and that she had the skills to do what she did at 20," he says. "I'd let her take the boat out by herself, anytime she'd like."

5 Tips For Letting Your Teen Take The Boat Out

- Require that your teen attends a boating safety course.
- Make sure you and your teen fully understand your  state's boating regulations and requirements.
- Determine your child's readiness by responsibility and aptitude, not just age.
- Don't give your teen more than they can handle.
- Trust your kids and have faith that you've instilled great boat-handling skills.