Buckeye Lake Boater Training

11/15/2024

Just a reminder, today, Friday, Nov 15 is our end of season party at Mill Dam Corner Grille. The boating season is officially over as the state will open the dam and lower the water level for winter.

We're hosting a Pizza Party for our graduates, speakers and friends of Buckeye Lake Boater Training. Summer and boating season may be officially over, but we're not ready to cease having fun without our boats or water!

We'll start at 5:00 with pizza's and pictures. Bring your captain's hat for pictures and we'll share boating stories and successes with each other.

Terry Davidson and the Gears will start performing at 6:00. We'll join them on the dance floor for fun.

So come on out for pizza, fun and dancing, we're not letting the boat season end without a party as we count down the days until boating season 2025!

Please RSVP on this FB post or PM me if you are able to attend. We’re providing the pizzas and would like to have an idea how many plan to attend.
Captain Kelly, Buckeye Lake Boater Training.

11/12/2024

This Friday, Nov 15 is our end of season party at Mill Dam Corner Grille. The boating season is officially over as the state will open the dam and lower the water level for winter.
We're hosting a Pizza Party for our graduates and friends of Buckeye Lake Boater Training. Summer and boating season may be officially over, but we're not ready to cease having fun without our boats or water!

We'll start at 5:00 with pizza's and pictures. Bring your captain's hat for pictures and we'll share boating stories and successes with each other.

Terry Davidson and the Gears will start performing at 6:00. We'll join them on the dance floor for fun.

So come on out for pizza, fun and dancing, we're not letting the boat season end without a party! Please RSVP on this FB post or PM me if you are able to attend. We’re providing the pizzas and would like to have an idea how many plan to attend.

Captain Kelly, Buckeye Lake Boater Training.

11/10/2024

Jim Rummy, our mascot for the Buckeye Lake Pirate Fest is continuing his travels, but we’re going to make this a little more challenging. He’s on the road about 90 minutes from Buckeye Lake posing for pictures at a unique building/business. Your challenge is to help us find him. Here’s a clue; when he departed he was heading towards the sunset looking for a business with a with a name related to the sea.

Be the first person to correctly identify where this picture was taken and you’ll receive a $5 coupon (good for $5 off any food purchase of $20 or more) from the Mill Dam Corner Grille. This is our fourth week for the contest. We’ll post a new picture each week on Sunday. If no one guesses correctly, I’ll post a clue on Monday.

Look closely at the attached picture me Matey’s and submit your best guess on where Captain Jim Rummy is located. I need the name of the city and business where he’s posing.

11/03/2024

Jim Rummy, our mascot for the Buckeye Lake Pirate Fest is continuing his travels around the Buckeye Lake area and posing for pictures at various businesses and points of interest. Your challenge is to help us find him. This time he’s close to the water, that should narrow the options down a bit.
Be the first person to correctly identify where this picture was taken and you’ll receive a $5 coupon (good for $5 off any food purchase of $20 or more) from the Mill Dam Corner Grille. This is our third week for the contest. We’ll post a new picture each week on Sunday. If no one guesses correctly, I’ll post a clue on Monday.
Look closely at the attached picture me Matey’s and submit your best guess on where Captain Jim Rummy is located.

10/31/2024

Well, boating season is over for me. We decided to pull the boat before this next storm arrives. I suspect most of the leaves will be blown off the trees anyway.

Water level is down and it’s getting challenging to get out of my boat out of my dock space, so I pulled my boat on Tuesday. I’m glad we got out to take sunset pictures with colorful fall foliage.

Counting down the months until spring!

10/28/2024

We have a winner! Captain Jim Rummy was at Dockside Donuts & 52 Nrg in the village of Buckeye Lake. This is their new location on Rt 79 across from the KOA. They were on the Buckeye Lake Pirate Fest Treasure Hunt last May. Not only do they sell freshly made donuts, but they have sandwiches and awesome beverages!

There were several people who guessed correctly and some really good guesses too. The first person to respond with a correct answer was Lori Falter! Great job recognizing the front of their building. Lori, please PM me your address and I’ll mail your coupon this week.

I hope everyone had fun with our photo challenge. Here’s a couple more pictures I was going to use as a clue if no one answered correctly.

Rrrrrr Matey’s, tune in next Sunday for another Scavenger Hunt with Captain Jim Rummy.

10/27/2024

Jim Rummy, our mascot for the Buckeye Lake Pirate Fest is continuing his travels around the Buckeye Lake area and posing for pictures at various businesses and points of interest. Your challenge is to help us find him. This one is a little tuff, not much to go on unless you frequent this delicious business in the Buckeye Lake area and paid attention to your surroundings.

Be the first person to correctly identify where this picture was taken and you’ll receive a $5 coupon (good for $5 off any food purchase of $20 or more) from the Mill Dam Corner Grille. This is our second week for the contest. We’ll post a new picture each week on Sunday. If no one guesses correctly, I’ll post a clue on Monday.

Look closely at the attached picture me Matey’s and submit your best guess on where Captain Jim Rummy is located.

10/23/2024

Fall sunset pics are the best when taken from the water. The reflection off the water really helps. This is one of the reasons I prefer to keep my boat in the water this late in the season.
Also the first picture was taken about 20 minutes before sunset which helps with the lighting. The second picture was taken about 30 minutes before sunset. Pictures are from the northeast end of Buckeye Lake.

09/30/2024

Reserve the dates on your calendar for the 2nd Annual Buckeye Lake Pirate Fest, May 16, 17 & 18, 2025.

The festival is for Pirates, Steampunk & Mermaids, along with their enthusiasts. We’ve extended the show to 3 days (Friday, Saturday & Sunday) to accommodate requests. We’re still working on details for a larger trade show and additional activities around the lake. We had over 6300+ entries in our treasure hunt last May while over 3000+ guests attended the Pirate Trade Show.

The Pirate Marketplace is located at the Harbor Community Center at 5312 Walnut Road, Buckeye Lake, Ohio. It has been renamed to PORT ROYAL during Pirate Fest. A portion of the Marketplace Tradeshow proceeds will benefit the non-profit Harbor Community Center.

We are not accepting exhibitor applications yet; we need to finalize our expanded trade show location details. We plan to offer online vendor applications sometime this November.

09/27/2024

Our September Newsletter is out with updates for fall. Enjoy!

Buckeye Lake Boater Training (BLBT) provides Boat Training Services on Buckeye Lake by a Certified Trainer.  BLBT provides personal education services on Buckeye Lake on an owner/operators’ boat to promote boating safety, best practices and navigational awareness.  To find out more about BLBT co...

09/14/2024

FYI, most boats have their transponder mounted on the bottom of a toon. It's most likely about 8-12" under water. Which means the actual water depth is deeper than your depth gauge reads. It's easy to check. Place a stick or pole in the water at the back of your boat and compare it to what your gauge reads. If the depth is deeper with the stick, then add the difference in inches to the reading on your depth gauge.
See attached picture showing the location where most transponders are located. Hope this helps.

09/13/2024

Anyone born after 1982 needs a boat license to operate a boat. In my opinion, every boater should get their license. You need to know the rules, regulations' and navigational procedures to be safe operating a boat. Here's your chance this weekend!

USCG SAFE BOATING CLASS. SEPTEMBER 14TH, 1000-1300 HRS AT THE HARBOR COMMUNITY CENTER.
THIS CLASS IS APPROVED AS THE OHIO REQUIRED COURSE FOR THOSE BORN AFTER 01-01-1982.
COST IS $25, WHICH GOES BACK INTO THE EDUCATIONAL FUND FOR FUTURE CLASSES.
REGISTRATION WILL BE THE DAY OF THE COURSE.
SEE EVERYONE ON THE 14TH.

09/09/2024

We’ve had several customers ask about pulling their boat off the lake. They are seeing posts about boaters running aground. Yes, there are areas of the lake impacted by low water levels, the lake is currently down about 14-16”. There are still many areas of the lake with enough water for the average boat drafting up to 30”+ to navigate on Buckeye Lake.

Are you able to get your boat out of your channel? Some channels still have sufficient water and others are too shallow. Use a stick or pole, stick it in the water around your boat and measure the water depth. Depending on your draft, if the water depth at the bow is less than a foot or less than two feet at the stern, it may be time to get your boat out of your channel.

Are you able to get your boat off your lift? Lower your lift all the way and see if your boat floats or is it hanging up on your lift? Add weight to your boat and is it still floating off your lift. If it starts to bottom out with weight on your boat, then it may be time to get it off your lift.

If you can get your boat out of your channel or off your lift, then you should be ok navigating Buckeye Lake. There are plenty of areas with sufficient water depth to enjoy boating.

Here’s a few tips for avoiding underwater hazards:
- Pick up a free copy of the Buckeye Lake Boater Training Map > Showing the approximate location of known underwater hazards. I’ve attached a picture of the lake map and circled some of the areas you should use caution, consider trimming up or avoid completely.
- Know your draft and trim your motor up in shallow areas.
- Stay away from the tow path, navigate through the channel markers off Sellers Point to avoid the underwater tow path hazard. See the attached map.

Here's a link to finding locations where you can pick up a free map https://buckeyelakeboatertraining.com/?page_id=923

I’m still training boaters and haven’t had any issues with shallow water, just avoid areas with shallow water and underwater hazards. There’s still time to enjoy the lake!

08/12/2024

Tomorrow is our Meet & Greet on Tuesday, August 13 from 5 pm to 7 pm. We'll meet at the Dirty Oar (the old Carter Marine next to Papa Boo's). It's a great opportunity to meet up with your fellow boat Captains and talk about assisting new captains with dock practice.
Enjoy happy hour drink prices until 6 pm and you are welcome to stay for free line dancing classes starting at 7 pm. Join us for some fun along the lake.

08/03/2024

The August Captain's Log newsletter is here! https://mailchi.mp/buckeyelakeboatertraining/captains-log-august2024

08/02/2024

Captain's Bulletin - Buckeye Lake Maps Available! https://mailchi.mp/buckeyelakeboatertraining/captains-bulletin-august-2024

07/30/2024

We're offering "hands-on" boater safety workshops on your boat. Captain Kelly will meet you at your dock or a launch ramp. We'll review safety equipment and then I'll teach you how to maneuver your boat and dock at a variety of dock spaces. I'll also explain how to navigate Buckeye Lake safely along with areas to avoid.

Then we'll go on a tour of the lake on your boat showing how to navigate to various attractions on the lake including restaurants, marinas, fueling stations and public ports/docks. The approximately 3-hour workshop should be helpful to new boaters and anyone wanting to learn how to operate their boat safely.

Also the FREE 2024 map of Buckeye Lake is available at 40+ locations around the lake. You can see a digital version on our website along with a list of locations you can pick one up. https://buckeyelakeboatertraining.com/

07/16/2024

You still have time to register for the Zero K run at Buckeye Lake on Sunday, July 21. Come on me pirates, you can do this, it's about 80 feet across the front of the Buckeye Lake Brewery & Chef Shack to the finish line. You are welcome to carry your favorite beverage or snack during the race.

You get your runners number tag, t-shirt and a cold beer for the race. We're raising money for efforts to improve the lake and clean the water!!! You don't need to dress as a Pirate to join us, but you can!

Sign up today at http://0krun.com and join us, afterwards we'll hop on our boat and sail Buckeye Ocean! We'll meet at the Brewery around noon, race starts at 1 pm. Come on out and play while supporting a great cause for only $30. And you don't need to train for this marathon, we can do this.