Propeller Guard Information Center

Archive for boat

Mar
15
2012

Boat or Boat Motor Struck Submerged Dredge Pipe: Exemplar Boat Accidents

by Gary

The Storm Lake Iowa Laass v. Brunswick case has focused attention on boats and marine drives striking submerged or floating dredge pipes / dredge lines. In the Storm Lake accident, a ten year old boy, David Paul McFarlin was killed on May 31, 2010. A 175 HP Mercury outboard struck a submerged dredge pipe, flipped back up into the boat, and the boy was killed by its propeller.

We started looking for a list of similar “struck dredge pipe” accidents and were a bit surprised not to find any such list. We thought it might especially exist over in the dredge safety literature, but found no such list there either. We found some dredge safety studies, but they focused on the safety of dredging employees, not boating safety.

In the absence of a list, we started making one ourselves. Earlier, when we started making a list of outboard motors that had flipped into boats, we jotted down several U.S. Coast Guard Boating Accident Report Database (BARD) accident numbers for dredge pipe strike accidents. We went back and fleshed out those accidents into a spreadsheet format including the basic statistics surrounding those accidents.

We also checked some media (news) reports, boat forums, and other online sources for additional boat or outboard motor or stern drive struck a floating or submerged dredge pipe accidents. We found almost countless reports online, but few of them are well documented, so we left them off our list. It looks like these accidents happen much more frequently than they are reported to BARD.

The spreadsheet below summarizes our findings. You can download a pdf of the spreadsheet that includes additional columns of data by clicking on it. It is best viewed on a 24 inch or larger monitor. Read More→

0 Categories : Propeller Accident Statistics Comments
Mar
4
2012

Propeller Warning Labels Seen at the 2012 Tulsa Boat Show

by Gary

We attended the 2012 Tulsa Boat Show on Saturday morning February 4, 2012. While still getting used to my new digital camera, Lora and I walked around and shot photos of propeller warning decals. I am well aware there is quite a bit of variety in propeller warning decals, but found an even broader selection at this show than I would have anticipated. We show some of them below, as well as some other warning labels seen at the 2012 Tulsa Boat Show.

The comments below are NOT an analysis of boat propeller warning labels. They are just our quick observations of some of the variety seen in propeller warning labels at a single boat show. We are not saying any of the labels are better or worse than others. We are just saying they are different. We continue to encourage the industry to adopt ANSI Z535 standards for boat propeller warning labels.

Propeller Warning Decal with Ladder

Propeller Warning Decal with Ladder

Many propeller warning decals are used in conjunction with the boat boarding ladder as shown in the Brunswick Bayliner boat ladder example above. We talk further about Brunswick’s use of a Danger label instead of the typical Warning label later in this post. Read More→

0 Categories : Legal Shorts
Feb
25
2012

Outboard Motor Struck Submerged Object And Flipped Into Boat: Exemplar Outboard Boat Accidents

by Gary

The Storm Lake Iowa Laass v. Brunswick case has focused attention on outboard marine drives striking submerged objects and flying back up into the boat. In the Storm Lake accident, a ten year old boy, David Paul McFarlin was killed on May 31, 2010. A 175 HP Mercury outboard struck a submerged dredge pipe, flipped back up into the boat, and the boy was killed by its propeller.

First, a point of clarification. The U.S. Coast Guard does not recognize accidents in which people are on boats or otherwise not in the water when they are struck by propellers as propeller accidents, so this is “officially” not a propeller accident.

Marine drive manufacturers use relief valves and check valves in the trim systems of stern drives and larger outboards to cushion the blow and absorb the energy of striking submerged objects. The relief valves allow the cylinder rod to extend (drive to swing up as it dissipates energy), then the check valves allow the cylinder piston to settle back down to a “memory” piston. Mercury Marine is well known for conducting log strike tests which we discuss on our Laass v. Brunswick page, and supply an early video near the bottom of this page.

We often see U.S. Coast Guard Boating Accident Report Database (BARD) reports in which an outboard was torn from or broke off the transom. Some of these outboards sink, while others remain attached by cables, hoses, and/or fuel lines. In some portion of these instances, the outboard strikes a submerged object and actually flies up / flips up and lands in the boat. As a result, people in the boat can be struck by the outboard or cut by its still rotating propeller.

We decided to investigate BARD and some other sources to gain some greater understanding of these types of accidents and perhaps some insights into their frequency. Read More→

3 Categories : Propeller Accident Statistics Comments
Feb
14
2012

Kirsty MacColl Boat Propeller Accident

by Gary

Kirsty MacColl, A High Profile Boat Propeller Accident From 2000.

Kirsty MacColl

Kirsty MacColl

Kirsty MacColl, well known female British recording artist, was scuba diving in Mexico off Cozumel Island with a friend (James Knight) and a dive master (Ivan Diaz) on the afternoon of 18 December 2000. As they surfaced from a dive she saw a large powerboat was bearing down on her and her two sons (13 and 15 years of age). According to reports, she swam to one, moved him out of the way, then grabbed her other son to protect him. She was struck by the propeller, “killed instantly, her body nearly sliced in half by the propeller” according to a report published by her mother, Jean Newlove / Jean MacColl. The son she first pushed out of the way was also struck, but not severely. The boat belonged to a wealthy, influential Mexican businessman. He claims the boat was operated by an employee, Jean MacColl suspects it was driven by the wealthy businessman. Kirsty MacColl’s mother and those who assisted her, were unable to penetrate the protection, challenges, and roadblocks surrounding the event to positively discern the truth. The investigation was officially dropped in December 2009.

Kirsty MacColl had been working 18 months straight and was looking forward to the trip. She planned to introduce her sons to scuba diving in the beautiful diving environment at Cozumel. Her mother dropped by the night before they left the U.K. for supper, and they made plans for Christmas. Kirsty was killed at age 41 in a boat propeller accident that made world headlines. Her funeral was held in Mortlake Crematorium in London.

Kirsty MacColl was beloved by many and still has a strong following. Read More→

0 Categories : Propeller Accident Report
Feb
8
2012

Michael Hinton v. Outboard Marine Corporation (OMC) propeller accident trial

by Gary

Michael Hinton was trying to retrieve his son’s hat which had blown into the water on September 10, 2000. He was on the swim deck, crouched, hanging onto the swim ladder and getting ready to reach for the hat. The swim ladder was anchored to the transom by a nylon strap through a grommet. The grommet broke and Hinton fell in, went under a few seconds, then surfaced several yards away.

The boat operator backed up to retrieve Mr. Hinton, he swam toward the stern, as Mr. Hinton looked up he saw the boat rapidly approaching, hit his chin on the swim platform, one of his legs was pulled into the propeller and severely injured, and later amputated.

Michael Hinton claims the boat had a defective swim ladder.

As noted above, the trial focused on the ladder, but they would not have had a trial is he had not been injured by the propeller.

The Jury decided in favor of OMC on February 2, 2012. Read More→

0 Categories : Legal Shorts
Dec
16
2011

Developing a Consumer Guide for the Selection of Propeller Guards and Other Propeller Safety Devices

by Gary

This propeller guard selection guide is NOT ready for use. As brightly emblazoned on our documents, they are rough drafts. We posted them to generate a discussion that could improve them as well as provide some ideas to those working on the U.S. Coast Guard’s recently announced efforts to produce a consumer guide to propeller guards.

Our guide also covers safety interlocks, changing boater behaviors, boating safety classes and other boat propeller risk reduction activities.

Introduction to the Selection Guide

Our Propeller Accident Risk Reduction process is guided by three documents: Risk Proofing My Boat Against Propeller Injuries (describes the overall process), Propeller Risk Worksheet (large checklist that collects information to aid in decision making), and the Propeller Injury Avoidance Device Radar Plot (graphical representation of performance of various devices in different propeller injury scenarios).

Risk Proofing My Boat Against Propeller Injuries lays out the process, defines the terms, and identifies many possible actions that could make your boat less likely to be involved in a propeller accident.

It also teaches about five categories of Propeller Risk Reduction Activities: Read More→

0 Categories : Our Thoughts on Propeller Safety Topics
Dec
9
2011

History of Lanyard Kill Switches for Recreational Boats: Inventions, Regulations, Accidents, and Trials

by Gary

Kill Switch Lanyard

Lanyard photo courtesy of The U.S. Coast Guard

Although the U.S. Coast Guard is still considering regulations that would require boat builders to install kill switches (emergency engine cut-off switches) in all new recreational boats below a certain length and separately considering making their use mandatory, they have been on the market for over 30 years.

By the early 1950ʼs boat kill switches of multiple designs were used in National Outboard Racing Association boats.

George Horton, of Fort Worth Texas, applied for a patent on his “Quick Kill” recreational boat kill switch on 29 November 1972. He received U.S. Patent 3,786,892 on 22 January 1974, and entered productions with the “Quick Kill” kill switch in August 1974. His switch is widely viewed as the first commercially available kill switch designed specifically for use in recreational boats, vs. the earlier racing designs. Read More→

0 Categories : Regulations
Nov
27
2011

Propeller Guard Drag Research Projects – Senior Design Projects

by Gary

Boat propeller guards create drag which effects the performance of the boat, especially the top speed attainable at wide open throttle and time to plane. Propeller guard designers try to minimize drag by increasing the size of the mesh (make the open holes larger) and by decreasing the size of the wires / rods used to construct the mesh. However, those actions begin to reduce protection provided by the propeller guard, its rigidity and its strength. Prop guard designers make these tradeoff without an in depth understanding of all the variables involved.

We propose further research by students as Senior Design Projects, Sr. Thesis, Masters Thesis, and Capstone projects on the drag created by the components (meshes, screens, wire, rods, struts) used to construct propeller guards in clean flows and in the turbulence present in their operating environment. Read More→

0 Categories : Research Projects
Aug
30
2011

USCG Kill Switch (Engine Cut-Off Switch) Proposed Rule USCG-2009-0206 Our Public Comments

by Gary

One of our earlier posts noted the United States Coast Guard (USCG) is seeking public comments on a proposed rule concerning Boat Kill Switches, also called Engine Cut-Off Switches. Details of their proposal and request for comment on our Kill Switch/Engine Cut-Off Switch Proposed Rulemaking Comments Sought by USCG post.

The two most basic questions asked are should all new recreational power boats less than 26 feet be built with an engine cut-off switch AND if a cut-off switch is present, should the boat operator be required to use it?

We submitted a lengthy public comment yesterday (29 August 2011) that included Read More→

0 Categories : Regulations
Aug
29
2011

RFID Boat Kill Switches (Engine Cut-Off Switches) – Five PGIC Invention Disclosures Posted August 29, 2011

by Gary

Today, August 29, 2011, we, the Propeller Guard Information Center, posted five RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) invention disclosures. While they have other implications as well, they were primarily inspired by problems surrounding boat engine kill switches (emergency engine cut-off switches).

We (Polson Enterprises) are retaining all rights to these inventions (including their use in non-boating applications).

Existing lanyard boat engine kill switches (emergency engine cut-off switches) are used to kill the engine if the operator falls overboard. Boats often begin spinning wildly in the “Circle of Death” after the operator has been ejected. A boat operator that falls overboard while the boat is underway may be struck repeatedly by the boat and/or propeller as the boat circles.

Lanyard boat kill switches are rarely used by boat operators due to the hassles of hooking them up. Sensor based kill switch systems such as Autotether and MariTech’s Virtual Lifeline and CAST have began to address some of the hassles involved with using lanyards. Our RFID tag based invention disclosures illustrate a different sensor based approach with some additional advantages.

Our five invention disclosures are: Read More→

2 Categories : Propeller Safety Inventions
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