PropellerSafety.com

Archive for July 2012

Kali Gorzell : Texas Girl Killed in Aransas Pass Boat Propeller Accident

Live Like Kali <3 Sixteen year old Kali Gorzell of greater San Antonio Texas was boating near Aransas Pass about 10:30am Friday July 20, 2012. The teenage girl was onboard a boat as a friend of two sisters and their father. They were boating on Redfish Bay, near Dagger Island. The boat turned, she fell […]

Charlie Hutton, Boy Killed by Boat Propeller Near Isle of Wight Needles

Charlie Hutton, age 14 of Croydon in Surrey, was boating with Simon Hutton (his father) and two of his teenage friends on Friday July 20, 2012. Their inflatable boat was between Mudeford in Dorset and the Needles off the Isle of Wight in the United Kingdom (UK). Simon Hutton was operating the boat when his […]

Boating Industry Continues to Claim Propeller Guards Were Never Offered by Boat Builders: We Show Otherwise

A common defense used by the boating industry in propeller injury cases and in propeller guard discussions is their claim that no boat builder ever sold boats with guards on them, offered propeller guards as an option, or sold propeller guards OR at least not guards that were intended to protect people. We just encountered […]

Boat Builders Offering Propeller Guards Part 1 (A-M)

Numerous boat builders have offered or do offer propeller guards as an option, have sold propeller guards, or have provided their boats for use in major events (such as the Olympics) at which they knew guards would be required on their boats. This post is part one of a two part post identifying some of […]

Boat Builders Offering Propeller Guards Part 2 (N-Z)

This is a continuation of our list of boat builders that have offered propeller guards as an option or sold propeller guards, or provided their boats for use at a major event at which they knew guards would be required (such as the Olympics). Return to Part 1 (A-M). Narwhal Narwhal builds outboard powered RIBS […]

Regulations, Standards, Statements, and Developments Resulting in More Boat Builders Offering Propeller Guards

Several regulations, standards, statements, and developments have resulted in more boat builders offering propeller guards. Among these are: U.S. Code of Federal Regulations U.S. Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Title 46: Shipping Part 160 – Lifesaving Equipment Subpart 160.156 – Rescue Boats and Fast Rescue Boats (SOLAS) requires each propeller of a rescue boat be […]

Donald G. Balius, Sr. : Obituary of a Propeller Guard Pioneer

We recently noticed Donald Balius passed away back on April 25, 2009 at age 81. He owned and operated Donald Balius Iron Works in Biloxi Mississippi at the same address for over 50 years until it was destroyed by hurricane Katrina in 2005. A nice obituary is in the Sun Herald (Biloxi-Gulfport MS). We borrowed […]

Yanmar Builds Diesel Outboard to Accept Propeller Guard

Back in 2000, Yanmar was offering a special lower leg on Model D27A and D36A outboards (27 and 36 horsepower) that came with bolt holes for installing a propeller guard. The boating industry has long claimed that all marine drive manufacturers are united in their stand against propeller guards. Drive manufacturers say their united stand […]

Mercury Marine / Dick Snyder 1989 Propeller Guard

Dick Snyder, Mercury Marine’s expert witness in propeller guard cases, designed a propeller guard back in 1989. Placing the event in historical perspective, this was a very eventful time. The U.S. Coast Guard NBSAC Propeller Guard Subcommittee was formed on May 11, 1988, met twice more in 1988, met in May of 1989, then delivered […]

Modeling the Risk of a Propeller Striking a Person or a Submerged Object: a Senior Design Project

Recreational boat propellers often strike swimmers, divers, snorkelers, tubers, people ejected from the boat, logs, driftwood, dredge pipes, debris, marine life, or other floating or submerged objects. A model of those risks would be useful in crafting: Boating safety tips Regulations Propeller safety products Design and marking of swimming, snorkeling, and diving areas Boat and […]