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Archive for flipped – Page 3

FLIR files patent for submerged object avoidance system

In June 2017 FLIR Systems, well known for recreational boating navigational and infrared products, filed U.S. Patent Application 2017/0158297 for “Watercraft Protection Systems and Methods”. FLIR’s patent application describes the use of sensors (including depth sensors and boat speed sensors) interfaced with existing trim tabs, trim and tilt systems, jack plates, and potentially new vertical […]

Mercury Marine Aluminum Alloy patents & propeller safety

As noted before, outboard motor swivel brackets take tremendous loads during a collisions with submerged objects. On occasion swivel brackets fail, sometimes allowing the outboard motor to break off and flip into the boat with the engine still running and the propeller turning a few thousand RPM. Driveshaft housings (the lower leg of the outboard) […]

Rex Chambers speaks on The Leash: video

Rex Chambers, well known professional bass angler and his fishing partner were injured 3 May 2014 on Wheeler Lake in Alabama when they struck a submerged log, the 250 horsepower Mercury outboard motor broke off, and flipped into the boat still under power. His fishing buddy was struck in the head by the skeg. Rex […]

Barhanovich case update 6 April 2018

The Barhanovich case resulted from a boat accident off Biloxi Mississippi in which a large Suzuki outboard motor allegedly struck dredge pipe, broke off, flipped into the boat and killed Mark Barhanovich on Sunday morning 16 September 2012. In our last update we updated the status of the Barhanovich case as of 5 November 2016. […]

The Leash receives U.S. Patent

We just noticed The Leash, a tether to prevent outboard motors from flipping into boats when striking submerged objects, received U.S Patent 9,771,136 back on 26 September 2017. Some of our work in this field was cited in the patent references as well. Roy John Grohler is listed as the inventor and the patent is […]

The Leash patent application was published by USPTO

The Leash, a tether for large outboard motors, entered the market in early 2016. They especially focus on preventing bass boat outboard motors from entering the boat after striking a floating, submerged, or fixed object. Their patent application was filed 22 December 2015 and published 18 months later on 22 June 2017 by the U.S. […]

Brunswick follows our lead, patents active trim cylinder US Patent 9,290,252

In December 2013 we published a report, Approaches to Prevent Outboard Motors From Flipping Into Boats After Striking Floating or Submerged Objects in which we identified several ways to prevent outboard motors from breaking off and flipping into boats after striking submerged objects. One of those was was active trim control (see pages 33-34 of […]

Designing a Log Strike Test Stand to Verify Durability of Outboard Motor Prototypes

We have previously written extensively on log strike testing, the variables involved, and more specifically on trying to prevent outboard motors from breaking off and entering boats after striking floating or submerged objects. This installment focuses purely on durability testing of prototype outboards. It does NOT address the issue of outboard motors breaking off and […]

Log Strike Test System designed by student in Sweden: Fredrik Helgesson

A college student in Sweden, Fredrik Helgesson, designed a test stand to log strike test outboard motors (outboard motors impact floating logs). The report is titled, Konstruktion av “log strike”-testrigg for utomboardsmotorer. Back in early 2016 Mr. Helgesson, a mechanical engineering student at Halmstad University in Sweden, contacted us a few times for technical specifications […]

USCG NBSAC97 Our Public Comment

The U.S. Coast Guard National Boating Safety Advisory Council (NBSAC) will be holding its 97th meeting on March 23-25, 2017 in Arlington, Virginia. Their March 2, 2018 notice in the Federal Register invited public comments, due by March 6th if they were to be distributed in advance to NBSAC members. We submitted a pubic comment, […]