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Archive for kill switch

Ethan’s Story: Importance of engine cut-off switches

Ethan Issacs’ family created a great video about their wonderful son, Ethan, who is no longer with us. Ethan lost his life because a youth sailing coach failed to attach their boat engine kill switch lanyard. In the video, the local Sarasota Florida police department recounts that day. (See our initial coverage of the accident.) […]

Kill Switch regulation Coast Guard News Release

Kill Switch Regulation Details announced by U.S. Coast Guard today, 10 March 2021. USCG News Release News Release U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters Contact: Headquarters Public Affairs Headquarters online newsroom U.S. Coast Guard Announces New Law Requiring Use of Engine Cut-off Switches WASHINGTON – Operators of recreational vessels less than 26 feet in length will be […]

Fell Marine wins Sea Tow National Boating Industry Safety Award

Fell Marine, manufacturer of the MOB+ wireless lanyard kill switch, received the National Boating Industry Safety Award sponsored by Sea Tow Foundation in the Top Gear & Equipment Manufacturer category for 2020. PropellerSafety would like to thank Sea Tow for sponsoring these awards and especially for recognizing the impact a for profit firm, such as […]

Coast Guard to require use of kill switch lanyards

The huge bill Congress passed at the end of 2020 included the provision that operators of boats 26 feet and under attach their lanyard kill switch or use their wireless lanyard if either is available on their vessel on Federal waters. Cabin boats and vessels with less than 115 pounds of thrust are exempted from […]

WSF / WSIA silent kill switch PSA

Water Sports Foundation, Inc. (WSF), a division of the Water Sports Industry Association (WSIA) created a Public Service Announcement (PSA) video encouraging boat operators to connect their kill switch lanyard. The video was created as part of a U.S. Coast Guard grant. While the video is shot in modern times and uses background music it […]

Mercury Marine 1st Mate virtual lanyard

Mercury Marine launched the 1st mate, the marine industry’s first engine integrated man overboard and proximity based theft deterrent system in Dusseldorf in late 2019. They announced that launch in the U.S. on January 20, 2020. Wearable wristband fobs (think Fell Marine, Mercury’s wireless technology partner), are worn by the operator (operator always gets the […]

Brunswick wireless lanyard patent application

Brunswick’s wireless lanyard patent application was published 30 January 2020 by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Brunswick’s wireless lanyard is made possible by the combination CANbus systems now used by boats and marine drives in conjunction with data available from the Engine Control Unit (ECU) and today’s digital controls (like digital shift/throttles). Brunswick’s […]

Media still misleads boaters on Kali’s Law impact on fatalities

Our June 2019 post, Kali’s Law: Misleading Fatality Statistics explained in detail how the media is publishing misleading boating fatality statistics surrounding Kali’s Law. Kali’s law will require the use of kill switch lanyards on certain power boats under 26 feet beginning September 1st, 2019 in the State of Texas. Texas media outlets continue to […]

RYA Kill Switch lanyard wear PSA 2019

Royal Yachting Association (RYA) of the United Kingdom (UK) released a great “wear your kill switch lanyard / kill cord” Public Service Announcement (PSA) August 6, 2019. In the UK kill switch lanyards are referred to as “kill cords”. RYA’s PSA is titled A Kill Cord Could Save Your Life. While the PSA is supported […]

Brunswick Neural Network Person Detection patent issued

We continue to salute Brunswick for their efforts to detect people in the water near a recreational boat. Basics of the Patent U.S. Patent 10,372,976 Person Detection in a Marine Environment invented by Troy Kollmann and Jon Nowick, assigned to Brunswick issued on 6 August 2019. The patent’s first claim describes detecting people in the […]