PropellerSafety.com

Preventing Propeller Accidents

Honda Air Bag Propeller Guard Patent Application

Honda Motor Co of Japan filed a U.S. patent application for a propeller guard partially consisting of an air bag The patent application, US 2023/0278686 A1 “Outboard Motor Control Apparatus and Control Method for Outboard Motor” was published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on September 7, 2023. Honda’s patent application has to do […]

Malibu Boats Safety Alert: Bow Seating Hazard

Malibu Boats released a Safety Alert regarding a Bow Seating Hazard on July 18, 2023. Malibu reports the safety alert is due to a tragic incident that occurred with a Malibu Response LX boat. A passenger was washed out of the bow seating during a bow swamping incident. The passenger was then hit by the […]

Yamaha Patent Application: Propeller Status Indicator Lights

Back in April 2014, Brunswick was issued U.S. Patent 8,803,711 for what eventually became Mercury’s Moving Propeller Alert device. It uses several LED lights to display a rotating pattern when the propeller is turning and the boat is stationary or barely underway. Mercury has on online brochure. Now, in 2022, Yamaha’s U.S. Patent for a […]

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.) […]

FLIR receives Virtual Propeller Guard Patent

FLIR was awarded U.S. Patent 10,931,934 for Watercraft Thermal Monitoring System and Methods on 23 February 2021. This patent teaches the use of one or more imaging modules on the vessel scanning one of more areas around the vessel using thermal or non thermal imaging to detect people, debris, or docks in the water near […]

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 […]

Brunswick launches BoatClass on water training

Brunswick Corporation announced their new BoatClass on water boating training program to assist boaters in gaining confidence on the water and to teach proper boating safety practices. Brenna Preisser, Brunswick Corporation President – Business Acceleration & Chief People and Strategy Officer said, “Safety is the number one priority for all boaters on the water and […]

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 […]

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 […]

Broussard bass boat kill switch ejection video

Michael Broussard was bass fishing on Toledo Bend Reservoir with his father in 2018. Michael was operating the boat and failed to connect his kill switch lanyard. In April 2019 he posted an on vessel video of the event in multiple resolutions on YouTube.