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Archive for Propeller Safety – Page 11

Propeller Guards Increase Cross Sectional Area And Thus Increase Risk of Injury?

Is the Additional Cross Sectional Area of a Propeller Guard a Significant Hazard or is the Industry Grasping at Straws? The boating industry has long cited the increased cross sectional area of propeller guards vs. the cross sectional area of an open propeller as an added risk. They say the increased area would result in […]

Australian Military Fined for Not Using Propeller Guards

Back in February 2010, Oliver Minchin, a 19 year old military cadet at the Australian Defence Force Academy was participating with other cadets in fast water insertion training (jumping in while underway at speed) from a Rigid Inflatable Boat (RIB) on Lake Burrinjuck. Minchin was severely struck by the propeller. His father, a well known […]

Casey Schulman, University of Virginia “Semester at Sea” Student, Killed by Propeller in Domica

Casey Shulman, 22 year old fourth year University of Virginia (UVA) student from Falls Church Virginia, spent the Fall 2012 semester on a 14 week “Semester at Sea” program. The semester for this University of Virginia program was winding down in early December 2012. Their vessel, the MV Explorer, with 54 UVA students on board […]

Boating Industy Has a Double Standard When it Comes to Testing Propeller Guards

The boating industry promotes one standard for testing propeller guards in court cases or when evaluating propeller guards proposed by those outside the boating industry, and a different standard when their own propeller guards are being tested. They want to test your guards trimmed full under at speed with the same propeller used on the […]

Licensing Propeller Safety Technologies That Are Part of Industry Standards / Regulations: Similar Case Heads to Court

A case currently before U.S. District Court in Seattle may have bearing on the licensing of propeller guards and other propeller safety technologies. In the past, some have said that swim ladder switches such at Keith Jackson / MariTech’s Prop Stopper could not be included in any USCG propeller safety regulation because they are a […]

Are Propeller Guard Technologies Being Suppressed by the Boating Industry, Along With Other Propeller Safety Devices?

Many have accused the boating industry of suppressing the development and deployment of propeller guards and other propeller safety devices. A list of ways in which the boating industry has been accused of suppressing propeller guard inventions, technologies and other propeller safety technologies is provided below. They are grouped by events or topics and partially […]

Boat Propeller Accident Statistics / BARD Database: Historical Calls for Improving Completeness, Accuracy, and Ease of Use

Many have called for improving the completeness, accuracy, and ease of use of the records surrounding boat propeller accidents. Those seeking to prevent or mitigate propeller accidents are generally forced to rely upon the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Annual Boating Statistics report for propeller accident frequency data. For example, we covered the release of the […]

PowerTech! Safety Prop wins IBEX 2012 Innovation Award

PowerTech!’s Safety Prop won the Propulsion Parts, Propellers BWI (Boat Writers) IBEX (International Boatbuilders Exhibition and Conference) Innovation Award on October 2, 2012. In an October 4, 2012 International Boating Industry piece covering the innovation awards, Steve Powers of PowerTech Propellers said the Safety Prop propeller has round-bladed edges that “tend to minimize the possibility […]

Detecting People Near Boats More Reliably Using Optical Image Stabilization: An Invention

Our Detecting People Near Boats More Reliably Using Optical Image Stabilization invention disclosure below was posted on 19 September 2012. We will make no changes to the text below the line following this paragraph except to correct misspellings, punctuation, and to update html/computer codes and links. Any updates to the invention will be posted below […]

MagBlade MaxThrust & SlipStream Propellers Brings Safety to Boat Propellers

Recreational Boating Safety (RBS) of South Africa recently announced the new MagBlade boat propellers (MaxThrust & SlipStream) that will fit all outboard and stern drives. Recreational Boating Safety claims the new MagBlade boat propeller is much safer AND provides better performance and maneuverabilty while reducing drag, ventilation, cavitation, and fuel consumption. Recreational Boat Safety (RBS) […]