PropellerSafety.com

Archive for Propeller Safety – Page 12

Propeller Guard Information Center launches a Facebook presence

Back on July 27, 2012 we launched on Facebook. Please come by and “Like Us” at Facebook.com/PropellerSafety. We will be expanding our presence there as time permits, but we have already been able to reach several people we would otherwise have missed. While our main archive of information will remain over here at PropellerSafety.com, we […]

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 […]

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 […]

Modeling Boat Motor Log Strikes – A Senior Design Project

The boating industry has long been aware that marine drives can strike submerged or floating obstacles. In the early days they conducted on water log strike tests. In more recent times, some have moved to dry land impact tests (log strike test stands), and even considered virtual log strike tests (computer simulated log strike tests). […]

PGIC Goes Mobile

Yesterday, 4 June 2012, we launched a mobile version of the Propeller Guard Information Center (PropellerSafety.com) allowing cell phone and other small display users to more easily navigate our recreational boating propeller safety site. Mobile users (except iPads) are automatically directed to the mobile version. They can still access the normal version from a link […]

Boat Propellers Are Like Prescription Drugs

Several years ago while studying the recreational boat propeller market, I noticed it had many parallels with the market for prescription drugs. Since then, while pondering some propeller safety situations, I have come to see even more parallels. Significant investment goes into developing a line of propellers (just like R&D teams developing a new drug). […]

Propeller Safety Year in Review 2012

A review of the major propeller safety events in 2012 including safety meetings, accidents, legal cases, deaths of those involved in the movement, statistics, patents, articles published, public service announcements, anniversaries, and other related events.

NSW Australia Investigation Finds Military RIB Needed a Propeller Guard

An NSW Transport Roads and Maritime accident investigation report dated February 2, 2012, “Report of a Special Purpose Investigation: Into a Propeller Strike Injury Involving an Australian Defence Force Academy Vessel on Lake Burrinjuck NSW on 14 February 2010”, found a group of Cadets and Midshipmen were undertaking training for water insertions (leave the RIB […]