PropellerSafety.com

Archive for propeller – Page 2

Size of the Recreational Boat Replacement Propeller Market

Many have suggested the boating industry’s objections to propeller guards may be profit motivated. Some propeller safety advocates and some of those struck by propellers suggest the industry does not want to use propeller guards because guards will reduce the number of dinged up and bent propellers that need replacing. Fewer bent or damaged props […]

David Cass of Minneapolis dies of pontoon boat propeller injuries

David Cass, 30 of Minneapolis Minnesota, was operating a pontoon boat on Lake Bell Taine near Nevis and Park Rapids, in northern Minnesota about 1:45pm Wednesday June 26, 2013. Two other people were onboard the pontoon boat. David Cass moved toward the bow of the pontoon boat, fell overboard, and was struck by the propeller. […]

New Category Created to Cover Propeller Victim Memorials

Families and friends of propeller accident victims have memorialized their loved ones in many ways. Among the most popular ways is creating a website or FaceBook page in their memory. Another way is creating audio visual presentations of their life, some of which are used at funerals. Funerals themselves are a way we memorialize our […]

Propeller Guards Required by U.S. Masters Swimming Open Water Events

U.S. Masters Swimming (USMS) was facing skyrocketing insurance costs for open water swimming events. Costs have risen so high that many members would no longer be able to compete. As a part of the changes, boats will now be required to have propeller guards. Nadine Day, USMS President, says the increased insurance premium was mostly […]

Swim Platform Seats: An Attractive Nuisance to Children, Youth, & Adults?

Lora and I attended the 2013 Tulsa Boat Show on Wednesday January 30th. We were quickly overwhelmed with swim platform seats, aft facing seats, swim deck seating. Swim platform seats were almost ubiquitous on midsize and large boats. The extreme popularity of this design can lead to some problems. Most of the boats with swim […]

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 […]

Tourists Being Struck and Killed by Boat Propellers in Diving / Snorkeling Areas

The recent December 2012 Casey Schulman propeller accident is reminiscent of many other diving and snorkeling tourist prop strikes in diving / snorkeling areas. These regions of the world often lack quick emergency response teams, paramedics, life flight, trauma centers, advanced medical care, and blood supplies. Boats are usually not registered and no boating safety […]

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 […]

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 […]

Updated list of Dredge Pipe Strikes and Updated List of Houseboat Propeller Accidents

With the U.S. Coast Guard’s recent release of the public Boating Accident Report Database (BARD) for 2011 we spent some time updating our list of boats striking dredge pipes in response to the recent Mark Barhanovich fatality. Dredge pipe strikes are a rising concern with the Laass vs. Storm Lake case (death of David Paul […]