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Archive for submerged object

FLIR files patent for submerged object avoidance system

In June 2017 FLIR Systems, well known for recreational boating navigational and infrared products, filed U.S. Patent Application 2017/0158297 for “Watercraft Protection Systems and Methods”. FLIR’s patent application describes the use of sensors (including depth sensors and boat speed sensors) interfaced with existing trim tabs, trim and tilt systems, jack plates, and potentially new vertical […]

Design Chart for Preventing Outboard Motors From Entering Boats

We charted the the Design Flow Process designing outboard motors in a manner that prevents them from entering the boat after striking submerged objects. The chart was designed specifically with tournament bass boat outboard motors in mind. The chart has since been updated since it was originally posted. The most recent version is below.

New Category – Outboard Motor Broke Off & Flipped Into Boat

Numerous previous posts concerned outboard motors striking submerged objects, breaking off, and flipping into boats, preventing or mitigating those accidents, log strike systems, accidents and legal trials involving such accidents and related topics. We will now be covering this topic in this category of the PropellerSafety blog. If anyone wonders why we are covering these […]

Updated Outboard Motor broke off & flipped into boat lists

We updated our Outboard Motor Struck Submerged Object and Flipped Into Boat list today (2 May 2016). We still have many more to add to the list above plus the 2015 U.S. Coast Guard Boating Accident Report Database (BARD) will be out with more soon as well. We also updated our list of Bass Boat […]

Our List of Outboard Motors Flipping Into Boats Was Updated 2 June 2014

We updated list of boat accidents on our Outboard Motor Struck Submerged Object and Flipped Into Boat page today (2 June 2014). The updates included one 2002 accident, several 2013 accidents from the recently released USCG 2013 Public Boating Accident Report Database (BARD), and the recent Todd Iwamoto and Rex Chambers accidents. We also added […]

Preventing Outboard Motors From Flipping into Boats

As part of our continued efforts to encourage the boating industry to address the boating safety hazard of boat outboard motors striking submerged objects and flipping into boats, we published a list of approaches, methods, and technologies used by others, or that appear potentially applicable to this problem. The paper itself is about a 10 […]

Molly Moses – 2009 Boat Propeller Accident

Molly Moses, 16, was boating on the Tennessee River at Lake Wheeler shortly before midnight Friday 31 July, 2009. She was with her father, Brian Moses, and a family friend in an 18 foot fishing boat near Findley Island in Morgan County, Alabama. They were returning from a fishing trip, the boat lurched hard to […]

Outboard Motor Struck Submerged Object And Flipped Into Boat: Exemplar Outboard Boat Accidents

The Storm Lake Iowa Laass v. Brunswick case has focused attention on outboard marine drives striking submerged objects and flying back up into the boat. In the Storm Lake accident, a ten year old boy, David Paul McFarlin was killed on May 31, 2010. A 175 HP Mercury outboard struck a submerged dredge pipe, flipped […]