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Mandatory Kill Switch Usage


Eagleboy99

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On 4/16/2021 at 12:58 PM, Zippymbr said:

The law applies to boats built after 2020.

Kinda, if it's equipped, you have to use it.  My old 2006 had one, so theoretically, I would have had to use it.

Q23. I bought my 22-foot boat many years ago and it did not have an engine cut-off device installed by the manufacturer, so last year I added a new wireless engine cut-off devices. Am I required to use it?

A23. Yes. If an engine cut-off switch is present, it must be used.

 

Zippy and Jdubb, where are you guys at on Gaston?   I'm at MM4.

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I typically ride in only board shorts.  With no belt loops or pockets (sometimes a low leg pocket), where does one clip the tether to themselves?

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Again - legislating to the stupid. Rather than bust people for boating recklessly, they inconvenience everyone. A few years ago, an underage drunk girl in Indiana does an unannounced power turn, tosses everyone including herself from the boat, and hurts a couple of kids and some property. Now they have to come get the responsible people for nickel-dime tickets. I'm sure this will be the "probable cause" that they use to interrupt my day on the water.

Also, why would it be based on the length of the boat? Probably because it's just easier to define the boat by length than by usage, shape, or potential for the driver to be thrown from the help outside of his/her control. Barring an on water collision, I can't come up with a way that I can be tossed from my seat when the max speed I run is usually under 30mph. 

I've seen many videos of bass boats with 300HP motors that can rip 70mph on flat water with their driver being tossed - either by captain error, or by mechanical failure. Require it for flat, fishing style boats. 

My jetskis also fly 60+mph. They require them, and I wear them, because there is a chance of me being thrown off (never happened in 10 years, but still).

I truly believe that there will be more accidents caused by accidental removal of the kill switch, than by it's conventional use. Copy/Paste from my owners manual.

• Avoid accidentally pulling the lanyard during normal operation.
• Loss of engine power means loss of most steering control.
• Without engine power, the boat will decelerate rapidly. This could cause people in the boat to be thrown forward or ejected overboard if they are not properly seated in the boat.

Now I have to dig thru my stuff in the garage to see if I can find my lanyard, so I can put it near the switch, so that when The Man wants to mess with me, I can pretend I was using it. Gonna be so much safer on the water now. So, so dumb.

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This pretty much has its own catch-22 written into it that will make it almost unenforceable in a wake/ski boat - you don't need to be tethered at idle or docking speeds and the location in most inboards isn't visible outside the boat, so if you get stopped, how could they ever prove you weren't wearing it at higher speeds....

I just hope Minnesota doesn't adopt a kill switch law - then I'd probably have to actually install one...

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40 minutes ago, BigCreek said:

My jetskis also fly 60+mph. They require them, and I wear them, because there is a chance of me being thrown off (never happened in 10 years, but still).

 

I chucked myself over the bars on one at around 50, came in handy even though it was still a swim to get back to it.

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2 minutes ago, TomH said:

This pretty much has its own catch-22 written into it that will make it almost unenforceable in a wake/ski boat - you don't need to be tethered at idle or docking speeds and the location in most inboards isn't visible outside the boat, so if you get stopped, how could they ever prove you weren't wearing it at higher speeds....

I just hope Minnesota doesn't adopt a kill switch law - then I'd probably have to actually install one...

Not required on boats that didn't come with one - at least in terms of the USCG reg

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On 4/21/2021 at 7:20 AM, NCVride said:

Kinda, if it's equipped, you have to use it.  My old 2006 had one, so theoretically, I would have had to use it.

Q23. I bought my 22-foot boat many years ago and it did not have an engine cut-off device installed by the manufacturer, so last year I added a new wireless engine cut-off devices. Am I required to use it?

A23. Yes. If an engine cut-off switch is present, it must be used.

 

Zippy and Jdubb, where are you guys at on Gaston?   I'm at MM4.

Yes I have a house on Great Creek.

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Over here in the Netherlands it has been mandatory for many years and law enforcement really looks for/at it. Especially for waterscooters and het ski’s. I my bu though I hardly ever wear it sitting down. When I stand I do. 
 

a piece of advice from my side.. if you have one.. get a second.. let’s say the person wearing goes overboard and people stay behind.. who is going to drive and pick the original driver up without a kill switch cord. My 2014 23 LSV has a flip up switch so you can overrule the cord. But I do not if that also applies to newer or older models. 

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9 hours ago, BigCreek said:

I truly believe that there will be more accidents caused by accidental removal of the kill switch, than by it's conventional use. Copy/Paste from my owners manual.

• Avoid accidentally pulling the lanyard during normal operation.
• Loss of engine power means loss of most steering control.
• Without engine power, the boat will decelerate rapidly. This could cause people in the boat to be thrown forward or ejected overboard if they are not properly seated in the boat.

... ... Which will create a PI lawyer's dream.   Now the manufacturer (or the operator) will be sued when an accidental kill switch removal causes an accident.    Its not that far from imagination that a boat approaching a downed skier/wakeboarder who took a hard fall at more than idle (concern for injury)... driver stands to check on person in the water, accidentally pulls the lanyard just before reversing to slow... and suddenly no power, no and no ability to steer.   Runs over skier.   Skier drowns. 

Count me among those who would rather enforce laws against drunk/reckless boaters than introduce another nanny law. 

In my years, I have never actually observed a runaway boat.  While VERY dangerous, I would assert they are very rare.   Conversely, I have observed MANY reckless boaters, and even more reckless jet skiers who CLEARLY have endangered my crew/watersporters.     

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Last time I used one back around 2002, I accidentally pulled it at just above idle speed. It hydrolocked my I.O. Weather it Dieseled or just couldn't expel water due to no spark and exhaust pushing water out of the exhaust , that was the last time for me.

,

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Our 2019 has one. It just stays there tethered to itself. 
 

Or you can just take it off and flip the switch up

Edited by BarliBear
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