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Are you guys aware of the new boating law?

C-Ya

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Change Is Coming: Mandatory Kill Switch Use
I am lazy so I am just doing a repost of a new law that was recently added to a spending bill. Most people are complaining on how it was snuck into the bill. I have no idea if this will be enforced..... where you boat? I only say that because there are several boating laws in South Florida that are not enforced. Sound signaling comes to mind.



There was recent law passed that will require the wearing of an engine cut-off switch (ECOS). Outreach on the importance of the ECOS and this new requirement is important. Here is the text of the law.

SEC. 8316. ENGINE CUT-OFF SWITCHES; USE REQUIREMENT.

(a) In General.--Section 4312 of title 46, United States Code, is

amended--

(1) by redesignating subsections (b), (c), and (d) as

subsections (c), (d), and (e), respectively; and

(2) by inserting after subsection (a) the following:

``(b) Use Requirement.--

``(1) In general.--An individual operating a covered

recreational vessel shall use an engine cut-off switch link while

operating on plane or above displacement speed.

``(2) Exceptions.--The requirement under paragraph (1) shall

not apply if--

``(A) the main helm of the covered vessel is installed

within an enclosed cabin; or

``(B) the vessel does not have an engine cut-off switch and

is not required to have one under subsection (a).''.

(b) Civil Penalty.--Section 4311 of title 46, United States Code,

is amended by--

(1) redesignating subsections (c), (d), (e), (f), and (g) as

subsections (d), (e), (f), (g), and (h), respectively; and

(2) inserting after subsection (b) the following:

``(c) A person violating section 4312(b) of this title is liable to

the United States Government for a civil penalty of not more than--

``(1) $100 for the first offense;

``(2) $250 for the second offense; and

``(3) $500 for any subsequent offense.''.

(c) Effective Date.--The amendments made in subsections (a) and (b)

shall take effect 90 days after the date of the enactment of this

section, unless the Commandant, prior to the date that is 90 days after

the date of the enactment of this section, determines that the use

requirement enacted in subsection (a) would not promote recreational

boating safety
 

C-Ya

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covered recreational vessel
(1) Covered recreational vessel .— The term “covered recreational vessel” means a recreational vessel that is— (A) less than 26 feet overall in length; and (B) capable of developing 115 pounds or more of static thrust.

https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/46/4312
 

Hypnautic

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At first read it seems targeted at JetSkis and the mandatory use of the kill switch lanyard.
 

NicPaus

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My current boat doesn't have 1. I thought the manufacturer was required to install them but I guess not.
 

nowski

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Speaking of laws how are those boaters safety (renters exempt) courses going, did you get your cards yet???
 

attitude

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Speaking of laws how are those boaters safety (renters exempt) courses going, did you get your cards yet???
I got mine when my age came up, the course is extremely long (6-8 hours) and boring. I can’t say I learned much but the stuff it tries to teach you really makes me worried that people who don’t know this stuff would consider driving a boat.
 

Sherpa

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my ski boat came with the lanyard...... It;s usually clipped to the keyring.......

on another note, my 1962 chevy c10 didn't come with seatbelts...... still doesn;'t have them....... never got pulled over for a seatbelt violation. yet. lol
 

spectras only

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My Mirage had them since 1990, what's new? 🤔 Owner of Mirage boats manufacturer had my boat built for himself with twins and added offshore controls to run in the ocean in mind. There's literally no one around you out there at times. You only need to be a good swimmer if you get tossed out, to catch up to your boat later.:D🤙
 

ONE-A-DAY

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I wear mine all the time, on a wrist Velcro thing. All it takes is a couple boat wrecks and then you become a believer.
 

Ace in the Hole

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My current boat doesn't have 1. I thought the manufacturer was required to install them but I guess not.

Only under a certain length. I know my old cabin cruiser did not have one.

Some manufacturers do it anyway though.. I have one in the x-flight even though its not legally required from my understanding.
 

Carlson-jet

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Lanyards are the perfect accessory to a jet that depends upon thrust for steering.
I'm glad so many morons thinking things through.
It makes me feel not insane.
That or we are now outlawing anything that uses a jet for propulsion.
 

DMF

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My deck boat has one. I never wore it before this last season. Now I wear it all the time.
 

ONE-A-DAY

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Watched a video in the Tres Martin class, eliminator Daytona driver turns wrong and ejects everyone in the boat. Everyone is wet but OK. Boat turns back around and cuts the leg off one of the survivors. Then a good samaritan trys to put his pontoon between the people in the water and the circling boat. The Daytona climbs up and over his toon killing him. All caught on the home security camera of a water front house.
 

BoatCop

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Before everyone gets their panties in a wad, only the Coast Guard will be enforcing this. State (local, city, county) Officers/Deputies can not enforce Federal Law. Until/unless the States follow suit, this is a non-starter.

(It's a good idea to wear it, no matter if there's a law or not.)

If you don't like being tethered to the helm, there's some really good wireless lanyards out there. Most LE on the water use them, so don't have a hissy fit if you see them without an umbilical cord.

 
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4Waters

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Before everyone gets their panties in a wad, only the Coast Guard will be enforcing this. State (local, city, county) Officers/Deputies can not enforce Federal Law. Until/unless the States follow suit, this is a non-starter.

(It's a good idea to wear it, no matter if there's a law or not.)

If you don't like being tethered to the helm, there's some really good wireless lanyards out there. Most LE on the water use them, so don't have a hissy fit if you see them without an umbilical cord.

Thank you for your clarification, you are a wealth of knowledge, as usual 👍👍
 

C-Ya

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Before everyone gets their panties in a wad, only the Coast Guard will be enforcing this. State (local, city, county) Officers/Deputies can not enforce Federal Law. Until/unless the States follow suit, this is a non-starter.

(It's a good idea to wear it, no matter if there's a law or not.)

If you don't like being tethered to the helm, there's some really good wireless lanyards out there. Most LE on the water use them, so don't have a hissy fit if you see them without an umbilical cord.



Sorry Alan. It’s my fault. I got the notice from the coast guard and they are talking about it on the boat captain forums I belong to. It never occurred to me that this has meaning to me, but not my friends on RDP. Didn’t even think about state and federal. My Bad. It’s good to see you are still on the boards. I remember when we first met 20 years ago. Again sorry for not thinking it through.
 

highvoltagehands

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covered recreational vessel
(1) Covered recreational vessel .— The term “covered recreational vessel” means a recreational vessel that is— (A) less than 26 feet overall in length; and (B) capable of developing 115 pounds or more of static thrust.

https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/46/4312
I thought it only applied when I put my Bimini “Cover” up.....
 

Shlbyntro

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Texas pretty much passed this same law a little over a year ago because there was an incident down at the coast where someone got killed.

By my understanding, you're only required to use it if your boat is equipped with it and you are on plane.

I don't know how I feel about a wireless tether. What happens if the wristban stops communicating with the receiver. Your boat shuts itself down with you possibly losing control because of a loss of power (especially jet boats).

I always wear one on a pwc (unless its my standup) but im not terribly crazy about wearing one in a boat unless im in the ocean or maybe if I were racing, not that I ever have.

If I had to choose, Id pick the traditional lanyard over the wireless tether but none of my boats are equipped with them and I don't plan on changing them either. The boat cops out here just use it as an excuse to do a safety check. I haven't heard of anybody receiving a ticket for it yet.
 

Taboma

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Before everyone gets their panties in a wad, only the Coast Guard will be enforcing this. State (local, city, county) Officers/Deputies can not enforce Federal Law. Until/unless the States follow suit, this is a non-starter.

(It's a good idea to wear it, no matter if there's a law or not.)

If you don't like being tethered to the helm, there's some really good wireless lanyards out there. Most LE on the water use them, so don't have a hissy fit if you see them without an umbilical cord.


You stated Coast Guard, but what about federal officers on Mohave, Mead, and Powell, or the federal protectors of the flora and fauna up river Havasu ??
 

HALLETT BOY

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So now it’ll be : Have you been drinking , and how come your lanyard’s disconnected ? Please step off the boat ...
 

PaPaG

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I doubt I would have ever used a kill switch in any of my boats in the past if they had one installed. I would positively use one when riding a pwc type vessel just in case. We had a buddy of ours that should have used one way back when we were young, he was driving a zodiac type boat for the boy scouts transferring kids from land to a camp ground and on one of his empty runs he hit a wake or spun (no one knows exactly what happened) and was thrown out of the boat, as he surfaced or was trying to get to the boat (again no one knows) the boat swung around and the prop hit him in the head and killed him, they found him a few days later floating up to the top...if he had a kill switch he would be alive today. I guess its just a matter of personal preference and what is being used.
 

River Runnin

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`(B) the vessel does not have an engine cut-off switch and

is not required to have one under subsection (a).''.

Not required, Don't have, and would be dangerous!
 
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