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All boats under 26’ will require lanyards / engine cut off

RiverDave

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U.S. Coast Guard Announces New Law Requiring Use of Engine Cut-off Switches



WASHINGTON - Operators of recreational vessels less than 26 feet in length will be required to use an engine cut-off switch (ECOS) and associated ECOS link (ECOSL) as of April 1, 2021, as the U.S. Coast Guard implements a law passed by Congress.



The ECOS and ECOSL prevent runaway vessels and the threats they pose. The ECOSL attaches the vessel operator to a switch that shuts off the engine if the operator is displaced from the helm. The ECOSL is usually a lanyard-style cord that attaches to an ECOS either in close proximity to the helm or on the outboard motor itself if the vessel is operated by a tiller. When enough tension is applied, the ECOSL disengages from the ECOS and the motor is automatically shut down. Wireless ECOS have recently been developed and are also approved for use. These devices use an electronic “fob” that is carried by the operator and senses when it is submerged in water, activating the ECOS and turning the engine off. Wireless devices are available on the aftermarket and are beginning to become available as manufacturer-installed options.



Each year the Coast Guard receives reports of recreational vessel operators who fall or are suddenly and unexpectedly thrown out of their boat. These events have led to injuries and deaths. During these incidents the boat continues to operate with no one in control of the vessel, leaving the operator stranded in the water as the boat continues on course, or the boat begins to circle the person in the water eventually striking them, often with the propeller. These dangerous runaway vessel situations put the ejected operator, other users of the waterway, and marine law enforcement officers and other first responders in serious danger.



Section 503 of the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2018 required manufacturers of covered recreational boats (less than 26 feet in length, with an engine capable of 115 lbs. of static thrust) to equip the vessel with an ECOS installed as of December 2019. Owners of recreational vessels produced after December 2019 are required to maintain the ECOS on their vessel in a serviceable condition. It is recommended that recreational vessel owners regularly check their existing ECOS system to ensure it works, following manufacturer’s instructions.



Section 8316 of the National Defense Authorization Act of 2021 requires individuals operating covered recreational vessels (less than 26 feet in length, with an engine capable of 115 lbs. of static thrust; 3 HP or more) to use ECOS “links.” Using the ECOSL is required only when the primary helm is not within an enclosed cabin, and when the boat is operating on plane or above displacement speed. Common situations where ECOSL use would not be required include docking/trailering, trolling and operating in no-wake zones.



The Coast Guard believes that the overwhelming majority of recreational vessels produced for decades have had an ECOS installed, so this new use requirement simply obligates recreational vessel operators to use critical safety equipment already present on their boat.



Seven states currently have ECOS use laws for traditional recreational vessels, and 44 states have ECOS use laws for personal watercraft (PWC).



Boaters are encouraged to check the U.S Coast Guard website for additional information on this new use requirement and other safety regulations and recommendations: https://uscgboating.org/recreational-boaters/Engine-Cut-Off-Switch-FAQ.php
 

River Runnin

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Q6. What boats need to have an Engine Cut-Off Switch installed?
A6. Boats less than 26 feet in length that generate more than 115lbs of static thrust (~ 2-3hp) and were built beginning in January 2020. If the boats’ primary helm is inside an enclosed cabin it is not required to have an Engine Cut-Off Switch.

I'm Good! :)
 

Justsomeguy

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Q9. My boat doesn’t have an Engine Cut-Off Switch, do I need to install one?
A9. No, unless the boat was built on or after 1 JAN 2020. The installation requirement applies to manufacturers, distributors and dealers of “covered recreational vessels” after 1 JAN 2020. For those boats, an Engine Cut-Off Switch must be installed and the owner is required to maintain it.

My old boat is good.
 

MK1MOD0

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Interesting. I didn’t go to the link. Only read the above original post. Thanks.
 

02HoWaRd26

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Maybe it’s time i start making boat matching lanyards again lol.
964CE34E-2462-4FDB-B8A3-AD2269EE106F.jpeg

I’m not big on rules and regulations, however i always wear mine anytime on on plane.
 

C-Ya

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Boatcop (Alan) mentioned when he responded to my thread about this, that this wasn’t going to be enforced at Parker or Havasu. Something about local and federal. I don’t exactly remember.
 

Loo Dog

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2008. GFY, gubmint man! Boat has one anyhow. Knocked it off with my knee once and got pissed off (took it out on my wife) why it wouldn’t start. Lesson learned in more ways than one. If I had a haul ass boat I’d comply. Until then...nope.
 
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rivermobster

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Q6. What boats need to have an Engine Cut-Off Switch installed?
A6. Boats less than 26 feet in length that generate more than 115lbs of static thrust (~ 2-3hp) and were built beginning in January 2020. If the boats’ primary helm is inside an enclosed cabin it is not required to have an Engine Cut-Off Switch.

I'm Good! :)

X2!
 

Orangegazm

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That’s where it starts, though. Give em’ an inch they’ll take a mile. We can police ourselves a million times better. But I get your point, and mine is too little too late.
I agree, no one can screw shit up better than the Feds !!! If the boating industry would have implemented at least an open book test on safety... there wouldn't be boater ID cards !!
 

Carlson-jet

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They should mandate they be put in cars as well. I have watched hundreds of videos where good people jumped out of cars to avoid the police during a high speed chase causing severe injuries and a few deaths not to mention car jackings. 👍
 
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Wizard29

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Q6. What boats need to have an Engine Cut-Off Switch installed?
A6. Boats less than 26 feet in length that generate more than 115lbs of static thrust (~ 2-3hp) and were built beginning in January 2020. If the boats’ primary helm is inside an enclosed cabin it is not required to have an Engine Cut-Off Switch.

I'm Good! :)

Because of the thrust/HP requirement or...? 😀
 

rrrr

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Conchas Lake is a medium sized reservoir on the Canadian River in northeast New Mexico. It's one of the few lakes in the state with clear and clean water.

When I was in high school, a girl I was dating went on a weekend outing to the lake with her parents and a couple other families. Karen (I have substituted another name out of respect for her) went out on a 19' vee hull outboard with two other girls and a 21 year old guy whose parents owned the boat. He had very little experience operating a boat.

Karen later described to me how he recklessly operated the boat, driving at high speed and sharply throwing over the helm, crossing back over the wake and such. In doing so during a pass near a rocky shore, he hit the double up hard, and everyone was ejected from the boat.

The boat was pinned at full throttle, and began circling around the group. It struck both of the other girls, ran a few more circles, and then crashed onto the shore. One of them disappeared under the water, and the other girl lost an arm at the elbow and received multiple propeller gashes.

The boat "captain" swam her to shore, and a passing boat stopped and drove them to the boat ramp. A game warden happened to be there. He placed a tourniquet on the girl's arm, and called for help over the radio. An ambulance responded from Tucumcari, about 35 miles away.

During the ambulance ride, the girl went into cardiac arrest and died. The other girl's body was recovered the next day.

My beautiful friend Karen was never the same after that. She suffered from PTSD, an condition unknown in 1973. She became an alcoholic before she reached 25, and her life spiraled out of control. I last saw her when we were around 37, and it was just so fucking sad that someone else's stupidity and ignorance stole her life.

No matter how much experience and skill you possess, there is always a chance you may be knocked down and displaced from your position at the helm. A rogue wave, an unseen roller, or another boat's wake might cause your boat to hook an edge while you're turning, and eject your occupants. We all know that when this occurs, the boat can continue to run, the throttle engaged and the boat describing ever tightening circles. It's a horrible situation.

I hope by reading about this tragic event, you will make a personal commitment to always, without exception, wear an ignition switch lanyard every time your boat's engine is started. We have a responsibility to our passengers and those in other boats.

Don't place yourself and others in the terrible situation that fractured my friend's life, her friend's lives, their families' lives, and the lives of all those that responded to the incident and thus became part of a horror that cannot be forgotten.

I hadn't thought about this incident in years, and relating it to you has brought back fresh recall of the ghastly memories imprinted on my brain. I wonder where Karen is, and if she has been able to escape the traumas inflicted upon her that beautiful sunny afternoon.

Please, wear that lanyard.
 
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mash on it

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Mine has throttle return springs.
So there's that.

Dan'l
 
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C-Ya

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Here is a story of a US Coast Guard boat that failed to wear the safety lanyard......

This is the summary...... I might ad more.


About 2013 on January 12, 2002, the 24-foot Coast Guard patrol boat CG242513, with two crewmembers on board, was on a routine recreational boating safety and manatee-zone patrol in Biscayne Bay, Florida, when it collided with the small passenger vessel Bayside Blaster, carrying 2 crewmembers and 53 passengers. Both Coast Guard crewmembers were ejected from their boat. The patrol boat continued running, circled to port, and struck the Bayside Blaster again. The unmanned Coast Guard patrol boat continued to circle for 10 to 15 minutes, striking a moored recreational boat two times and pilings near the shore. Police officers responding to the scene pinned the Coast Guard patrol boat to the pilings and shut off the engines. Five passengers who reported being injured were taken to the Coast Guard Station, where they were triaged. After triage, two passengers were transported to a hospital, and the others did not request further medical treatment. The two Coast Guard crewmembers were triaged by paramedics on Palm Island, taken to a nearby hospital for further examination, and released the morning of January 13. As a result of the accident, the Coast Guard patrol boat, valued at $80,000, was declared a total loss. The damage to the Bayside Blaster was estimated at $80,000, and the damage to the moored recreational boat was $24,722. Damages from the accident were estimated at $184,722.
 

C-Ya

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About 2005, the petty officer got under way on the 24-foot Coast Guard patrol boat CG242513 from Coast Guard Station Miami Beach for the recreational boating safety patrol, to enforce safe recreational boating rules and proper speeds in manatee-protection zones in Biscayne Bay (see ìWaterway Informationî section for more information). On board the patrol boat were two Coast Guardsmen: a coxswain (the petty officer who had requested the patrol) and a crewmember (also a petty officer). While the 24-foot patrol boat was departing the station at slow speed (about 6 knots), a crewmember on a nearby Coast Guard 41-foot utility boat (UTB) informed the coxswain of the patrol boat that his port navigation light (red sidelight) was out. The patrol boatís coxswain said that he tapped the light and it came back on.
The patrol boat then traveled north under the MacArthur Causeway Bridge. After clearing the bridge, the coxswain accelerated to full speed2 (about 4,000 rpm, or 32 knots) and steered around the north end of Star Island and along the north shore of Hibiscus Island. After traversing about halfway along the north side of Hibiscus Island, the coxswain reversed course and headed toward the east end of the island (see figure 3).

Still traveling about 32 knots, the patrol boat rounded the east end of Hibiscus Island and proceeded south in the waterway between Hibiscus and Star islands, heading toward the east end of Palm Island. The coxswain testified that ìknowing [he] was going too fast in the manatee areaî as the patrol boat approached Palm Island, he ìstarted bringing the throttle back.î The crewmember confirmed that the coxswain had his hands on the throttle as they entered the manatee zone. At the same time, both crewmembers saw a silhouette directly ahead and heard people screaming. The coxswain turned sharply to port and applied full starboard throttle in an attempt to avoid the obstacle.
About 2013, the patrol boat struck the Bayside Blasterís starboard quarter, sideswiping it with the patrol boatís starboard bow. According to the crewmember, at or immediately after the impact, both she and the coxswain were ejected over the starboard side of the boat and into the water. With the patrol boatís engines still running about full throttle, the boat continued in a left-hand (counterclockwise) turn.
In the water, both Coast Guard crewmembers removed their automatically inflated lifejackets to more easily swim to nearby Palm Island; they did not remove their law enforcement equipment. Both were forced to dive under the water at least once to avoid the circling patrol boat. During one pass, the coxswain, while underwater, was struck in the back by the patrol boatís hull but not its propellers. As the crewmembers swam toward Palm Island, they called for help to people they saw on the island. Two people entered the water from a residence on Palm Island, swam to the crewmembers, and helped them to shore.
The master of the Bayside Blaster slowed his boat after the impact to determine whether the passengers were all right. The deckhand also looked over the side of the vessel to see whether any passengers were in the water, to check for damage, and to determine whether the vessel was taking on water. As the Bayside Blaster slowed, the unmanned patrol boat circled back and struck the Bayside Blaster again on the starboard side (see figure 4). After the patrol boat struck the Bayside Blaster the second time, the deckhand went to the helm console, where the master was calling the Coast Guard to report the accident. Coast Guard records show that the call was made at 2015. After the second impact, the master of the Bayside Blaster increased his speed and headed the vessel north to avoid being struck again by the circling boat. He maneuvered the Bayside Blaster toward the northwest side of Monument Island, about 800 yards north of the accident site, and beached the vesselís bow on the sandy beach.
En route to the island, lifejackets were distributed to the passengers, first by the deckhand and then by the passengers. Once the master beached the boat, the deckhand directed everyone to the forward end of the vessel. He then jumped off the bow and began to help the passengers disembark onto the beach. All passengers received a lifejacket either while on the Bayside Blaster or while on the island.
The Bayside Blasterís uninjured passengers were ferried from the island by another company boat to Bayside Marina, their departure point. Five people who reported they were injured were taken with others in their group in Coast Guard vessels to the Coast Guard station, where medical technicians were waiting to triage them and whereambulances were on hand to transport them to local hospitals. According to Coast Guard Station Miami Beach, two passengers with injuries were transported to South Shore Hospital. The other three injured passengers declined transport to a hospital and were taken to Bayside Marina by government vehicle
 

C-Ya

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Meanwhile, the Coast Guard patrol boat continued turning in counterclockwise circles toward the east side of Palm Island. Twice, the Coast Guard patrol boat struck a 46- foot recreational boat moored bow-out at a dock on Palm Island. The Coast Guard patrol boatís T-top struck the bow pulpit of the recreational vessel during the first collision. The T-top was knocked over and dragged on the port side of the Coast Guard patrol boat. According to witnesses on shore, the patrol boat began making very small left-hand circles with the T-top dragging (attached to the boat by engine control cables and electrical wiring) in the water. At 2035, about 20 minutes after it first collided with the Bayside Blaster, the Coast Guard patrol boat hit pilings on the northeast side of Palm Island. It was wedged into the pilings by a Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) boat and a Miami Beach Police Department boat that had responded to the emergency (see figure 5). The officers managed to shut down the patrol boatís engines (figure 6 shows the patrol boat after the accident). See ìEmergency Responseî section for further details
 

HOOTER SLED-

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So don't worry about a boat if it's OVER 26'. That's shits just gonna crash and fuck things up anyways if gets in a situation. 😂😂
 

copterzach

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My jet bote doesn’t have one. And no, it doesn’t run a 100 like most jet botes do


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
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DrunkenSailor

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So don't worry about a boat if it's OVER 26'. That's shits just gonna crash and fuck things up anyways if gets in a situation. 😂😂

Yacht certified over 26 feet means you don't have to worry about poor people issues.
 
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steamin rice

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I don't know how I feel about it being legally required, but it's a good idea to have them and I try to wear my lanyard everytime I'm in the boat even if I'm not running fast.
 

Mototrig

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Q6. What boats need to have an Engine Cut-Off Switch installed?
A6. Boats less than 26 feet in length that generate more than 115lbs of static thrust (~ 2-3hp) and were built beginning in January 2020. If the boats’ primary helm is inside an enclosed cabin it is not required to have an Engine Cut-Off Switch.

I'm Good! :)
So glad you pointed this out
 

ONE-A-DAY

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Take Tres Martin’s class, he’s got some videos that will make you wear the lanyard. One in particular, caught from a lake front home security camera. Big eliminator Daytona goes flying by, spins and ejects everyone. All are alive and swimming . The Daytona is still circling and heads back towards the victims. Some good Sam in a toon tries to block the Daytona from hitting them and the Daytona climbs over the toon and kills the guy. Then keeps running and circles back to take one of the victims legs off.
 

Ace in the Hole

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I don't know how I feel about it being legally required, but it's a good idea to have them and I try to wear my lanyard everytime I'm in the boat even if I'm not running fast.

Lot's of idiots with boats.

I had one installed in my last sea ray cruiser. I've seen weird shit happen.

Our X-flight 29 has a lanyard. I wear it other than at idle. To my understanding Advantage and some other builders install them in ALL models regardless of size. I think its a good practice whether the law requires it or not.
 

SOCALCRICKETT

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No to side track the thread, but what does the "yacht" certificate actually mean. My formula has it and I've noticed that I don't have the maximum passenger tag. I always thought that yacht cert meant that there isn't a maximum passenger limit now

Sent from my SM-G981U using Tapatalk
 

River Runnin

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It works both ways! ... In some of the water I use to run, if the engine cut off at the wrong time! :eek: ....

 

CoolCruzin

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My 26 Cobra was built in 2015
I have one .
I don’t use it but it has one
 
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aka619er

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I was just hoping for another reason to be stopped on the water.
 
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Paradox

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Had a 23 STS Scarab with a 540 for a while. Didn’t have a kill switch so I had one installed. First time out after the installation, it failed between Pirates entry and Topock. Couldn’t get the boat to re-fire and didn’t know what the problem was at first. Almost ran aground. Finally figured it out and used a pair of needle nose pliers with continuous heavy force to hold the switch open. Turned out I got a bad switch and, once replaced, never had an issue again.
 

BoatCop

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Boatcop (Alan) mentioned when he responded to my thread about this, that this wasn’t going to be enforced at Parker or Havasu. Something about local and federal. I don’t exactly remember.

It WILL be enforced on the Colorado River, but only by Federal Agencies. Coast Guard, US Fish & Wildlife, BLM, etc.

While California, Arizona, Nevada and Utah don't have a kill-switch law now, I look for them to follow the Coast Guard's lead in the next couple of years.

For those that don't want to be tethered to the helm, there are wireless cut-off systems available. We used these at the SO since about 2007.

These are the best we found.

 
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