Re: Props are not Safe.
Posted: Sun Jun 05, 2011 7:22 pm
I also feel sorry for the young guy that was run over by the prop, every time I here of an incident like this I cringe. I think it has always being water skiers that I hear it happening to.
We are seeing more and more people that haven't grown up around boats come into boating, and boating suppliers are making it easier to operate a boat with out the skill base. Like you could go and buy a joy stick controlled 50ft launch with auto pilot that will drive it better than you ever could. Skyhook mode to hold it in one spot like only a very skilled skipper could do and trim tabs to even out the ride. I hear of people bringing that 50ft boat up to your private water ways home then chopping all your fingers off on your Jetty,not good. they just haven't learned enough about boats yet to handle such a big unforgiving craft.
You cant beat starting out in a small dinghy and learning boating skills right from the start, learning to level the load in a small boat rather than using tabs, learning how to slow down and approach another boat or even the beach. Learning that loading is critical to safe boating. Learning how to climb in and out of the boat. learning how to hold the boat launch and retrieve. Then navigation learning to use a compass and land marks and not to relie on GPS navigation.
The reality is you have put together the money to buy a boat, you want the best you can afford to full fill the biggest dream you can make reality. Fair enough. When I sell to a first time boat buyer I keep telling them to just take it slowly wait till the ramp is quiet and you are not under pressure, and practice simple boating maneuvers with a floating stick. Hey don't go to sea until you happy that you are proficient on the controls. My Fist boat was a 8ft sailing rowing motor dinghy. The second was a Zodiac Futura with a 30hp. And all of sudden I am the skipper and all the responsibility was on me. I had a crew to concern for and had to watch the weather and tides. I had to get divers and water skiers on board safely and I had to think hard about that prop and where it was.
I think horses for courses, in NZ the surf life savers in there ribs wouldn't dream of running the boat without a prop guard, but they do robb performance, well they do if you want to protect to the extent of a surf life boat. I don't know much about alternatives that don't robb performance,maybe they are out there. And if you thought it was a lot safer with a guard would you maybe not take so much care to keep the prop a safe area?
Man alive if I think back to all the near misses I have with all my outdoor activities, cars, bikes, boats kayaks you name it they all provide thrills and spills. I have been very lucky. Had the outcome of these spills been bad I would most of the time been at fault. I cant see that the product was to blame.
On the other hand I see boats being sold for purposes I don't believe they are fit for. If you came to grief in a product you thought was more capable than it turned out to be maybe that is a case. and if the product has a design defect that makes it unsafe then yes the manufacture or designers need to stand behind it.
You bought the boat, you also need to own it.
We are seeing more and more people that haven't grown up around boats come into boating, and boating suppliers are making it easier to operate a boat with out the skill base. Like you could go and buy a joy stick controlled 50ft launch with auto pilot that will drive it better than you ever could. Skyhook mode to hold it in one spot like only a very skilled skipper could do and trim tabs to even out the ride. I hear of people bringing that 50ft boat up to your private water ways home then chopping all your fingers off on your Jetty,not good. they just haven't learned enough about boats yet to handle such a big unforgiving craft.
You cant beat starting out in a small dinghy and learning boating skills right from the start, learning to level the load in a small boat rather than using tabs, learning how to slow down and approach another boat or even the beach. Learning that loading is critical to safe boating. Learning how to climb in and out of the boat. learning how to hold the boat launch and retrieve. Then navigation learning to use a compass and land marks and not to relie on GPS navigation.
The reality is you have put together the money to buy a boat, you want the best you can afford to full fill the biggest dream you can make reality. Fair enough. When I sell to a first time boat buyer I keep telling them to just take it slowly wait till the ramp is quiet and you are not under pressure, and practice simple boating maneuvers with a floating stick. Hey don't go to sea until you happy that you are proficient on the controls. My Fist boat was a 8ft sailing rowing motor dinghy. The second was a Zodiac Futura with a 30hp. And all of sudden I am the skipper and all the responsibility was on me. I had a crew to concern for and had to watch the weather and tides. I had to get divers and water skiers on board safely and I had to think hard about that prop and where it was.
I think horses for courses, in NZ the surf life savers in there ribs wouldn't dream of running the boat without a prop guard, but they do robb performance, well they do if you want to protect to the extent of a surf life boat. I don't know much about alternatives that don't robb performance,maybe they are out there. And if you thought it was a lot safer with a guard would you maybe not take so much care to keep the prop a safe area?
Man alive if I think back to all the near misses I have with all my outdoor activities, cars, bikes, boats kayaks you name it they all provide thrills and spills. I have been very lucky. Had the outcome of these spills been bad I would most of the time been at fault. I cant see that the product was to blame.
On the other hand I see boats being sold for purposes I don't believe they are fit for. If you came to grief in a product you thought was more capable than it turned out to be maybe that is a case. and if the product has a design defect that makes it unsafe then yes the manufacture or designers need to stand behind it.
You bought the boat, you also need to own it.