Chapter 3: Operating Your Boat—Safely
Avoiding Propeller Strike Injuries

If you've ever seen a propeller strike accident, you want to do everything in your power to prevent another one. They can be the most gruesome of boating accidents. Anyone in the water around a boat—a swimmer, scuba diver, fallen water-skier, or someone who's fallen overboard—is a potential victim. Many propeller accidents are caused by operator inexperience, incompetence, negligence, and intoxication. However, most accidents can be prevented if operators follow a few simple safety practices.

Turn off the engine when passengers are boarding or disembarking. Propellers should not be spinning when a passenger is in a vulnerable situation.

Prevent passengers from being thrown overboard accidentally.

• Never start a boat with the engine in gear.
• Never ride on a seat back, gunwale, transom, or bow.
• Make sure all passengers are seated properly before getting underway. Some operators cause injuries by putting the engine in gear while people are still swimming or diving from the boat.
• Assign a responsible adult to watch any children in the boat and sound the alarm if a child falls overboard.

Maintain a proper lookout for people in the water. The primary cause of propeller strike accidents is operator inattention or carelessness.

• Slow down when approaching congested areas and anchorages. In congested areas, always be alert for swimmers and divers.
• Learn to recognize warning buoys that mark swimming and other hazardous areas.
• Keep the boat away from marked swimming and diving areas. Become familiar with the red flag with a white diagonal stripe and the blue-and-white “Alfa” flag—both signal that divers are down.

The Circle of Death Serious injuries and deaths occur when boat operators let go of the steering wheel or outboard steering handle while the boat is moving. Learn more in this animation. (Most students will already have Flash installed. If not, follow this link to install the Flash Player.)

Devices That Reduce Propeller Strikes

Several new technologies are available to reduce propeller strikes. The devices fall into the following categories.

• Guards: Devices that provide some type of physical barrier around the propeller. These include deflection devices, full cages, ring guards, ringed props, and "Kort Knozzles."
• Propulsion: Devices other than a propeller such as jet drives and pump jets.
• Interlocks: Devices that automatically turn off the engine or sound an alarm. For example, a ladder interlock stops the engine or triggers an alarm when passengers use the ladder to enter or leave the water.
• Sensors: Wireless sensors or other devices worn by boaters that shut off the boat's engine or trigger an alarm if the wearer falls overboard.

For more information about these devices, read the article "Propeller Injury Intervention" on the U.S. Coast Guard's Boating Safety website.

Remember—A PFD does more than keep you afloat to prevent you from drowning. It also can help a boater spot you more easily.