New boat law for US waters.

[kickingfrog]

Not sure if this has been brought up here before but I just saw this and figured that we have a few guys who skip across and fish US waters along the boarder:

US law for US waters when on plane:

Under a new federal law effective April 1, 2021, those piloting boats less than 26 feet in length are required to use their engine cut-off switches (ECOS) much of the time. That means wearing a lanyard—aka ECOS link—while at the wheel. (Formerly referred to as, “kill switches,” the term engine cut-off switch, or ECOS, is the preferred nomenclature, whether referring to engine-cut-off switches operated by a physical lanyard or any of several electronic solutions.)

https://www.boatingmag.com/story/how-to/new-boating-law-requires-use-of-engine-cut-off-switches/

[HTHM]

So they legislated common sense? 

[OMCDinosaur]

All domestic marine units have had these mandatory from usgc standards since the 80's  Took this long to force peeps to strap them on while underway... law is a reaction to boat owners run over by their own circling boat, yet again...whlle tether is dangling from tiller....

[BillM]

32 minutes ago, OMCDinosaur said:

All domestic marine units have had these mandatory from usgc standards since the 80's  Took this long to force peeps to strap them on while underway... law is a reaction to boat owners run over by their own circling boat, yet again...whlle tether is dangling from tiller....

I'm guessing more people are drowning then getting run over by their own boat.   We lost a member here from exactly this.  Out in the big water fishing by himself, went over board (maybe setting lines?  who knows)   

[OMCDinosaur]

Tethers won't stop you from drowning. Its for runaway boats, not really for making it easier for thrown pilot to swim back before HE runs out of steam.  PFD's prevent drowning, clips prevent runaway boats from killing pilot, bystanders or passengers.  Education and vigilance, minimizes reliance on these 'safety items', which, ironically seem to have bred in negligence and ignorance to the lakeside recreational boating community.  Strange tidbit of ECOS sometime in the 1990's Johnson evinrude went with a tether on the key switch which was kinda hard to get on the switch.  When said operator was thrown from boat with tether attached in current, the passengers were unable to restart the boat, which then drifted to peril.  The switch design in question had to be altered to allow for cut-off when pulled, but then immediate restart without tether afterward.   Good going, effect was no one even put the tether on as it was made redundant.   Another great engineering fail, which gave rise to SOLAS standards.  And laws that punish operator for manufacturers oversight, and engineering shortcomings are how we are kept safe....LMAO

[OMCDinosaur]

Remember the big push for prop guards in the 90's?  Horrible looking mannatee style injuries on boaters are actually preferred by surgeons as compared to the same velocity blunt force trauma caused by a prop guard.  Negligent boating results are never good, but alas , the water takes care of that.  The real world is cruel to those who think they know how to 'work it', leave boating free...

[BillM]

11 hours ago, OMCDinosaur said:

Tethers won't stop you from drowning. Its for runaway boats, not really for making it easier for thrown pilot to swim back before HE runs out of steam.  PFD's prevent drowning, clips prevent runaway boats from killing pilot, bystanders or passengers.  Education and vigilance, minimizes reliance on these 'safety items', which, ironically seem to have bred in negligence and ignorance to the lakeside recreational boating community.  Strange tidbit of ECOS sometime in the 1990's Johnson evinrude went with a tether on the key switch which was kinda hard to get on the switch.  When said operator was thrown from boat with tether attached in current, the passengers were unable to restart the boat, which then drifted to peril.  The switch design in question had to be altered to allow for cut-off when pulled, but then immediate restart without tether afterward.   Good going, effect was no one even put the tether on as it was made redundant.   Another great engineering fail, which gave rise to SOLAS standards.  And laws that punish operator for manufacturers oversight, and engineering shortcomings are how we are kept safe....LMAO

Not really for making it easier for the thrown pilot to swim back?   Huh?  That's exactly why you wear one, lol.  

[OMCDinosaur]

It is not what a tether is for, that is a secondary effect.  Runaway boat is the concern.  Its about others safety NOT a somewhat negligent pilot.  Pfd's  are used to save your life while in the water (injured or not)  tethers stop others from being injured, snowmobiles, atv bikes, the tether is the same.... cuts engine when operator is ejected.    Its not about you swimming to your boat 100 yards away in a breeze, only to find you, like most boaters, cannot lift themselves into a drifting fishing boat from the water.    Wear a PFD to save your life, wear a tether to protect OTHERS lives.  I've been a boat tech since the 80's, driven most anything on water, ejections happen from pilot negligence/inattentiveness 100% of the time.  Tethers protect others from those pilots.

[BillM]

4 hours ago, OMCDinosaur said:

It is not what a tether is for, that is a secondary effect.  Runaway boat is the concern.  Its about others safety NOT a somewhat negligent pilot.  Pfd's  are used to save your life while in the water (injured or not)  tethers stop others from being injured, snowmobiles, atv bikes, the tether is the same.... cuts engine when operator is ejected.    Its not about you swimming to your boat 100 yards away in a breeze, only to find you, like most boaters, cannot lift themselves into a drifting fishing boat from the water.    Wear a PFD to save your life, wear a tether to protect OTHERS lives.  I've been a boat tech since the 80's, driven most anything on water, ejections happen from pilot negligence/inattentiveness 100% of the time.  Tethers protect others from those pilots.

That's quite the bonus of using a tether, especially in 40 degree water temps.  PFD or not, you're done for out in the middle of Lake O if you can't get back to your boat. 

[OMCDinosaur]

Alone in the middle of L. Ontario,in 40 degree water, fishing in a boat too small, just wear a survival suit and keep your cell in your pocket.  CAA makes rescue calls don't they?  A tether is not a substitute for a pfd.  That kind of thinking is why I took issue with your tether purpose.  Both are to be used.  Tether cuts engine when operater leaves pilot chair.  PFD keeps you afloat.  YOU keep yourself in the boat while at the wheel.  Please use common sense and try not to misinform others on function of important safety devices.   

[BillM]

11 hours ago, OMCDinosaur said:

Alone in the middle of L. Ontario,in 40 degree water, fishing in a boat too small, just wear a survival suit and keep your cell in your pocket.  CAA makes rescue calls don't they?  A tether is not a substitute for a pfd.  That kind of thinking is why I took issue with your tether purpose.  Both are to be used.  Tether cuts engine when operater leaves pilot chair.  PFD keeps you afloat.  YOU keep yourself in the boat while at the wheel.  Please use common sense and try not to misinform others on function of important safety devices.   

You sure like to make assumptions when trying to prove a point.   You can fall out of a big or small boat, it really doesn't matter.   You ever set lines in rough water?   A PFD is great for keeping you on the surface, but in cold temps it doesn't help with hypothermia.   Your best bet is to get back on the boat.   Without a tether, you've got zero chance of this.    Talk about using common sense, lol.   

[Heavy Current]

That’s a big 10-4 Bill

[Rizzo]

I guess we are in an age of no multi-tasking. Why can't the tether have 2 purposes? For the fishing I do, the tether would have far more usefulness to let me get back into the boat than protecting others. Most often the days and places I fish there might not be anyone around for kilometers. The notion that my runaway boat would hit something or someone would be pretty unlikely. Having said that, their are some who fish in more crowded environments...in those cases the prevention of a boat ramming someone might be more relevant. Seems to me the tether has at least 2 good functions!

[aplumma]

I think we have learned all that we need to. 

Art