Another good reason to own a jet boat....

[Judge]

My wife is always worried something like this will happen and why she prefers we own a jet over any boat with a prop. I've had outboards and I/O's but the jets I've owned always make me feel just a little safer on the waters.

Anyway.... as is usually the case.... always keep an eye on the "other guy".........

Chicago ‘Playpen’ summer boating accidents lead to injuries, including severing woman’s feet

Accidents that have occurred in Chicago's "Playpen," an area of Lake Michigan popular with boaters, have left several people with serious injuries this summer.

www.foxnews.com

 

[BlkGS]

Never understood why props can't have some sort of guard around them. A cage, a tube, something like that to protect people. Sure it'd have some downsides, but having hands and feet amputated by someone else's boat is a pretty major downside.

 

[Judge]

The wire cage is not a bad idea. You would'nt think it would be too restrictive and cause cavitation issues. At most fingers or toes might be an issue but it would eliminate amputating hands, feet or entire limbs.

You would think some engineers have looked at it and there is a valid reason why they don't use it but like you said... serious injury is a major downside to props.

 

[gt5pilot]

Never understood why props can't have some sort of guard around them. A cage, a tube, something like that to protect people. Sure it'd have some downsides, but having hands and feet amputated by someone else's boat is a pretty major downside.

Prop Guard

 

[Judge]

Prop Guard

That looks like it would protect the prop from damage but a hand or foot could still be hit by a blade.

 

[blacksapphirez]

Never understood why props can't have some sort of guard around them. A cage, a tube, something like that to protect people. Sure it'd have some downsides, but having hands and feet amputated by someone else's boat is a pretty major downside.

seems like you are talking about a Jet Boat lol

 

[Robbyw]

I have a good friend who was driving Jon boat duck hunting. On the way out he hit a submerged stump which kicked the motor up and into his lap. He lost his hand and almost lost his leg. There has to be a way to put a guard around them

 

[ripler]

Sorry, but I/O and outboard boats aren't the problem, drunken idiots are.

 

[Quad]

Sorry, but I/O and outboard boats aren't the problem, drunken idiots are.

To that end, the Playpen is notorious for that, "captains" and "crew" alike. Even in my younger days I had zero interest in being anywhere near that mass of insanity. Any my tolerance for insanity is pretty high

 

[captras]

Never understood why props can't have some sort of guard around them. A cage, a tube, something like that to protect people. Sure it'd have some downsides, but having hands and feet amputated by someone else's boat is a pretty major downside.

The cage should be around the idiot that was the captain.....its called a jail cell!

 

[ripler]

To that end, the Playpen is notorious for that, "captains" and "crew" alike. Even in my younger days I had zero interest in being anywhere near that mass of insanity. Any my tolerance for insanity is pretty high

After looking at some of the pictures of the play pen I was going to make a comment, but decided not to so I don't offend anyone who hangs out there.

 

[captras]

After looking at some of the pictures of the play pen I was going to make a comment, but decided not to so I don't offend anyone who hangs out there.

Probably wise.....but remember.....not all boaters are drunks.....and not all drunks are boaters

 

[BlkGS]

seems like you are talking about a Jet Boat lol

Lol, yeah. That was sort of the implication but there's likely a half jet drive design where you've got a tube that goes up to and out of a standard prop outboard.

 

[Stubok]

Lol, yeah. That was sort of the implication but there's likely a half jet drive design where you've got a tube that goes up to and out of a standard prop outboard.

Like these jet drive outboards?

150-40 HP Jet Drive Outboard Motors - Yamaha Outboards

The Jet Drive four-stroke Yamaha outboard ranges in horsepower: 150HP, 115HP, 90HP, 60HP, and 40HP. This prop-free outboard is for shallow water boats.

yamahaoutboards.com

 

[BlkGS]

Like these jet drive outboards?

150-40 HP Jet Drive Outboard Motors - Yamaha Outboards

The Jet Drive four-stroke Yamaha outboard ranges in horsepower: 150HP, 115HP, 90HP, 60HP, and 40HP. This prop-free outboard is for shallow water boats.

yamahaoutboards.com

I was envisioning something.more like a water intake tube under the boat, that had a flexible section to couple to the prop, which was encased in a tube with a wear ring (like a jet boat), and then a short exhaust tube so the prop is protected.

 

[fireflymedic]

I have noticed a lot of reports of people being cut up or killed lately. With arrests. Not sure if better reported or numbers are up. But some of them were in waters I've been in. also read about a jet boat in New York did have 2 deaths from a ar240 (not from being cut up though) so jets still can kill so be careful out there regardless of your prop location.

 

[Bluewater272]

If someone backs over you in a jet boat, you'll probably have an even worse time. Jets are safer, but you still cant drive over people. Problem here is overcrowding and drunk captains, not the method of propulsion.

 

[HangOutdoors]

The bottom line is that there is a lot of stupid out there. You can't fix it by giving them a safer boat with no external props. All that does is give the stupid a false sense of safety and can enable poor decisions and behavior. Victims have a better chance of less injury around the back of the jet boat, doesn't mean they aren't going to get ran over regardless of the type of boat.

 

[Judge]

If someone backs over you in a jet boat, you'll probably have an even worse time. Jets are safer, but you still cant drive over people. Problem here is overcrowding and drunk captains, not the method of propulsion.

The bottom line is that there is a lot of stupid out there. You can't fix it by giving them a safer boat with no external props. All that does is give the stupid a false sense of safety and can enable poor decisions and behavior. Victims have a better chance of less injury around the back of the jet boat, doesn't mean they aren't going to get ran over regardless of the type of boat.

I don't think anyone is disputing that but......

My point was that you could be getting ready to pull out..... you look around and everything appears clear.... then someone decides to swim past the back of the boat... spending on the height of your transom you might not see them as you look backwards.... if you backup and hit them, there isn't a prop in the water to do serious injury. Not saying they wouldn't get injured but a prop will cut or amputate, which can result in rapid blood loss.

Stuff can happen.... even with the safest captain.... all I'm saying is a jet eliminates that additional injury potential vs a prop when unexpected things happen. The guys earlier post about the boat hitting as stump and kicking the outboard into the back of the boat and the operator losing a hand is a prime example. A Yamaha Outboard Jet would have prevented that.

 

[FSH 210 Sport]

Buzz Aldrin said it best, in one part of his 25th anniversary of the moon landing address to congress.

It went something like this, “America has lost its pioneering spirit, due to the illusion of a risk free society”

For all the hand wringers who think it is so dangerous out there, go and watch David Pinkers vid “we are living in the safest time in history”