Boating Emergencies
When people are boarding your boat from the water or swimming nearby, what should you do with the engine?
Answer
Shut the engine completely off so the propeller cannot injure anyone
Turn the engine off — not just to idle — whenever people are in the water near the boat or climbing aboard. A spinning propeller causes severe injuries, and an idling engine can still be bumped into gear.
Source: U.S. Coast Guard, Boating Safety Division — "A Boater's Guide to the Federal Requirements for Recreational Boats" (rev. Nov. 8, 2023), “Engine Cut-Off Switches,” p. 12 (propeller-injury warning) — https://www.uscgboating.org/assets/1/AssetManager/Boaters-Guide-to-Federal-Requirements-for-Receational-Boats-20231108.pdf
Not the answer
- Leave it idling in forward
- Rev it to warn them
- Keep it running in gear so you are ready to go
Practice this
The boater safety certification exam is 50 questions and takes 40 correct — 80% — to pass. The app’s page carries a free ten-question test drawn from the same bank, marked as you go.
Take the free practice test