Just read it becomes federal law on April 1st... You must wear the lanyard that attaches to the kill switch on your motor on boats less than 26 ft. Only when up on plane. I've never used mine. Guess I should.

I think that's great, can only save lives and resources. Imagine falling off your boat and watching it motor away...

Worse yet: the inevitable Circle of Death

Sitting in a hotel room in Jamaica, I saw this exact same thing. Watched it for a half hour. We then left to go get some rum. Never did figure that one out.

yogi59weedr: "Just read it becomes federal law on April 1st... You must wear the lanyard that attaches to the kill switch on your motor on boats less than 26 ft. Only when up on plane. I've never used mine. Guess I should. "

Screw that! My 1960 Alumacraft & Johnson has no kill switch.

Stumpy: "

yogi59weedr: "Just read it becomes federal law on April 1st... You must wear the lanyard that attaches to the kill switch on your motor on boats less than 26 ft. Only when up on plane. I've never used mine. Guess I should. "

Screw that! My 1960 Alumacraft & Johnson has no kill switch."

Right! Do older models get a pass?

Got me on that one. I'm sure that is for stuff built after a certain date. That's above my pay grade.

No I think it's for any age. They mention aftermarket things you can do to make a motor legal. But it's only navigable waters I thought I saw. So here in IA it's only the few biggest rivers and 4 govt impoundments.

I already wear mine all the time on the Mississippi which is only waters I go in that's effected

Another unenforceable nanny state law.

Would have to read the exact law but I would bet you it has exceptions for motors that do not have any.

Older motors would get a pass just like cars made before seat belts.

I re-read the law on coast guard site.

If your boat/motor doesn't have one, you don't have to do anything. Anything older than a model year 2020 boat and you're fine.

If your boat/motor DOES have a cut-off switch, you ARE required to wear it while on plane in navigable waters.

So...most people won't have to change anything if they don't have one. If you do have one, you're supposed to wear it if on one of those waters. If you're on Sag, you're fine. If you're on Superior...you wear it while on plane at least.

So lots of holes for most of you (us) to fall into that don't need to worry about this.

I have a switch on my 2000 honda 4 stroke, so I'll wear it on the Mississippi which I do already since I respect that place

Always use mine on plane. Yes it’s a bit of a pain. Seems preferable to having mr. Yamaha slice me or my kid to pieces while doing the circle of death. I got a Velcro strap attachment is it’s easy to slap on the wrist and I don’t forget it as much as the clip.

No one is requiring old motors to be retrofit. If your motor has the kill switch, use it. Simple.

26 feet? That seems extreme. So if I'm on a 24 foot ski boat, or even a wakeboard boat, I have to have a strap? How about a pontoon? Boats without a steering wheel are a risk, not bigger boats that have a captains chair and steering wheel.

This law just doesn't make sense. Why 26 feet? That's right in the middle of the size range for recreational boats. Is a 27 foot boat any safer than a 25 foot boat? If you could get thrown from a 25 foot boat then pretty much any boat on fresh water is at risk. It just seems so arbitrary and without any explanation. 16 foot cut off would make sense, 26 does not.

A1t2o: "26 feet? That seems extreme. So if I'm on a 24 foot ski boat, or even a wakeboard boat, I have to have a strap? How about a pontoon? Boats without a steering wheel are a risk, not bigger boats that have a captains chair and steering wheel.


This law just doesn't make sense. Why 26 feet? That's right in the middle of the size range for recreational boats. Is a 27 foot boat any safer than a 25 foot boat? If you could get thrown from a 25 foot boat then pretty much any boat on fresh water is at risk. It just seems so arbitrary and without any explanation. 16 foot cut off would make sense, 26 does not."

I just watched a handful of videos of guys flying out of their boats...all less than 26' easily. Some had kill switch and swam right back in their boat. Some watched their boat do circles until it crashed into shore...

I know which one I'd rather do.

Is it just me, or is it a terrible decision to enact anything on April 1st? My initial thought was this was April fools. But it wasn't funny, so then I thought, oh, it must be real.

Can ya imagine running a 22 ft Ranger with a 250 hp on it.
Those things go 70 mph.

I know a guy who never stops talking. Can I get a kill switch for his mouth?

cyclones30: "

A1t2o: "26 feet? That seems extreme. So if I'm on a 24 foot ski boat, or even a wakeboard boat, I have to have a strap? How about a pontoon? Boats without a steering wheel are a risk, not bigger boats that have a captains chair and steering wheel.



This law just doesn't make sense. Why 26 feet? That's right in the middle of the size range for recreational boats. Is a 27 foot boat any safer than a 25 foot boat? If you could get thrown from a 25 foot boat then pretty much any boat on fresh water is at risk. It just seems so arbitrary and without any explanation. 16 foot cut off would make sense, 26 does not."

I just watched a handful of videos of guys flying out of their boats...all less than 26' easily. Some had kill switch and swam right back in their boat. Some watched their boat do circles until it crashed into shore...


I know which one I'd rather do. "

Then set a speed limit or increase enforcement for reckless boating. If preventing boating accidents is the goal, I don't think this is really going to help. How are they even going to enforce this law? Pull over every boat on plane and check for a strap? It just seems like an excuse to pull people over. Probably because they had a hard time finding probable cause when a boat is going by on plane.

Sure, people being thrown from boats is a concern, but there were less than 200 incidents last year nation wide. I think they are blowing this out of proportion so they can more easily pull people over and raise money through fines. The 26 foot rule doesn't make much sense otherwise.

A1t2o: "Then set a speed limit or increase enforcement for reckless boating. If preventing boating accidents is the goal, I don't think this is really going to help. How are they even going to enforce this law? Pull over every boat on plane and check for a strap? It just seems like an excuse to pull people over. Probably because they had a hard time finding probable cause when a boat is going by on plane.


Sure, people being thrown from boats is a concern, but there were less than 200 incidents last year nation wide. I think they are blowing this out of proportion so they can more easily pull people over and raise money through fines. The 26 foot rule doesn't make much sense otherwise."

In many cases the water patrol don't need "probable cause" to stop or even to board your vessel. I think they can do a safety check any time, for any reason when you are on "navigable waters." The Coast Guard has delegated their authority to local agencies in places where they don't have an active presence. A lot of folks think the Mississippi River and Lake Superior are the only "navigable waterway" in the state of Minnesota, and they are wrong. (see comment above about Sag vs Superior). In fact, the border lakes in and near the BWCA make up a large percentage of MN's navigable waterways -- lakes like Gunflint, Saganaga, and Basswood are all on the list. I assure you that making it easier to stop boats is not the intent of laws like this, because on the waterways where this new law applies, they already have carte blanche to stop you.

Unenforceable? Possibly. What you're missing is that a large percentage of the boating population will simply comply, increasing safety without any enforcement required. The more people comply, the more it becomes the accepted standard. So years down the road, wearing the kill switch will become as natural as wearing a PFD, or your seatbelt in the car.

This is a law that literally hurts nobody and has the potential to save lives.

My only thought on this topic is to avoid the enormous face-saving hassle that is necessary when you've tried to crank your engine unsuccessfully for ten minutes...checking and re-checking fuel...popping the engine compartment hood and staring at the array of wires, pipes and hoses in the hopes that your non-mechanical mind will discover the culprit...then returning to the throttle lever and ensuring you're in neutral...and cranking again...and cursing at the prospect of trailering your boat and running it to the marina...and cursing the cost of an engine overhaul...then hearing a neighbour yell from his dock, "Check your kill switch!"

And then looking down to see that it was somehow actually deployed...but having to mask your elation and reply with a tone of great disappointment, "Nope, already checked that but thanks!" and then cranking a few more times, monkeying around some more, fiddling in the engine compartment for a few more minutes and then returning to the driver's seat with a stealthy reset of the kill switch and starting her up successfully.

Argo: "My only thought on this topic is to avoid the enormous face-saving hassle that is necessary when you've tried to crank your engine unsuccessfully for ten minutes...checking and re-checking fuel...popping the engine compartment hood and staring at the array of wires, pipes and hoses in the hopes that your non-mechanical mind will discover the culprit...then returning to the throttle lever and ensuring you're in neutral...and cranking again...and cursing at the prospect of trailering your boat and running it to the marina...and cursing the cost of an engine overhaul...then hearing a neighbour yell from his dock, "Check your kill switch!"


And then looking down to see that it was somehow actually deployed...but having to mask your elation and reply with a tone of great disappointment, "Nope, already checked that but thanks!" and then cranking a few more times, monkeying around some more, fiddling in the engine compartment for a few more minutes and then returning to the driver's seat with a stealthy reset of the kill switch and starting her up successfully."

Figgered it out!

For you high rollers out there, they do make a wireless kill switch system as well. You wear a fob that activates the kill switch when submerged in water. Not cheap, but hey it's just money and those darn coily red things are such a drag ;)

I have a6.5 hp mud motor (long shaft) on my duck boat. It is a direct drive ie motor running= prop turning. The kill switch is a pain and I have tripped it by accident but it sure beats getting cut to pieces or watching your boat chug away without you.

Yeah, I'm not from MN so I was just guessing at what a navigable water would be up there. Here in IA it's a pretty limited list. (but so is our lake list to begin with)

cyclones30: "Yeah, I'm not from MN so I was just guessing at what a navigable water would be up there. Here in IA it's a pretty limited list. (but so is our lake list to begin with) "

Pretty much any lake chain or lake connected by river to another lake. If it is popular and there is a restaurant or bar on the water then it is most likely navigable.

I'm not saying that I think this is a bad idea for smaller boats, less than 20 foot for example, but the way the law is now it applies to pontoon boats and ski boats 20-25 foot long which are a much lesser risk than boats smaller than that. The length called out does not make sense.

Argo: "My only thought on this topic is to avoid the enormous face-saving hassle that is necessary when you've tried to crank your engine unsuccessfully for ten minutes...checking and re-checking fuel...popping the engine compartment hood and staring at the array of wires, pipes and hoses in the hopes that your non-mechanical mind will discover the culprit...then returning to the throttle lever and ensuring you're in neutral...and cranking again...and cursing at the prospect of trailering your boat and running it to the marina...and cursing the cost of an engine overhaul...then hearing a neighbour yell from his dock, "Check your kill switch!"


And then looking down to see that it was somehow actually deployed...but having to mask your elation and reply with a tone of great disappointment, "Nope, already checked that but thanks!" and then cranking a few more times, monkeying around some more, fiddling in the engine compartment for a few more minutes and then returning to the driver's seat with a stealthy reset of the kill switch and starting her up successfully."

Ya, I’ve had that happen starting my snow blower a couple of times! I had to call Mr.
Obvious and he helped me figure it out.