New CG kill switch law

Some guy fell out of his 14 foot aluminum boat inside Jones Inlet ( opposite the Coast Guard Station ) and the boat started going around and around in a circle. The guy was rescued and it took about 15 minutes to corral the boat. It was 2 or 3 years ago. I'm using that kill switch from now on. Not only falling out of the boat, you could pass out in the boat alone and your boat would continue going 30 - 40 miles an hour .

Been using a radio lanyard when fishing solo for 8 years, love it!!! The sender is attached to my PFD which I also wear when fishing along.

These items were negotiated with the Admiral as "MUSTS" when I'm alone out there, which is just about 99.9% of the time, even before this past year.

Simple and easy to do. Plus I think it said of your boat does not have one, you do NOT have to have one installed.

The usual Lanyard is pretty long and wouldn't kill the engine if you fell down in your boat. I might cut the length .

Been using a radio lanyard when fishing solo for 8 years, love it!!! The sender is attached to my PFD which I also wear when fishing along.

These items were negotiated with the Admiral as "MUSTS" when I'm alone out there, which is just about 99.9% of the time, even before this past year.

I always wear a life vest when I'm out alone. Never see any other people wearing one other than children. You fall over when the boat is moving fast , you'll go under and all it takes is one gulp of water and you drown. Drowning happens in a split second, it's not the long drawn out event you see on TV.

I dunno. I ran with scissors, drank from a garden hose, never wore a bike helmet, and only got cars with seat belts well after getting my license. I even got rid of my paddle leash after I realized my paddle floats. Besides, my throttle always comes back up unless my hand is on it. Nannystate.

Glad my boat is 26 feet! I has one on my previous 23 foot boat and never used it as when I'm drifting in small channels and fishing I wanted my engine running.

Just found out that Autotether went out of business, damn shame. Apparently they sold out a few years ago to a group in Georgia, and the quality went right down the crapper. I bought mine many years ago when they were based in CT and it was a quality product. I even got some spare parts from them free when I almost screwed mine up.

The Autotether didn't need any wiring and could be moved from boat to boat, attached to your dashboard using the same plastic "tape" that is used on EZ-Pass transponders. The new disconnect systems are all wired into your ignition system, which really concerns me since if they go crazy, they could prevent you from starting your boat!! At least with Autotether, you could always disconnect its tether clip and replace it with your original lanyard...

we missed out on a good tide when my friend in his boat didn't realize the kill switch thing was loose. 90 minutes later I wondered since it stopped me from a spring startup in the driveway once on mine. Never used it, never will. I also fish in channels but gauge the wind and turn my wheel to stay in it as long as possible, don't run the engine until I return for another drift. (then again, I have used my boat a total of 20 times in the last four years, prefer the kayak.)

Darwin awardees ? Perhaps boats like that should require seat belts too ? (No freeboard, no side windows or windshield.) Plus this looked phony somehow.

Is this all boats under 26' or just those built after 2018 ?? and what does the USCG mean by "covered" recreational boats?