Quick Thinking Runaway Engine Boating Exercise
Imagine you are inside a port or marina. You were about to dock, but the engine has some problem, and you cannot reduce the rpm’s of the engine. The boat is moving at three knots, and you can’t turn the boat around because there’s not enough room. What would you do? Here are my ideas – please add your suggestions!
Possible Actions
- Clog the air intake
- Cut the fuel line
- Throw anchor?
- Throw line on prop
- Manual choke
- Fuel shutoff
- Go to neutral
- Pick cheapest boat to hit
- Empty slip
- Oblique angle – grind along rather than hit
- Stern anchor
- Speed dial insurance co
- Other (explain)
And – why did this happen?
- Transmission failure
- Shifter cable failure
- Other reason

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