§ 109.1. Air boats.

 Persons operating a type of boat with an airplane-type motor shall comply with the following:

   (1)  When the air propeller is capable of being turned laterally and used as a rudder as well as for propulsion, the propeller shall be completely enclosed with a protective housing. The housing shall be metal tubing or heavy wire, or both.

   (2)  When the boat is steered by a rudder and the propeller is located astern of—behind—the power unit, the propeller shall be housed as follows:

     (i)   It shall be enclosed at least 50% or 80° from the bottom upward, with two parallel curved metal rods or tubes of at least 1/2-inch diameter, the rods or tubes are to be fastened to the boat rather than to the power unit, and located so that the propeller turns within the enclosure formed by the rods or tubes. There shall be similar metal cross bars at intervals of not more than 30° along the 180° arc or at least six cross bars attached to the two curved parallel housing rods or tubes.

     (ii)   On these boats, there shall be stout metal rods turning from a point at or near the forward end of the engine or power unit, outward and rearward at an angle, so that if a person becomes overbalanced and falls backward toward a propeller, the person tends to be deflected away from the propeller.

   (3)  When tractor-type air drive is used, with the propeller located forward of the engine, the entire propeller shall be enclosed by parallel rod or tube housing, the rods or tubes are to be of material and size as previously described in this section. In addition, the 360° housing shall be crossed on the forward side by stout rod or wire sections, placed so that at no point is there an opening greater than 3 inches, vertically or horizontally, through which a person may by accident thrust a hand or arm. An arrangement of stout rods or tubes, as previously described from a forward point, fanning outward and upward to the rim of the nearer, or forward, of the 360° housing rods or tubes, shall be placed so that a person falling backward tends to be thrown outward and away from the propeller.

   (4)  Regardless of the type of power unit employed, the propeller may not extend horizontally beyond the gunwales of the boat on which it is used.

   The provisions of this §  109.1 adopted February 12, 1993, effective February 13, 1993, 23 Pa.B. 744; amended June 3, 1994, effective June 4, 1994, 24 Pa.B. 2795. Immediately preceding text appears at serial page (178653).