I heard that there is a new reg that just came out that will affect long tails. What does this mean? I can't seem to find any in depth info any where. It supposedly just came out a few months ago....

Lift motor out of water before starting?

I have a contact within the USCG that provided to me a copy of a letter sent to a mudmotor manufacturer just a few short months ago.

Seems that while some were so involved with fabricating false accusations of one company's failure to follow federal regulation, they themselves were either "overlooking" or blatantly side-stepping regulations of the exact same code...and have been for quite some time.

I have no dog in this fight ( I'm not a dealer nor distributor) ...but here is a source of further reading.


As a point of pure trivia, Carl Kiekhaefer (alias Crazy Carl the godfather of Mercury Outboards) had a "direct reversing" outboard in the late 1950's early 60's, Two-Strokes . It had a silent neutral , in other words, it would start and run either forwards OR backwards with "neutral" being the engine turned off.
They are affectionately/accursedly called dockbusters for this weird characteristic.

Who said anything about the company not selling motors?

And had I not shown proof of the letter, then that would have been a "swing and a miss."

But I backed my claim with proof...that proof being the actual letter sent out by the USCG.

I call that a 'swollen eye and busted lip.'

Robin has your airboat come in from BFE yet!!

§ 183.710   Start-in-gear protection required.
(a) Any outboard motor which is capable of developing a static thrust of 115 pounds or more at any motor operating speed with any propeller or jet attachment recommended for or shipped with the motor by the manufacturer, must be equipped with a device to prevent the motor being started when controls are set so as to attain that thrust level,...


A mercury switch installed on the motor prohibits the user from starting the motor when controls are set so as to attain 115 lbs of static thrust. Kinda hard to "thrust" when your motor's stickin' out da water.

The way I read it, it seems like they are trying to findout how exptesive the issue is, which at the bottom asks to list the models that would not comply with the regs. No where does it say cease the sale of models that may not comply.

I emailed a manufacturer and they said this:
As of Aug 1st this year all mudmotors must comply with start in neutral regulations that apply to outboards.

I hope this is not accurate because it will drive up the cost of Long Tails and I think a clutch would lower their power slightly.

Mud buddy sells one with a clutch the "slt" and haven't heard anything bad about them or any power loss for the few running them

I read this and ran right out and bought one. Gotta beat the rush...

I am going to start making long tail mud motors and selling them. Does anybody have any suggestions for where to source mercury tilt switches?
(mine will be direct drive and not have a clutch, etc.)

Maybe I was not clear.
I am looking for a mercury tilt switch that only allows you to start a motor when it is horizontal.

he was laughing about getting in line for the mud buddy, not your tilt switch....

Mercury switches will be done away with , bad for envornment like florrecent lamps.