"Bill McKee" wrote in
news:

I understand completely what they are saying. And they are saying
that a sailboat with the motor running is not a powerboat because the
boat is not in gear. And they are wrong. The motor is running and
that is propulsion gear. Just because the boat is in neutral, the
propulsion gear is still in use. The engine is turning, the
transmission is turning, only the propeller at the moment is not
turning. They need to do a little review.




Let me try another real world example:

I'm out sailing, not much wind, so I'm under power also..... powerdriven
vessel.
My propeller hits something and snaps the shaft .... no power to the
propeller.
Coming back into harbor (under sail, naturally) I restart engine to keep
batteries charged for lights and electronics (engine turning,transmission
turning....propeller, freewheeling).
Are you suggesting I'm a powerdriven vessel?
How do you know that in any case where you see an engine running, that it
is capable of turning the prop? ..... you don't.
Until you know for a certainty that the engine IS turning the prop, you
treat that boat as a sailboat ..... and once again I send you to Rule 2.

otn