What if you are using a conventional trolling motor (Foot controlled) and while
moving from one brushpile to another (Say 50 yards)and you bump an underwater
stump, lose your balance and fall overboard. Boat stops when your foot leaves
the foot control and you reboard. If necessary your fishing partner ,if there,
can use the trolling motor to come get you. But at least the boat stops.

Same situation using an autopilot trolling such as Motor Guide's Xi5. You
point the motor manually with the remote control toward the destination and
turn it on. Motor will continue in the direction aimed until you manually turn
it off. OK so far, but you fall out now and the boat will leave you and the remote in the lake. In my boat the foot control is packed away in a storage box
(I never use it) and the passengers on the boat have no way to stop or control
the motor. If they unplug the motor or hit my kill switch the motor will stop but becomes unusable.

Maybe they start the big motor and pick me up before I drown or maybe not.
Or maybe I'm alone and the boat is gone over the hill.

I purchased a second remote that stays on the boat just in case and always wear a life jacket when alone.

Anyway something to consider.

Make sure you're seated when you're on the motor then Mr Ernest and you should be okay! Can we install seat belts on the seats near the trolling motor up front just in case?

Water proof wireless controller with man overboard that will stop the boat, or maybe just hit anchor , don't that stop the boat ? I am getting the Xi5 installed on my boat next week. lol

These are scenarios we should all consider....

Good question. I Have been wanting a spare remote anyway, now I have good reason to buy one.

MotorGuide PinPoint GPS Replacement Remote
8M0092071
$119

Be sure to keep the camera rolling with
instructions to post immediately as a instructional video.

It is always good to be reminded of the way things can happen. Thanks for making me think about my own situation as I fish alone in my boat nearly 100% of the time, and the only time I put on my life jacket is when I am using the big motor and then only when going fast. Will see about wearing it more often now in different situations. Thanks again.

Hopefully when the motor is headed to the next waypoint you have anchor set so the boat will stop at that point and you can swim to the boat before hypothermia sets in.

The xi5 remote control is not water proof? If it is and it is still hanging on your neck, you can remote it back to you, right? I'll have mine next week

Since I can barely swim with clothes on and both hands free I doubt I could pilot the boat back with the remote even if it would work. I better wear some floatation in my drawers.

You have a water proof phone to wifi to your trolling motor?
ProNav app is a free download available from the Google Play Store and coming soon on the iTunes App Store.

You just need someone to go with you Ernest. If you can't get anyone else I'll go.

Wow!! I have a hand controle with foot switches on the deck...I've never thought about it, but the same thing could happen to me when I've got the lever flipped over the button for continuous run...That would be a bad day.

This is a scary situation, even if you have planned for it. I always wear the Mustang PFD with auto inflation.

Having a second remote on the boat maybe a good idea, but only one handheld remote will work with the Xi5 at a time, so the second one would have to be "paired" with the Xi5. Don't know if anyone left on the boat would have the capability to do this once the "captain" went over board with the "operational" remote around their neck.

With that said - wearing a pfd with auto-inflation is a must, IMHO! Hope to hear from others about how they could handle this situation.