Patent ID: 8757079

Claim:
A towrope winch with a safety shutoff device mountable to a watercraft for towing a rider, the towrope winch with a safety shutoff device comprising: a winch mountable to a watercraft for towing a rider, the winch being configured to wind a rope; and a safety shutoff device which deactivates the winch if: the rope moves outside a designated range of angles relative to an intake of the winch; or a designated amount of tension is not applied to the rope; in which the safety shutoff device comprises a roller which closes a circuit to provide power to the winch when the rope is under a designated amount of tension or the rope is within an acceptable designated range of angles relative to an intake of the winch, and wherein the circuit is broken, deactivating the winch, when a force on the roller decreases as a result of a designated amount of tension not being applied to the rope or as a result of the rope moving outside the designated range of angles relative to an intake of the winch.