Kill Switch

[SpiritQuest]

Does everyone use a all switch with Lanyard attached when they cruise?

Is it a nuisance to use?

I am planning a long solo trip and believe using one will be a safety requirement for me (being alone).

I am considering a wireless product that does not require a physical attachment to the boat, but it is somewhat expensive (over $200).

Any thoughts or experiences about this topic greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

[A1an]

For your and others safety it's a no brainer.

Do you wear a seatbelt in a car?

[whisper]

Originally Posted by SpiritQuest

Does everyone use a all switch with Lanyard attached when they cruise?

Is it a nuisance to use?

I am planning a long solo trip and believe using one will be a safety requirement for me (being alone).

I am considering a wireless product that does not require a physical attachment to the boat, but it is somewhat expensive (over $200).

Any thoughts or experiences about this topic greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

I clip mine just above the knee and it causes no problems at all

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1_00LsPMbE

[Poly]

Ok so I presume your question is not really "should I wear a kill cord" (which is a no brainer in all but the most unusual situations) but rather "when does wearing a kill cord single handed become an inconvenience? "

In which case it will depend a bit on what you are doing, the deck layout of your vessel etc. However as it's something you will be doing a lot I'd focus on how you can avoid leaving the console e.g. when mooring, anchoring etc. Those are the times when I like to have power available but might find myself inclined to go forward etc. some of our wiser members here have worked out ways of doing many of those things from the comfort of their jockey seat.

[boristhebold]

Always wear a kill cord, like someone said its a no brainer, forget about the wireless type, anything wireless is bound to fail at some point, keep it simple. Also if a long journey and the weather is bad perhaps think about using a safety line attached to boat and your life jacket presuming you are going to wear one.

Also let someone know where your going and what time due arrival at destination, perhaps log a passage plan with coastguard.

Lots of posts on killcords on this forum so do a search for many opinions.

My motto is
Keep it simple
Keep it safe
Return home

[ShinyShoe]

Originally Posted by boristhebold

Also if a long journey and the weather is bad perhaps think about using a safety line attached to boat and your life jacket presuming you are going to wear one.

But you need to think about the risks of being attached to your boat if you manage to flip it... And your KC needs to be shorter than the safety line or you can expect to be towed through the water at high speed

Also let someone know where your going and what time due arrival at destination, perhaps log a passage plan with coastguard.

But be aware that if you don't report arrival to CG that DOES NOT instigate a search. SOMEONE has to contact the CG to say you didn't arrive.

You need to also think about how to get back to your boat and on it. You may want to look at MustRibs experiences on the Round Ireland. He was making way SH when something went wrong his seat mounting broke and threw him OB. KC on and worked. He couldn't swim in Dry Suit + LJ etc back to the boat which he could see. Speaking of which thats a good time to mention tech failing. MustRib had a VHF on his LJ which was his primary plan in such a situation. VHF was destroyed on impact with water (hitting water at 30kts is not like jumping in a swimming pool) - fortunately he had a PLB and raised the alarm and a yellow canary came and got him. How sure are we that a bit of electronics wouldn't also disintegrate on impact with the water...

Poly talked about some stuff that people worry about KCs for. TBH they aren't things that long passages suffer from. You don't anchor while underway at speed, you don't moor while under way. All those things that require you to leave the console should be done at low speed, although I agree there will be times you'll want the power on still. As poly says create a list of reasons you need to leave the console. Then ask on here or search for solutions - most have a way if you are 'clever' enough.

If you REALLY need to move about underway - explore a short KC for normal passage making and a long for moving about, but be aware long KC means you may not have stopped the engine by the time it hits you first time.

I read the OP differently from others. I read he was saying he was thinking of using his KC because he was going to be SHanded rather than I'm going to be S Handed and wondering how I'm going to do things on the boat. If my reading is the case and he normally doesn't use the KC because there is someone else on board to stop the engine then (a) stop doing that (b) read the MAIB report on the Padstow Accident (all ended up in the water) (c)stop doing it.

[Poly]

Originally Posted by ShinyShoe

But be aware that if you don't report arrival to CG that DOES NOT instigate a search. SOMEONE has to contact the CG to say you didn't arrive.

That is the case in the UK, but the OP is in the USA. No idea what their protocols are.

Poly talked about some stuff that people worry about KCs for. TBH they aren't things that long passages suffer from. You don't anchor while underway at speed, you don't moor while under way. All those things that require you to leave the console should be done at low speed, although I agree there will be times you'll want the power on still.

he's planning a 6000 mile trip with lots of river, canal and lakes - he'll do plenty of mooring etc.

[hoss]

I hook mine to my shoe lace, that way you still have the most reach without sacrificing safety. Out of the way for aggressive steering movement won't wrap the wheel like hooking it higher can. Nothing worse than having the motor shut off in a hard turn.

Make sure you have good shoe laces.

[clloyd]

I use both a wireless and wired kill cord. "Autotether". I think it is a great product. I have a 7m Willard diesel rib. The kill switch itself is a manual cole-hersey actual switch. The autotether actuator connects to this switch. i also have a manual tether that clips to the autotether actuator.

Therefore, when driving, I do connect the manual tether as a primary and backup. But if you are driving a long ways solo, there are certainly times in a larger boat when you may need to walk to the bow or check the engine or something, the autotether protects you whereever you are. So many fisherman fall over checking baits, trolling, crabbing whatever or just going slow but enough for the boat to get away.

[Erin]

Martini of this parish used a particularly long KC on our trip up the Seine

In all seriousness, I always wear a kill cord when single handing and invariably do so when in company depending upon the type of journey. However, you do have to remove it when mooring etc though I see this as fairly low risk given the much lower speeds involved. You can't factor out all risk, but can at least minimise it.

[ShinyShoe]

I'd guess more of us have had a swim doing low 'risk' stuff like getting on and off a pontoon than hitting big waves in a seaway...

In a lock there is not much room for a boat to get its self out of your way...

Need to think about risk of bumping the throttle as you fall out, or bumping it as you move around boat and the bumped throttle being what ejects you.

[GuyC]

...and make sure it works.

[paintman]

Getting back on to the boat at sea may also be not as easy as you think without a step or stirrup of some sort down in the water to put a foot in to give yourself the initial push up.
Worth considering one of the rope emergency boarding ladders which you can access from in the water.

[willk]

The OP has a GRP boarding ladder. If his throttle has a neutral lock then he's unlikely to engage the throttle when moving around the boat. When on passage in a boat of that size, I'd definitely want to be wearing a killcord - a small wave taken badly when tired could have a poor ending - better not to be hunted down by a circling RIB.

[Starovich]

Originally Posted by paintman

Getting back on to the boat at sea may also be not as easy as you think without a step or stirrup of some sort down in the water to put a foot in to give yourself the initial push up.
Worth considering one of the rope emergency boarding ladders which you can access from in the water.

or use the cavitation plate on the engine.

[paintman]

Originally Posted by Starovich

or use the cavitation plate on the engine.

Got a Permatrim on mine so that gives a nice large secure area to stand on.
Not so sure about smaller engines though.

[ShinyShoe]

You still need the boat to stop and you to be able swim back to it before needing the step...

[Starovich]

This "long tether", i really don't get, if your engine is so unreliable that its unlikely to restart why go out solo in the first place. if it starts fine then just turn the engine off, go to the bow/stern do whatever, then come back to the engine and restart.

The only area that may be a pain sometimes is mooring, so i have a mid point elasticated webbing strap on my console which allows me to connect up (whilst wearing the kill cord) then hold me alongside while i go fore and aft to fix bow and stern lines.

If i had a tether long enough to allow me to get to the bow, then it would also be long enough to allow me to get hit by a spinning prop.

[Poly]

Starovich, I am with you, an extended kill cord is not a great idea, not least because it's much more likely to get tangled in something and then not work. I'm not quite convinced that relying on neutral lock is enough. It helps but assuming it always gets used might be unwise, and in a current (such as a river) a bit of forward power might be needed to keep the boat in place. Actually whilst the style got a bit of criticism for not being jockey seat I think a bench and offset console like he has means it's about easier to move around a very small boat with less to trip on.

Assuming the throttle is on the correct side it's less likely to get bumped too.


However your webbing strap is the sort of thing I was talking about, and possibly a handy boat hook etc, which avoid the desire to go forward.

[jyasaki]

Originally Posted by Starovich

or use the cavitation plate on the engine.

And the tilt/trim switch to get you up to transom height if you're injured.

jky