Length of Kill Cord

[AndyB007]

Probably an old chestnut (point me to a thread if there is already one - I've had a look already), but reading back over some old threads I came across these comments on length of kill cords;

Originally Posted by Swifty

When solo I wear an extended kill chord which enables me to get to the bow/stern without disconnecting myself from the KC .... Extension is about 4 foot with a bowline in one end and a metal clip at the other.

and;

Originally Posted by Scary Des

Even with a short kill cord the engine will still be going fast as you and the boat go your separate ways .... The kill cord really only ensures that the boat stops and maybe close enough for you to swim after it.

Also, reading through Jono's account of his recent capsize;

Originally Posted by Jono Garton

we took a big bang off the wave chucking us both to the deck with the bolster seat still between my legs and pulling the kill cord off slightly and flicking the kill switch

Prompts me to ask the question why are kill cords the length they are? Will the engine really stop by the time you reach the prop if ejected at speed? If not then the risk of cutting the engine when you need it (as for Jono) may present a greater hazard (my only experience of this is while mooring - more embarrassing than dangerous!).

I was always of the view that main safety point of the kill cord was to stop the boat circling and taking off the top of your head (as has unfortunately been the case on a number of occasions), but this will be the same if the kill cord was longer.


Andy Beach

[Richard B]

Originally Posted by AndyB007

I was always of the view that main safety point of the kill cord was to stop the boat circling and taking off the top of your head

Andy, it is.

I think you're probably getting over-analytical. People who are ejected without the kill-cord aren't generally carved up straightway. It's an unpredictable situation, and I don't know of any evidence against following the established and accepted practise of using a standard engine lanyard.

[JonM]

Its other main reason - often forgotton is that it stops your craft rushing off and injuring someone else! If you lengthen it it might well catch on something at the cruicial moment and not work.

[Richard B]

Andy, having read your post again, are you just wondering if a longer kill-cord is appropriate?

[charliesum]

what happens if you have hydraulic steering.... how fast can you swim? but if you are racing..... how fast can you swim with your head down?!!!!!!

[Hightower]

I'd rather have a normal length kill cord and just unclip it when I need to get around the boat. Anything longer and it'll snag around your leg and things whilst under way.

[roycruse]

I have to admit i have forgotten to re-attach kill cord numerous times after i have had to unclip from it to do something at the back of the boat etc...

a longer one might mean unclipping it less

Originally Posted by JonM

If you lengthen it it might well catch on something at the cruicial moment and not work.

How can this happen - unless it actually gets tied with a knot stronger than the breaking strain of the cord - even if wrapped around several items your weight falling over is still going to disengage it from the switch.

[Scary Des]

Kill cords are a real pain in the neck and either work when you don’t want them to or don’t work when you do

I’ve always thought that kill cords are not user friendly and I think that there is scope for big improvement.

A couple of ideas jump to mind:-
On some plant, like mini diggers there is a sensor in the seat that will not allow the digger to move unless someone is sitting there
Some delivery drivers, to allow them to keep there vehicle running without them in it, have a transponder ‘credit card’ that they keep in the back pocket that has to be there for the vehicle to be moved

Both these systems could be used on a rib and in the case of the second it would allow you to move around the boat when a kill cord would not.

Des

[DJL]

The kill cord is designed to stop the engine if the helmsman moves away from the helm. I personally think that the normal ~1.3m is plenty - especially if you have crew onboard. If you’re solo then you just need to plan everything a little more carefully - eg prepare lines before you go along side and run them back to the helm.

If you have trouble remembering to reattach the kill cord, stick a label on the dash right in front of the helm to remind you.

I know of two occasions when rough weather knocked helmsman to the floor. (not in RIBs) It was noted that in both cases it would have been difficult to get back to the helm if the kill cord had not stopped the engine. A long kill cord probably wouldn't have cut the engine in these situations.

I would also like to question the ability for a kill switch to be momentarily activated. All kill switches I have come across have essentially employed an over centre mechanism to provide a positive, clean switch. The kill switch on my Mercury control box only kills the engine once the switch has passed the point of no return. Other types where a clip holds the spring loaded switch out require the clip to be totally removed before the engine is stopped - in my opinion momentary activation would be difficult. Try it with your nearest light switch.

Originally Posted by JonM

Its other main reason - often forgotton is that it stops your craft rushing off and injuring someone else!

Very true - a quote from the MCA website “…over the weekend dozens of beachgoers had a lucky escape when a speedboat careered onto a crowded beach after its skipper fell overboard last Saturday afternoon”

[Sammo]

Proper length of a Kill Cord?

How do you know it is the right length?



I was out on a Rib with a friend this summer, we hit a wave and it sent my friend flying while he was on the helm!

To our knowledge this was the appropiate kill cord for this boat!

Luckily my friend landed on the tube and then fell back into the rib.
He was laid on the floor on the opposite side of the boat to where the kill cord attaches.

The kill cord did not come out!

I got to the Throttle and pulled the boat back into neutral.

Luckily None of us where hurt or thrown into the water.
I dont like thinking of what could of happened if i had been thrown into the water and my friend was on the floor with the boat going out of control round the bay

[Powerboat]

Cut and Paste of an article I wrote on the subject a year or so ago !

One of the more sobering aspects of my job is the investigation of accidents involving small and fast craft. Generally I am acting as an expert witness for the courts. Very often, these accidents have left the victims severely injured.

In almost every serious powerboat accident that I have studied, death or injury could have been prevented in nearly every case if the driver had worn a Life Jacket and a Kill Cord.

The benefits of life jackets are fairly apparent to all but it constantly amazes me how few people seem to realise that wearing Kill Cords on fast or open boats does save lives. Even the Department of the Marine here in Ireland seem to have ignored the value of Kill Cords within their new and welcome Fast Water Craft safety legislation.

Check out the ads in many boating magazines today. Glamorous pictures of open boats being driven with not a life jacket in sight and the kill cord flapping loosely from the throttle box

A Kill Cord or Safety Lanyard is the small red lead that connects the driver to a switch located on the engine or sometimes the dashboard of the boat. The general idea is that if the driver gets knocked overboard, then the lanyard comes with him closing the electric switch that the engine end of the cord was attached to .The closed switch grounds the ignition and immediately stops the engine.

A typical accident happens as follows. The inexperienced or untrained powerboat driver is travelling too fast for the sea conditions. He hits a wave hard and gets flicked out of the boat. With no kill cord connected to the driver and no hand on the wheel, the boat continues under power. The boat then circles around at speed in ever decreasing circles until it invariably hits the driver in the water with horrific results.

If the driver had been wearing a kill cord and life jacket, then the engine would have stalled as soon as he fell out. His life jacket would deploy allowing him to swim the few metres back to reboard the boat and consider some revised driving practices!

I hope that we have convinced you to always wear a kill cord, so how about some Professional Tips!

Connect your Kill Cord around your leg or to your life jacket harness rather than to your wrist. Kill cords have been known to slip off of wet wrists and also, when worn on the wrist can get tangled in throttles etc. It is far better to wear it around you thigh or knee so that there is no way that you are coming out of the boat without the kill cord coming with you. You can also attach it to your lifejacket harness. But be sure that it is attached to secure webbing or a lifting loop rather than a flimsy plastic buckle, which might give way as you are chucked out.

Check your kill cord regularly. Check it for signs of cuts, nicks or fraying and give it a good pull from either end. Check frequently that it is working by removing it while the engine is idling. It should immediately stop the engine. If it doesn’t, have the engine checked by a specialist before using it.

When leaving the boat, bring the kill cord with you. As well as being an anti theft measure, it also ensures that you must refit the kill cord before you can restart the engine. It is common enough for some one climbing aboard a boat with a connected kill cord hanging loose to forget to attach it to them selves before driving away. Our Instructors in Lough Ree Power Boat School www.powerboat.org generally leave the kill cord attached to their leg and shove the engine end into their trouser pocket when going in for lunch. If you have to take off the kill cord while the engine is still running but in neutral, wrap the driver end of the cord around the steering wheel so that there is no way you can accidentally drive off with re-attaching the kill cord to your leg.

Never attach or tie the kill cord to the ignition key. Ignition keys generally cannot be removed while in the on position. I have seen at least one case where a faller was being towed through the water by his kill cord still firmly attached to the ignition switch.

Check that your Kill Cord is genuine. Within the last year it has come to my attention that many reputable chandlers have been innocently selling dodgy or spurious kill cords. A true kill cord is made with a strong wire or string core, which is then coated with a red plastic protective cover. Spring clips and fastenings should be strong and made from metal. The dodgy or spurious Kill cords are pure plastic with no core and the clips are usually made of plastic. Very often these spurious cords fail by merely being pulled off of the engine or throttle box.

Carry a spare kill cord in your toolbox. Kill cords sink so it pays to have a spare aboard just in case. The spare can also be used by another qualified driver to save you a swim back to the boat if you have been silly enough to take a dive. Many of the Professional Boat Squads we train equip every qualified Coxswain aboard with a personal kill cord allowing some one else to quickly regain the helm after an accident.


So there you have it. If you want to make your powerboating safer and more enjoyable:

• Get professional training at an Irish Sailing Association or RYA recognised Powerboat School

• Drive safely and responsibly.

• Always wear a Kill Cord and Life jacket

• Always drive with one hand on the throttle so that you can you can kill the power before something goes wrong

• And finally Have Fun !


Stuart McNamara

Stuart is the owner of Lough Ree Power Boat School www.powerboat.org at Hodson Bay in Athlone. He is also the Irish Sailing Associations National Motorboat and Powerboat Trainer. He can be contacted at consultancy@powerboat.org