Mister E
Well-known member
That outboard had been put in gear and the throttle opened deliberately.
It was not in neutral ticking over.
Anbother vote for the killcord
- Thread starter fisherman
- Start date
It was not in neutral ticking over.
lustyd
Well-known member
They state it on the course. Try it, you might learn something.
westernman
Well-known member
https://www.yamaha-motor.com.au/products/marine/outboard/portable-four-stroke-2.5---25hp/f2.5
At least my 15 year old version of that does.
It can also be started in gear. Been there, done that, got the tea shirt.
Graham376
Well-known member
Maybe I'm missing something but I don't understand your post. What are you suggesting needs doing apart from just pushing the gear lever? With our Yamaha, Suzuki and Tohatsu engines, it only needs the gear lever pushing to put into gear.
simonfraser
Well-known member
do some of the levers 'just' push into gear ?
mine needs a tag pulled upwards before it can be moved forward / revers
Graham376
Well-known member
Is this a safety feature on newer engines? I've never owned or seen one like that.
lustyd
Well-known member
Different on power boats to yachts and tenders. It’s often plastic though and may well break under someone’s weight falling against it. The primary safety mechanism is the kill cord which is a proper fail safe.
Mister E
Well-known member
I was on about large outboards like the one in the video, the type that have a remote gear and throttle control.
Noy the smaller ones with a tiller attached, they type that to get the throttle to increase needs the operator to do something.
I should have made that clear.
Noy the smaller ones with a tiller attached, they type that to get the throttle to increase needs the operator to do something.
I should have made that clear.
Mister E
Well-known member
In the case of the video the biggest safety factor would have been don't be an idiot.
If anyone needed to do a safety course it was him, if it hadn't gone wrong it was very antisocial and a danger to others.
If anyone needed to do a safety course it was him, if it hadn't gone wrong it was very antisocial and a danger to others.
lustyd
Well-known member
You can’t stop people being idiots, but you can usually train them to use a simple safety device to prevent them harming themselves and others. Clearly some people will refuse to be educated, and we can only hope they don’t injure anyone.
AllWinds
New member
Little 2.5HP Tender dinghies are fundamentally different to a proper outboard of about 6 to 8HP or more. The smaller ones usually do not have a reverse gear, but many still do have a neutral. They are actually really a pain to come alongside smoothly with and on these I tend to cut the engine as soon as I can get a hold of the boat or jetty that I am coming into...
But on the larger engines I will leave them running until I am secured. Engine in neutral and remove the kill chord, make fast and then turn off the engine. Reverse for leaving. Start engine in neutral. let go the lines, return to engine controls and put on kill cord, drive off. In smaller boats, you may never need to leave the engine controls or take off the kill cord to do this.
I am an ex-RYA Powerboat instructor (also Advanced and Safety boat). This is how I used to teach (and assess) it too. Maybe the protocol has changed since I was teaching (it's quite a while ago now). I actively avoid, under all circumstances casting off before I have the engine started. I've added to this now started and tested under some load. Last year I had a dinghy which started and idled perfectly but under load constantly cut out. I only discovered this as I was going downwind out of a harbour and the motor cut out every time I tried to drive into 25+ knots of wind.
But on the larger engines I will leave them running until I am secured. Engine in neutral and remove the kill chord, make fast and then turn off the engine. Reverse for leaving. Start engine in neutral. let go the lines, return to engine controls and put on kill cord, drive off. In smaller boats, you may never need to leave the engine controls or take off the kill cord to do this.
I am an ex-RYA Powerboat instructor (also Advanced and Safety boat). This is how I used to teach (and assess) it too. Maybe the protocol has changed since I was teaching (it's quite a while ago now). I actively avoid, under all circumstances casting off before I have the engine started. I've added to this now started and tested under some load. Last year I had a dinghy which started and idled perfectly but under load constantly cut out. I only discovered this as I was going downwind out of a harbour and the motor cut out every time I tried to drive into 25+ knots of wind.
lustyd
Well-known member
It has.
Nobody has said to cast off before starting the engine. Obviously check the engine starts and runs etc. before committing, but a well maintained engine will restart immediately so can happily be turned off while away from the helm. If your engine doesn’t start immediately then don’t go to sea. Casting off can be done from the helm in any boat where a kill cord is appropriate.
Mister E
Well-known member
It would be interesting to read what others have been taught and current instructors teach.
RunAgroundHard
Well-known member
Same practise on larger 10 HP motors (the largest I have used as a tender) on V bottom inflatables. Kill engine at small distance away and use momentum to finish the manoeuvre.
I wouldn’t define “proper” by engine size.
Keith 66
Well-known member
Many outboards can be shoved into gear & started that way, modern ones tend to have interlocks so they cant be started in neutral. In the incident i witnessed & related earlier in this thread, The outboard concerned had a single lever throttle/gear lever control next to the steering wheel. On that type of single lever you had to manually push a red button in on the lever to select throttle only mode to start the engine. Once running you returned it to neutral position & the button sprang out allowing gear to be selected with throttle.
The driver in our case was distracted by two dolly birds & just shoved the throttle open without pushing the button in.
When he ripped the starter cord the engine fired up in gear & was away.
Must be a lot of that type of throttle unit still around waiting for an idiot to come along!
madabouttheboat
Well-known member
Ive been on modern outboard boat with fly by wire throttles where they can easily be knocked into gear simply by walking past them. Very dangerous and hopefully corrected by now, but when FBW first came to outboards it was not uncommon.
Snowgoose-1
Well-known member
Some years ago their was a fatality on the River Colne on the East Coast..
Water skier in the water with girlfriend driving the boat. Not known exactly what happened but tragically the water skier was effectively decapitated by the prop. Must be a terrible thing for the poor girl to try and overcome.
What you describe above is what you often seen on lawnmowers. A button to press first and then a lever to throttle. The throttle is effectively a dead man's handle where the lever is under constant pressure for mowing . Most outboards twist grips can be adjusted, so whenever you let go it springs back to tick over or the engine stalls in gear. I think this is desirable for at least cutting down some of the damage on small outboards/inflatables . Not to take the place of kill cords of course.
ylop
Well-known member
I don't think that is what any training says BUT that doesn't mean you can't start the engine and then cast off without removing the kill cord, (or vice versa). Any competent instructor would show you how. If its really not viable (especially in your routine operations), you probably need crew to safely manage the boat - I know thats controversial.
which bit of your body would you like to use to stop the prop on a 2.5HP engine?
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