Fail safe - fail dangerous

[dylanwinter]

Last night we got back to the boat at about midnight and launched the dinghy for the 200 yard journey across to the boat. t was raining and blowing a three - fairly choppy and misty.

Not brilliant. The little Honda 2.3 fired up perfectly then as I turned around the kill cord got pulled and the end of the little red button sheared off

it is not entirely unlike this one

http://thumbs4.ebaystatic.com/d/l225/m/m2GmlZM0kwblDf4sKwBeK5Q.jpg

so we were faced with 200 yard row in the dark in a choppy loch

so not much of a safety feature then in my opinion


the Tohatsu came with a crummy little bit of plastic cam attached to a bit of coat hanger metal rod designed to prevent the operator from starting the engine in gear. One day at trent Falls on the Humber it decided to prevent starting in or out of gear

that incident happened at Trent falls - again jeopardising safety

One the biggest safety features of any engine is for it to start when required


if fail safe gear stops you from starting the thing then that, in my opinion, is anything but a contribution towards safety

D

 

[ghostlymoron]

You should always carry oars with you in case of engine failure. I wouldn't bother starting the engine for 200m.

 

[sarabande]

the reason for the failure may be UV degradation. Do you leave the kill cord installed and the button uncovered when the o/b is on the stern ? It shouldn't happen, of course, but a spare tucked away under the hood or somewhere safe should be SOP.

Take the matter up with the maker. I think they will be surprised at the failure, especially if you can send them the remaining bits.


Can you pull the red button 'stem' out with a pair of pliers, and then secure it ?

 

[Gin]

You should always carry oars with you in case of engine failure. .

Quote> so we were faced with 200 yard row <Quote

I wonder what Dylan used to row with then?

 

[VicS]

The trouble is that everybody these days want things to be a cheap as possible.
Nobody wants to pay for quality.
Even when its available people look to ebay etc for cheap tat instead. ( I note your little picture is an ebay one)

What you experience is the result.

 

[Davy_S]

Can you pull the red button 'stem' out with a pair of pliers, and then secure it ?

I bit of info on the above, the plastic cable ties, the smaller ones fit perfectly into the kill cord recess, I know it renders the kill cord inoperative until removed, but it does work if you are stuck. A lot of Greek hire boats have these in place because the punters lose the original or the sun degrades them! Not a perfect solution, but worth carrying one under the cowl.

 

[sailorman]

I bit of info on the above, the plastic cable ties, the smaller ones fit perfectly into the kill cord recess, I know it renders the kill cord inoperative until removed, but it does work if you are stuck. A lot of Greek hire boats have these in place because the punters lose the original or the sun degrades them! Not a perfect solution, but worth carrying one under the cowl.

as i understand it the button broke not the yoke thingy. a nice tohatsu 2 t would be better

 

[prv]

I think I might have taken the lid off and shorted / disconnected the wiring to the switch.

Pete

 

[jerrytug]

The kill cord invention must have prevented countless injuries and crashes, worldwide, over the years though; a rare breakage is not a good reason to abandon (or even criticise) safety features, surely?

 

[rosewood]

Should get a seagull

 

[CreakyDecks]

Which is more dangerous, an outboard that fails to start when you are in the boat, or one that fails to stop when you are out of it?

 

[2nd_apprentice]

Should get a seagull

One the biggest safety features of any engine is for it to start when required

;-)

 

[VicS]

Should get a seagull

Originally Posted by Dylan
One the biggest safety features of any engine is for it to start when required

Dunno where Dylan posted that ...... there no reference or link back to it .... made up by 2nd apprentice perhaps

At least with a Seagull you can start it if the cord is lost or breaks and you have no spare bit of string to use in its place simply by spinning the flywheel between your hands.

 

[Jegs]

Dunno where Dylan posted that ...... there no reference or link back to it .... made up by 2nd apprentice perhaps

At least with a Seagull you can start it if the cord is lost or breaks and you have no spare bit of string to use in its place simply by spinning the flywheel between your hands.

They don't makem like they used to!


John G

 

[prv]

Dunno where Dylan posted that

In this very thread, right at the top of the page

Pete

 

[GrahamM376]

Which is more dangerous, an outboard that fails to start when you are in the boat, or one that fails to stop when you are out of it?

OK in theory but in practice I very rarely see a kill cord attached on small dinghy engines, they're usually just hanging loose.

 

[thalassa]

Should get a seagull

He used his as an oar.

 

[dylanwinter]

OK in theory but in practice I very rarely see a kill cord attached on small dinghy engines, they're usually just hanging loose.

as is mine

a kill cord in a 2hp in an tiny inflatable is pretty irrelevant I think

the one on the Tohatsu which is the main boat engine in a well is completely irrelevant

safety gear imposed on all of us for the sake of the odd eejit

D

 

[Davy_S]

My 3.3 Evinrude never had a killcord fitted, so instead the sun buggered up my red plastic Stop button, I now switch the fuel off, or poke a screwdriver across the two terminals! keep on never minding.

 

[VicS]

In this very thread, right at the top of the page

Pete

So he did , but that was before 9 o/clock this morning