wakeup
Active member
Why not print a "Wear you kill cord!" sticker to go on throttles or helms to go out with every copy of your magazine.
MBY kill cord campaign – what do you think?
- Thread starter Hugo_Andreae
- Start date
NormanS
Well-known member
I don't know how you get the message across.
I posted the following last January:
Some years ago, we noticed a rib tearing round in circles, and went to investigate. Found that the boy had been flung out, and had swum to his nearby yacht, picked up a sailboard, and was now attempting to approach the rib, paddling with his hands
The rest of the yacht party were on the beach, and could do nothing. We managed to get our boat between the rib and the sailboard. My wife caught the rib's painter with a boathook and snatched a turn. I was then able to board the rib and stop the engine.
After giving some clear and pointed advice to the youngster about the advantages of using the killcord, we left.
A wee while later, the rib came charging after us, driven by the father, presumably to say thankyou. Was he using the killcord?
NO.
I posted the following last January:
Some years ago, we noticed a rib tearing round in circles, and went to investigate. Found that the boy had been flung out, and had swum to his nearby yacht, picked up a sailboard, and was now attempting to approach the rib, paddling with his hands
The rest of the yacht party were on the beach, and could do nothing. We managed to get our boat between the rib and the sailboard. My wife caught the rib's painter with a boathook and snatched a turn. I was then able to board the rib and stop the engine.
After giving some clear and pointed advice to the youngster about the advantages of using the killcord, we left.
A wee while later, the rib came charging after us, driven by the father, presumably to say thankyou. Was he using the killcord?
NO.
ricky_s
Active member
Sorry Hugo, but you are trying to solve a problem that isn't really there. You would save far more lives encouraging people to wear life jackets than something that kills the odd person every now and again, the majority of deaths in these boats are drownings.
Hugo_Andreae
New member
I think we'll have to agree to disagree on that one. Judging from the number of people you see not wearing kill cords, I think there is a problem. Thankfully only a handful of them get killed because of it but I reckon this could be reduced considerably if the main engine and sportsboat manufacturers put their collective minds to solving it.
Ironically, I don't think it will be saving lives that is the primary driver but the convenience, security and primarily the marketing benefits of a device that allows you to move freely around the boat without unclipping or cutting the engine. I'm pretty confident that in 10-15 years time we'll all be looking back wondering what took them so long.
skyflyer
Active member
In other words a 'proximity key' as is fitted to some cars these days - you dont have to insert it to make the car work, just be sat in the driver's seat.
I have just come back from a week on the water where I saw boat after boat after boat, full of young children, and the driver not using the cord. Presumably they dont think they are immune from falling out or why have everyone wear life-jackets, yet still choose not to use the cord. Incredible
Hugo_Andreae
New member
That is certainly one of the proposals and there are a couple of aftermarket wireless kill cord devices using this RFID technology, which seem to work very well. I have now had the Coast Key system fitted to my boat for precisely this reason and so far so good, although I have only been trialling it for a few weeks so can't yet vouch for its long term reliability.
andyc
New member
I saw mangled Legs in Sicily an couple of years ago.It was not nice.
Wireless kill cord would be good.I hate the constriction of the cord. I doubt it would cost the earth.
Wireless kill cord would be good.I hate the constriction of the cord. I doubt it would cost the earth.
Andrew_McEwen
New member
If SOMEONE on the boat had been wearing the kill cord provided, (and which cost nothing, it was part of the package), this incident would probably not have occurred. NO-ONE was. Result : 1 Dead adult, 1 dead child, 1 severely injured parent.
It is literally *** DEAD *** easy - WEAR YOUR KILL CORD !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It is literally *** DEAD *** easy - WEAR YOUR KILL CORD !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ontheplane
Well-known member
But if you can't be bothered to clip on a kill cord why would you be bothered to clip on anything else?
It won't work unless the helmsman chooses to make it work - ie uses it - and that goes for any system
It won't work unless the helmsman chooses to make it work - ie uses it - and that goes for any system
CarlottaConklin
New member
Better training and awareness
skyflyer
Active member
No you're wrong! Basically it is laziness at work here - a system that requires you to do something (put on a safety belt, close a fire door, attach a kill cord) will be forgotten or deliberately omitted because the user cant be bothered. A system that requires an act to disable it (remove batteries from smoke alarm, disarm the car airbag, glue a proximity key to the dashboard) is far less likely to be disabled.
It isnt that humans aren't safety conscious it's that humans are intrinsically lazy!