Two dead, four injured in Padstow speedboat crash.

[sailorman]

FWIW, I keep the keys for my o/d lock, dinghy (cycle) chain-lock, a whistle and a floating keyring on my kill cord. ie, it's the tender "keys" - one end clips onto LJ harness (before boarding) and the other end plugs into the o/b.

all my keys are on my car ring, so i dont forget any of them

 

[Seajet]

all my keys are on my car ring, so i dont forget any of them

Sailorman,

not wishing to make light of a thread concerning a true tragedy, but I hope you have tested any float on your key ring is able to cope with all the keys; mine reached a critical point, I thought it was becoming dodgy so tested it one day, sank like a stone so I had to rationalise various locks, it's easy to reach overload - and some car keys with electronic chips don't like being submerged, though my Vauxhall key was happy to spend a tide on the seabed on one occasion.

 

[Lakesailor]

Doesn't everyone?

 

[DogWatch]

If you fell out, whilst the tender may not come full circle and run you down, it will just motor off surely? For the sake of simply attaching the cord to you or your lifejacket in a second or two,why not?

I don't because to put my 2.5 suzzi into reverse I have to spin the motor, this is really awkward with the cord attached. Saying that, after this accident I have already decided to revise my use of the killcord in the dinghy, even though if I fell out the engine would throttle down and currently as it is running as though it needs a decoke would most certainly stall of it's own accord.

 

[DownWest]

In the pre-cord era, I was pulling skiers of a beach. Paying overlong attention to the next pull, he shouted a warning. A (probably) wake induced big wave suddenly appeared and started breaking. I tried to power into it, but it was off my port side and the 'wrong' way to turn. It flipped the boat and I pulled the throttle to neutral as it rolled, but was very carefull not to come up near it. As it ended upright and the engine restarted with out trouble, no probs except bailing out. But, lesson learned.

I doubt many outboard craft would stay straight on their own, esp after a violent exit.

 

[Al Dickson]

We all have our own kill cord attached to our lifejacket harnesses & clip it into the spring loaded switch when we take control of the boat, this means you can't start it without being attached.

 

[alan_d]

Those of us with sailing boats are likely to have lifejackets with combined harness, which gives you a big chunky ring to clip the kill-cord to. Mobo sailors will not have a built-in harness, so is there something suitable for them to clip the kill-cord on to?

 

[[2068]]

Those of us with sailing boats are likely to have lifejackets with combined harness, which gives you a big chunky ring to clip the kill-cord to. Mobo sailors will not have a built-in harness, so is there something suitable for them to clip the kill-cord on to?

If I'm in the tender, the kill cord can clip to a cord loop on the lifejacket.
If in the bigger boat, there is no kill cord, but quite unlikely to be thrown out.

 

[Otter]

Kill cord always used on the tender, my fear is that with little ones on board if I were dumb enough to fall overboard, say whilst coming toward the mother ship and leaning out to grab the stanchion, then without the kill cord the tender could motor merrily away with a very precious cargo on board.

 

[Capt Popeye]

Just perhaps there is to much misplaced merit attatched to the present Stop (or kill cord) way of stopping the OB engine?

Having experienced some and read the 'issues' raised on here on the 'failings' or 'difficulties' with relying on such a device, just perhaps we should be looking at other ways or alternative ways of achieving the desired results?

A 'dead mans handle' or seat device just might be a way to develop a better safety system.

 

[chanelyacht]

A 'dead mans handle' or seat device just might be a way to develop a better safety system.

The problem with those is there are many times when you legitimately need to stand up, or relax handle grip, etc, whilst driving - from years of rib driving including lifeboats this is a common occurrence.

In which case, you're more in danger from the sea state if your engine cuts out than you are in falling overboard.

Well maintained kill cord systems work, it's getting people to use them that's the issue.

 

[jwilson]

The problem with those is there are many times when you legitimately need to stand up, or relax handle grip, etc, whilst driving - from years of rib driving including lifeboats this is a common occurrence.

In which case, you're more in danger from the sea state if your engine cuts out than you are in falling overboard.

Well maintained kill cord systems work, it's getting people to use them that's the issue.

Agree entirely, in fast RIBs and powerboats in any sea you must half-stand, or your back will suffer from impacts, and if you are working you may need to keep moving round the boat. On TV yesterday they showed footage of the waterski instructor who managed to get on board the out of control boat and kill the engine - he was shown coming in and berthing his RIB, of course not wearing his own kill cord, though I'm sure he'd put it on if in rough water at speed.

 

[fisherman]

If one went to the expense of a radio 'kill cord', the same concern might pay more attention to using the low tech, reliable, string version. The one time I used a jetski, I tied the cord to my wrist. When I was tossed off, it worked.

Danger in this case a radio 'out of range' kill device might not have worked as the rib stayed within a few metres of the victims.

 

[Seajet]

It seems quite obvious that kill chords are not a satisfactory answer, people don't like using them; so something like a radio MOB job seems the way to go; I'm damn sure it could be made to work even if the boat is circling close.

 

[alant]

Those of us with sailing boats are likely to have lifejackets with combined harness, which gives you a big chunky ring to clip the kill-cord to. Mobo sailors will not have a built-in harness, so is there something suitable for them to clip the kill-cord on to?

Most people use their leg, even if not wearing anything, its not easy to get a loop off when tied around a thigh.
If it does slip, your foot juts out as a long stop.

If tied around wrist, easy to slip hand thru, so not as fool proof.

 

[testmonkey]

A 'dead mans handle' or seat device just might be a way to develop a better safety system.

Well a very simple method exists already - no investment required - it's called throttle friction setting.

I know a full service boatyard who maintain several powerboats. They always set the throttle friction to very low. When you drive a boat like this you need to keep hand on the throttle otherwise it slowly pulls back to idle in a couple of minutes. A boat circling at idle throttle is a lot less dangerous than one going full speed.

The boatyard boss recognises the fact there will always be people who just don't use the kill chord, this low-friction setting will help to mitigate the outcome.

Maybe this is something RYA could take onboard as best practice, the wider leisure marine industry could drive self-regulation towards this. Self regulation could be better received than more legislation.

 

[alant]

Well a very simple method exists already - no investment required - it's called throttle friction setting.

I know a full service boatyard who maintain several powerboats. They always set the throttle friction to very low. When you drive a boat like this you need to keep hand on the throttle otherwise it slowly pulls back to idle in a couple of minutes. A boat circling at idle throttle is a lot less dangerous than one going full speed.

The boatyard boss recognises the fact there will always be people who just don't use the kill chord, this low-friction setting will help to mitigate the outcome.

Maybe this is something RYA could take onboard as best practice, the wider leisure marine industry could drive self-regulation towards this. Self regulation could be better received than more legislation.

But the boat is still in drive & the prop will still maim, so still a stupid way of using a boat!
WHAT is the problem with using a kill cord, other than arrogance/complacency/darwinism?

 

[prv]

It seems quite obvious that kill chords are not a satisfactory answer, people don't like using them; so something like a radio MOB job seems the way to go

Why do you think people are any more likely to buy and use those?

Pete

 

[testmonkey]

But the boat is still in drive & the prop will still maim, so still a stupid way of using a boat!
WHAT is the problem with using a kill cord, other than arrogance/complacency/darwinism?

I always use a kill cord, and require it to be used when someone else drives. But there will always be people who don't, reasons being like you say, ignorance, arrogance etc. Have a look around next time when you see powerboats operated - it's sad but true. So what's wrong in trying to find a second layer of safety?

 

[alant]

I always use a kill cord, and require it to be used when someone else drives. But there will always be people who don't, reasons being like you say, ignorance, arrogance etc. Have a look around next time when you see powerboats operated - it's sad but true. So what's wrong in trying to find a second layer of safety?

Maybe such drivers should have some legal sanction applied against them, because they are potentially endangering other third paries!