KevO
Well-Known Member
Powerboat and rib magazine have started just such a campaign, licensing, use of kill cords, display of warning stickers and fines for failure to do so etc.
Two dead, four injured in Padstow speedboat crash.
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Powerboat and rib magazine have started just such a campaign, licensing, use of kill cords, display of warning stickers and fines for failure to do so etc.
Seajet
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Okay, let's mention the elephant in the room; such boats are often used by arrogant people who like wazzing about at high speed for fun, often with no regard to their own crews' safety let alone anyone else.
I am not saying this was the case off Padstow, but from personal observation in 4 decades afloat.
The easily ignored kill chord is not sufficient, here in the 21st Century we need more.
I am not saying this was the case off Padstow, but from personal observation in 4 decades afloat.
The easily ignored kill chord is not sufficient, here in the 21st Century we need more.
prv
Well-Known Member
So what are you going to do that can't be ignored? Implant microchips into their backsides?
Pete
Al Dickson
Well-Known Member
The problem is many "21st century people" rely or have grown up with a host of electronics designed to save them from themselves and may not actually possess a core set of skills to allow them to drive cars without them - let alone operate high powered boats.
While Sailing is perceived as "too difficult" to just go out and do without a wee bit of learning time, the easy option is to buy a speedboat / Rib which gets you afloat & appears to only require the skill of a 3 year old (a bit like being towed in an inflatable rather than learning to water ski) its all about instant gratification with minimum effort.
Despite all the electronics in cars accidents still happen - i'm just very surprised that in this Elf n Safety world anyone can buy RIB's or jetskis for that matter capable of 30 knots plus in public places and use them without any training, restriction or fear of consequence.
But unless the boating community are prepared to allow legislation I think we have to accept its the price of our freedom ... and hope victims are few.
While Sailing is perceived as "too difficult" to just go out and do without a wee bit of learning time, the easy option is to buy a speedboat / Rib which gets you afloat & appears to only require the skill of a 3 year old (a bit like being towed in an inflatable rather than learning to water ski) its all about instant gratification with minimum effort.
Despite all the electronics in cars accidents still happen - i'm just very surprised that in this Elf n Safety world anyone can buy RIB's or jetskis for that matter capable of 30 knots plus in public places and use them without any training, restriction or fear of consequence.
But unless the boating community are prepared to allow legislation I think we have to accept its the price of our freedom ... and hope victims are few.
Seajet
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Pete,
much as I like the idea - using something like an Elephant Gun
- I was thinking on the lines of the MOB jobs which set off an alarm but could be made to shut down the engine, even on a circling boat.
Seajet
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prv
Well-Known Member
But you've just said that they're "arrogant people who like wazzing about at high speed for fun, often with no regard to their own crews' safety let alone anyone else", and that they ignore the kill cord.
Why do you think they will put on the transmitter for your device when they won't put on the kill-cord?
Pete
Seajet
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Some are, but if the transmitter comes on the lifejacket - probably a gaudy coloured one with something like ' I'm the boss / man / business
/ it might work...
Seven Spades
Well-Known Member
This is not good news because of the difficulty of defining what boats will be covered by such legislation. Are hard speedboats to be covered or tenders, what about old outboards? What about sailing boats and other powerboats like a Princess etc etc. Starting a campaign like this cold lead to a whole lot of unexpected ancillary legislation that is not necessary, burdensome and potentially expensive.
maby
Well-Known Member
I'm less concerned about the victims who are on the boat before it all goes horribly wrong and more concerned about those who had nothing to do with the boat. In this tragic case, the helm was hard over and it was only the occupants of the boat that suffered - under other circumstances, it could have ploughed on into a beach full of swimmers including children who had nothing to do with the original accident/misoperation.
Seajet
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I'd hope some common sense might be applied and only high speed dinghy type craft are targetted; however having seen the injuries a propellor can do I'd be willing to go along with any rule.
And why are mobo types so resistant to prop guards, is it the ' mine may be a touch slower than yours ' thing ? If so, pathetic.
maby
Well-Known Member
My car has a weight sensor in the seat and complains if the driver is not wearing a seatbelt - I'm lead to believe that it drops into neutral if the driver leaves the seat, though that is harder to test. Wouldn't be too difficult to put something similar into a boat of this size.
Seven Spades
Well-Known Member
What a great suggestion as soon as you leave the seat the engine cuts out.
sailorman
Well-Known Member
Just like my lawnmower, well it stops the blades only
Seajet
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Maby,
if it really does work on weight it must have taken very tactful politely spoken designers to calibrate it !
Most ' seat belt not on ' alarms are by an electrical circuit in the receptacle bit.
KevO
Well-Known Member
As much use as t*ts on a fish... I'm always driving my rib stood up... Especially when handling divers. And yes, always a kill cord on a thigh leash.
maby
Well-Known Member
Maby,
if it really does work on weight it must have taken very tactful politely spoken designers to calibrate it !
Most ' seat belt not on ' alarms are by an electrical circuit in the receptacle bit.
No, it is definitely weight - on both the driver's seat and the passenger. On several occasions I've put some shopping on the passenger seat and driven off only to find a series of increasingly strident beeps - the only way to stop it is by removing the shopping or strapping it in with the seat belt.
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[32511]
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My 1980 Spitfire certainly has a weight sensitive seatbelt alarm switch for the passenger's side; drivers side is buckle activated.Maby,
if it really does work on weight it must have taken very tactful politely spoken designers to calibrate it !
Most ' seat belt not on ' alarms are by an electrical circuit in the receptacle bit.
chewi
Well-Known Member
it might be alright with a time delay, at least long enough to cope with a wave cycle, but less than a full 360 turn time...
but that then precludes standing at the helm so thered have to be another way round that, dead mans footplate etc..
then a time extension function for planned departures from the helm...
it starts to become uninstallable.
the low friction throttle above seems to imply one hand on the throttle and another on the wheel, so a wave can upset your balance and mess with either. It might be ok on a tiller steered o/b like my tender, but thats not where the probs are is it..
I'm as bad , I dont use the killcord on my tender.
maby
Well-Known Member
With modern electronics it would be easy to make it intelligent - I can't imagine anyone driving one of those things flat out standing up, so apply a speed limitation if no weight is detected in the drivers seat.
Alternatively make the function switchable - I very much doubt that the driver in this recent incident was being perverse in not wearing a kill-cord - just lazy.