Wear Your Killcord!

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by Pelagic

There are times when you need to wear a PFD and clip on the kill switch and there are times when you don't need it.

Why must so many weekend sailors deal in absolutes?

This Working Seaman deals in Absolutes... except when it comes to my Bruce vs Everyone else..

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by leftbrainstuff

On our vessel standing orders are simple. If the vessel is moving you wear your PPE (personal protective equipment).

This includes PFD, vhf, lifelines etc, etc On the dinghy this also includes the killcord.

Standing orders are non negotiable. Simple rules and vigilance help keep everyone safe and don't impact on having fun and enjoying your self.

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You make everyone wear a PFD and carry a VHF, and clip on -- anytime the boat is underway?

Even motoring in a dead calm?

Do you also make them clip on while below? uzzled:

[Pelagic]

On a 100meter dingy trip from the mooring to the dingy dock in a no wake zone.....I honestly never felt the need to put on a PFD and clip on the kill switch.
Just call me reckless

[ontherocks83]

I always wear my kill cord on my dinghy and now (thanks to my 3 year old) I wear an inflatable PFD when on the dinghy too. He pointed out that if he had one everyone should have one. Funny how kids point out the obvious.

Originally Posted by leftbrainstuff

On our vessel standing orders are simple. If the vessel is moving you wear your PPE (personal protective equipment).

This includes PFD, vhf, lifelines etc, etc On the dinghy this also includes the killcord.

Standing orders are non negotiable. Simple rules and vigilance help keep everyone safe and don't impact on having fun and enjoying your self.

Sent from my SM-N900T using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

Do you wear a parachute on a airliner a 5 point harness in your car? There is a difference between ultimate safety and pracitcality. On a normal day in calm seas being responsible for your own person is not unreasonable. If you're that scared find a new hobby.

Originally Posted by Dockhead

You make everyone wear a PFD and carry a VHF, and clip on -- anytime the boat is underway?

Even motoring in a dead calm?

Do you also make them clip on while below? uzzled:

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by Pelagic

On a 100meter dingy trip from the mooring to the dingy dock in a no wake zone.....I honestly never felt the need to put on a PFD and clip on the kill switch.
Just call me reckless

Ahah.. the no car horns outside hospitals between 2300-0600hrs rule..

[a64pilot]

I'm the guy who always wears a seatbelt, and a helmet if on a motorcycle.
I do so I guess because on the highway things beyond your control often happen, some fool pulls out in front of you etc.
I don't wear a PFD in the dinghy I guess because at least where I usually am, there are very few others that can influence me, meaning I guess that some fool isn't likely to run me down.

I'm not trying to say don't wear a PFD or the kill cord, just maybe trying to defend why I don't.
I have a high performance dink, but not everyone does, if it can't plane, then the need for a kill cord may be less

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Pelagic

On a 100meter dingy trip from the mooring to the dingy dock in a no wake zone.....I honestly never felt the need to put on a PFD and clip on the kill switch.
Just call me reckless

In the Hamble River, where thousands of boats are moored, I've never seen an adult wearing a PFD in the dinghy.

On any trip further than to my mooring or back, however, we do wear PFDs in the dinghy and are stricter about it than on the mother ship. The logic is that the risk of going over is far greater in the dinghy.

On the mother ship, PFDs are worn in four cases (a) whenever a crewman feels the need; (b) in rough weather (from F8); (c) whenever anyone is on deck alone at night; (d) going forward in anything other than settled weather (F6 and above). We clip on in cases (a) and (d).



I will admit as others have to not using the kill switch on the dinghy. Thanks to Muckle for this helpful reminder. The video was pretty terrifying. I brought my old dinghy from Hamble to Cowes across the Solent in brisk weather last fall, and came close to being thrown out when I flew over the top of a wave and went completely airborne. I have a new dinghy this year, this one with tiller rather than wheel steering. I will try to make a habit of putting on the kill switch.

[Alan Mighty]

Originally Posted by Pelagic

On a 100meter dingy trip from the mooring to the dingy dock in a no wake zone.....I honestly never felt the need to put on a PFD and clip on the kill switch.
Just call me reckless

Can I trouble you to consider the video clip in #12?


That incident started in the calmest water and conditions: a boat berthing in a slip in a marina protected from wave, swell, and wind.


The boat operator claims (no one knows the truth! the video is from the marina's security CCTV) he was reaching out of the boat to tie up and his knee knocked the throttle to full ahead. His boat then mounted the walkway and he was tossed out into the water. Without a killcord, his boat then damaged (to the tune of something over USD250K) three other boats and caused injury to two people (including the operator of the runaway boat).

[Pelagic]

Hi Alan,
That was definitely a Murphy's Law moment or more Sod's Law which would naturally have been averted if the operator had thought to shut off his engine once alongside before leaving the helm to tend his lines.

The guys jumping surf waves on the first video definitely should have deployed a kill switch.

If I am up on a plane, or in open water, the kill switch is on my wrist.
Exception is when I am fishing alone from my tender where it is not practical if trolling and preparing bait.

Then.... it is on a long lanyard tied to my ankle.

My point is that if on a 15hp outboard, the kill switch is naturally choked around the throttle grip , if puttering to shore 10 times a day....I don't bother to clip it on, but turn off the engine as soon as I touch land.

[cruisersfarm]

Always clip the kill switch cord to my beltloop when using the dinghy. Always.

PFDs? Absolutely never in the dinghy or on the main boat. Reckless, I guess.

Motorcycle helmet? Only when going on highways.

Seat belt in car? Always. Can't drive properly unless strapped in.

Bike helmet? Used to when riding on high speed, long trips, never off road.

I think I take precautions in high speed situations only.

[rolandcavanagh]

My son and I stopped a center console that was circling the man who had fallen out of it and then pulled him out of the water. No doubt in our minds that he would have been run over had the boat done a few more loops. Mackerel Cove, Conanicut Island, Rhode Island about 9 years ago. It was moving well above idle, we ran alongside and my son jumped in and yanked the throttle back when we banged it. The guy was so shaken that he couldn't tell us what happened, and we were preparing to tow water skiers so weren't watching him. I was aware that a boat was heading out of the cove, then looked up before tightening the ski rope and saw his dilemma, dumped the rope, abandoned the skiers, and timed catching his boat. He was solo, no lanyard, and I can't remember if he had a PFD on or not.

My neighbor, a retired Coastie, said he'd been involved in some recoveries from similar incidents that didn't turn out so well, that this guy was really lucky we were there.


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[Muckle Flugga]

Originally Posted by rolandcavanagh

My son and I stopped a center console that was circling the man who had fallen out of it and then pulled him out of the water. No doubt in our minds that he would have been run over had the boat done a few more loops. Mackerel Cove, Conanicut Island, Rhode Island about 9 years ago. It was moving well above idle, we ran alongside and my son jumped in and yanked the throttle back when we banged it. The guy was so shaken that he couldn't tell us what happened, and we were preparing to tow water skiers so weren't watching him. I was aware that a boat was heading out of the cove, then looked up before tightening the ski rope and saw his dilemma, dumped the rope, abandoned the skiers, and timed catching his boat. He was solo, no lanyard, and I can't remember if he had a PFD on or not.

My neighbor, a retired Coastie, said he'd been involved in some recoveries from similar incidents that didn't turn out so well, that this guy was really lucky we were there.


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Well done, Sir! Yes, you likely saved his life. And thank you for your additional confirmation that these kinds of incidents are far too common. I just don't understand not wearing killcord. It is absolutely no hassle at all… and not doing so is similar to habitually using a circular saw, on a slippery surface, with no guard. Even at idle that prop will tear you apart.

[rolandcavanagh]

Yes, right place, right time to save his butt.

As a result I always wear my lanyard and PFD when I'm alone in the dinghy or the Eastern 22' (lobster style, fishing and use it for skiing also).

I also wear a helmet when riding motorcycles (not required in RI, but required in CA where I am now for a while), and generally when riding bicycles.

Dilemma is when I'm solo on the Grand Banks with the autopilot on, doing the "snowbird" ICW run. No lanyard. I do wear a PFD if I go outside the cabin - figure if I fall over I'll float and the boat will keep going to the next waypoint. I may surrender to hypothermia, but it won't run me over. And we try to stay "where the butter melts", so the water isn't icy, but I still wouldn't last long off Manasquan or in the LI Sound...

[jongleur]

I always wear the kill cord. How
friggin' inconvenient could it be?

I met a beautiful girl on a beach.
From the front stunningly perfect.
From the back, there were evenly
spaced straight line scars from a
prop from her shoulders to knees. I
can't fathom the terror of that
accident.

If you let your dinghy go on unattended,
it could do this to someone else. It's
not just for your benefit. Wear your
kill cord!

[CAELESTIS]

In April 2009, just off La Cruz MX, we rescued two men that fell out of their dingy with the throttle close to wide open. No life jackets, no radio, drunk, full tank, and throttle stop tension turned up all the way. Eventually a panga and another rescuer used a line to foul the prop and stop the ordeal.

Don't fire it up without the cord.