New Outboard Pilot

[SteveHall]

Just been looking at the new offering from Lowrance Outboard Pilot and SmartSteer

Lowrance Announces New Outboard Pilot - YouTube

Got me thinking, How do you use the kill cord?

[Peter_C]

Originally Posted by SteveHall

Got me thinking, How do you use the kill cord?

Well the "pilot" is bolted to the boat and not going to fall overboard so it doesn't need a kill cord

What you need is a water proof case and smart phone control so if you fall overboard it can reverse course and run you over. Darwin is still able to work with technology at hand.

As to a person connecting a kill cord it shouldn't change a thing as the kill cord is an electronic device connected to the motor, not the Lowrance equipment. At this time you can't say "start engine", you must still push a button or turn a key.

[SteveHall]

It seems the system is designed to allow walking round the boat, rigging kit etc when alone or with crew who don't know what they are doing - and this is when your most likely to fall in and you wouldn't be able to keep kill cord on.

[Poly]

Originally Posted by SteveHall

It seems the system is designed to allow walking round the boat, rigging kit etc when alone or with crew who don't know what they are doing - and this is when your most likely to fall in and you wouldn't be able to keep kill cord on.

Autopilots have been in use on yachts and commercial fishing boats for a long time and haven't resulted in vast numbers of MoB accidents. Probably more issues with people not paying attention and colliding with others/obstructions.

If you can afford this system you can probably afford a Wireless Kill Cord too! Assuming it works like the Garmin System then it only controls steering not throttle so all existing kill cords will continue to function normally.

[HughN]

Originally Posted by Poly

Autopilots have been in use on yachts and commercial fishing boats for a long time and haven't resulted in vast numbers of MoB accidents. Probably more issues with people not paying attention and colliding with others/obstructions.

There is at least one single-handed sailor (one who sails alone, not someone with one hand or that has onanistic tendencies) who trails a very, very long line behind his boat tha,t when pulled hard, forces the vane of the self-steering gear to one side, causing the boat to turn so that the sails go all flappy* and the boat stops. He can then pull himself along the line to the boat.

*There is probably a nautical term for this but as a non-WAFI I neither know nor care what it is