Where do you clip your kill cord? (Tiller steering)

[GandyGoose]

Hi,

Just wondered where everyone finds it easiest to clip the kill cord when you're tiller steering sitting on the tube at the rear. I keep finding that I move far enough to pop the cord, for example when reaching out when coming alongside. To be honest its a bloomin nuisance. It doesn't help that the clip at "my" end isn't big enough to fit the harness ring on a lifejacket, or onto anything really. The only way is to loop it round and clip it on itself, which obviously makes it much shorter.

I've never had to deal with this before, our tender didn't have a kill cord, and we never had them in the early '80s on the Zodiacs and Seariders we used. On the club rescue boats you're wheel steering, so never really move away from the console so its not a problem.

Tony S

[Polwart]

Originally Posted by GandyGoose

The only way is to loop it round and clip it on itself, which obviously makes it much shorter.

? Maybe an inch ?

[9D280]

usually round the wrist that's on the tiller - replacing the silly clip with an "Animal" watch strap (other velcro watch straps are available! ) makes quite a good method of making sure it doesn't come off

I found clipping it to my lifejacket usually resulted in pulling it out as I went for the gearstick. Mind you that is on a good old gearstick halfway down the opposite side to the tiller - the new ones with the gearchange on the front probably won't suffer from that problem.

Could you wrap it round your knee? Itr will depend where the engine enfd is fixed & how you sit etc etc..

[GandyGoose]

Originally Posted by Polwart

? Maybe an inch ?

OK, brain failure on my part. Through the D ring and clipped onto itself will only shorten by an inch as you say. That's fiddly to clip and unclip though. So what I do is put it round my arm so it can be slipped on and off over my wrist without unclipping, and that shortens by more like a foot.

[Doug Stormforce]

There have been a couple of documented cases of a driver who has fallen over/overboard and the kill chord has slipped of his wrist (hence the strap suggestion above). I suspect a google search would find them, one was written up by the MAIB

Personally I wrap it around my leg just below the knee, come alongside unclip and go forward.

[ben tye]

kill cords should really not go around your wrist it is possible for them to fall off. I prefer them to go around the top of the leg were they are out of the way. You may need to find a longer kill cord or if it very new stretch it out a little. Good luck and safe boating

[GandyGoose]

Agreed, the wrist isn't ideal, hence my raising the question here. There's also the temptation to slip it off. I reckon changing the clip to something that will go on the D ring is the best idea, and a longer cord if necessary.

[jyasaki]

Originally Posted by ben tye

I prefer them to go around the top of the leg were they are out of the way.

That's where I used to wear mine as well.

On the new boat, I clip it around the drysuit crotch strap (don't really have anywhere else to clip it off to easily, and the crotch strap works whether I have the suit fully donned or halfway down.)

jky

[prairie tuber]

I have my kill cords attatched to a small carbiner and the carbiner clips to my belt. This gives me far more freedom to move all of my limbs with out inadvertantly cutting the motor. It is also far more secure and comfortable than around a wrist or leg.

[J S]

Originally Posted by 9D280

usually round the wrist that's on the tiller - replacing the silly clip with an "Animal" watch strap (other velcro watch straps are available! ) makes quite a good method of making sure it doesn't come off

I found clipping it to my lifejacket usually resulted in pulling it out as I went for the gearstick. Mind you that is on a good old gearstick halfway down the opposite side to the tiller - the new ones with the gearchange on the front probably won't suffer from that problem.

Could you wrap it round your knee? Itr will depend where the engine enfd is fixed & how you sit etc etc..

I use a waterproof type velcro watch strap also, that seems to work well

James