A couple of weeks ago I had an annoying problem with my kill cord. While playing around I was taking some tight turns but suddenly the kill cord got stuck into the steering wheel and I could no longer steer. That happened on a river. I just had the time to throttle back before …. So I was wondering the following things:
Do you use a kill cord when you are with 3 or more people on board?
Where do you attach your kill cord to? Are there other and better places than your arm? Not only to avoid getting it wrapped around the steering wheel or other gear but I have also read an article from people who fell of their boat and the kill cord slipped of there arm.
I use a tiller & prefer to put my waist belt through a D-ring or chain ring and clip the cord to the ring. Having the cord attached to my waist allows me to move my arms and legs freely (which I do frequently) without having the cord be affected. If I were using a console a leg attachment would probably be the least intrusive (&likely to get snagged) location.
Do you use a kill cord when you are with 3 or more people on board?
Where do you attach your kill cord to? Are there other and better places than your arm? Not only to avoid getting it wrapped around the steering wheel or other gear but I have also read an article from people who fell of their boat and the kill cord slipped of there arm.
A correct length kill cord should be worn at all times, not just when there are "3 or more people on-board"! The best position is around the knee/leg - never the wrist and you have already discovered the problems involved with attaching it to your life jacket. On RYA Level 2 Powerboat courses, particular attention is given to the correct use of a kill cord on ribs, or for that matter any small power boats where there is a possibility of the helm likely to part company with the boat. Is not a question of "should", but "must"!
As far as I can tell, the latest info from the RYA that the RTEs I work with have is that it goes without saying that Killcords should be worn at all times.
The suggestion is that on centre console boats, the killcord must be securely attached around the leg of the driver (ie looped around the leg and then clipped back on itself.) On tiller steered boats (this applies to SIBs and Jeanneaus more than RIBs) you should attach the killcord securely around the shoulder of the buoyancy aid.
That sounds sensible, but regardless of whatever standards or directives are being worked to, it's vital that the cord is securely attached to the driver.
The other side of the "3 or more people on-board" question is that more people on a boat doesn't necessarily make it safer. It's likely that the driver will be the last one to be ejected as he's got hold of the steering wheel, and is most likely to be reading the waves ahead.
A metioned previously in the thread a kill cord should be wrapped around the leg. Alot of people attach it to the wrist, but this has two consequnces, 1. The cord can quite easily come slip off and 2. the cord can become tangled in the helm and throttle.
Always bear in mind to carry a spare kil;l cord aswell as if the helm is to be trhown from the boat then you will need the kord for the replacement helm and also in some configurations to restart the engine.
Always bear in mind to carry a spare kill cord aswell as if the helm is to be trhown from the boat then you will need the kord for the replacement helm and also in some configurations to restart the engine.
Very true. You can usually "jury rig" something, but you can't guarantee that the remaining crew will have the aptitude to do so.
Here in Norway we use flotation suits all the time, they have dedicated killcord attachment rings. So we don't need to wrap them around anything. Then they don't get stuck in the wheel either, or anywhere else.
Thank your all for your advise. Next time i'll attach it around me knee.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Simon Hawkins
Always bear in mind to carry a spare kil;l cord aswell as if the helm is to be trhown from the boat then you will need the kord for the replacement helm and also in some configurations to restart the engine.
Those E-Tec engines can be started without a kill cord. So there is no need for a spare one. If you are wearing it and it get's pulled out, you can just restart the engine without it.
Darwin
