Kill switch idea

[Dave Barnett]

I was reading a news story online today and found where a man had fallen from his boat while fishing. He was fishing a small body of water in a tinny with a 10 hp motor. His boat ended up doing some damage to a neighbors dock when it crashed into it.
When quizzed after he was rescued from the lake he said he never dreamed that with his small rig that this would ever be a problem.
Long story short this all got me thinking. I have a small lake V with a 9.6 and no kill switch. After this I am thinking of attaching a heavy "return spring" to the throttle linkage on my motor.
My 9.6 is one you simply choke to stop by twisting the throttle grip all the way backed off. By placing a return spring on the linkage, if I would let go of the tiller handle it would automatically kill the motor. I realize it would make motoring a more hand fatiguing effort and I would have to disconnect it to troll but while motoring it would be a safer way to go. Any thoughts on this??

 

[H20Rat]

Re: Kill switch idea

even on a small motor like that, it would be relatively simple to wire in your own tether kill switch, just put the kill switch right on the cowl, with some sort of coiled up line to hook to your life jacket.

I'd at least much rather to that than a throttle spring. Easier too.

 

[trendsetter240]

Re: Kill switch idea

I agree with the above post that an electrical kill switch is ideal. However the throttle return spring idea is not bad at all. If you can build it and it works I say go for it.

 

[26aftcab454]

Re: Kill switch idea

I was reading a news story online today and found where a man had fallen from his boat while fishing. He was fishing a small body of water in a tinny with a 10 hp motor. His boat ended up doing some damage to a neighbors dock when it crashed into it.
When quizzed after he was rescued from the lake he said he never dreamed that with his small rig that this would ever be a problem.
Long story short this all got me thinking. I have a small lake V with a 9.6 and no kill switch. After this I am thinking of attaching a heavy "return spring" to the throttle linkage on my motor.
My 9.6 is one you simply choke to stop by twisting the throttle grip all the way backed off. By placing a return spring on the linkage, if I would let go of the tiller handle it would automatically kill the motor. I realize it would make motoring a more hand fatiguing effort and I would have to disconnect it to troll but while motoring it would be a safer way to go. Any thoughts on this??

at the ramp by my house we had a man die when the 14ft tinny he was demo ing for a sale pitched him out and ran over him-prop struck him in the head.

anybody in a small boat alone needs a kill switch.

 

[ShadowB]

Re: Kill switch idea

I was tossed out of a 14ft semi-V aluminum boat with a Merc 9.9 and that kill switch and auto inflate life vest were worth EVERY cent. Course you have to use them. I think state laws should make kill switches mandantory regardless of motor age, size or length of boat. Jump over the spring etc. and put a kill switch in, one day you may be glad you didn't half step.

 

[choochooharley]

Re: Kill switch idea

Also if you have to disconnect it to troll what happens if you fall out while trolling?

 

[Frank Acampora]

Re: Kill switch idea

Shadow, that's a slippery slope! We have enough government intervention in our boating lives already. If people don't want to use a kill switch, so what? It's nature's way of getting rid of the chaff. And don't even try the argument that it is for the safety of other boaters.

 

[ShadowB]

Re: Kill switch idea

I don't like government intervention either, but there are some things worth intervening on. Having a young kid in the front of a boat while you go in the drink may be worth some intervention. I don't mind laws if they are practical and serve a purpose, but I understand what your saying.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Kill switch idea

back in the day, small OB's powered down when you let go of the tiller handle, unless you over-tightened the friction screw. The boat might stay in gear, idling, but that's better than a runaway at speed. Try loosening the tension screw.

 

[JoLin]

Re: Kill switch idea

I don't like government intervention either, but there are some things worth intervening on. Having a young kid in the front of a boat while you go in the drink may be worth some intervention. I don't mind laws if they are practical and serve a purpose, but I understand what your saying.

Making people put them in won't guarantee their use. They're already required- making that requirement retroactive is unnecessarily 'meddlesome'.

Most physical activities have some inherent risks. Those who don't recognize them sometimes get hurt, or hurt others. That's just a basic fact of life regardless of the activity. Legislation can't remove stupidity from the equation.

My .02

 

[Brewman61]

Re: Kill switch idea

For every saftey feature foistered upon us, there are those who will figure out a way around them, and those are the people most likely to cause the problems that the saftey devices are trying to prevent.
Honestly, how many of us wear the clip on kill switches that many of us have on our boats? I seldom do.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Kill switch idea

"every time you make something fool proof, they make a smarter fool."

Remember seat belt buzzers?

I run old motors in salt water in isolated and dangerous conditions. I don't need any more tempermental devices that could malfunction and leave me stranded. You can get safety-deviced to death.

 

[Bob's Garage]

Re: Kill switch idea

There is a perfectly feasible alternative to the coiled wire/clip kill switch lanyard. It's called the "Autotether". I mention this one because it's what I use.

It replaces the clip on the kill switch with an electronically controlled self releasing clip. The operator and/or passenger have a radio sending unit on their person, the size of a car key fob, that reports to a receiver on the console. If the receiver fails to detect a signal it shuts off the engine within 2-4 seconds.

This signal is blocked by water or a 250' distance from the receiver. It works very well.

In addition the company has remarkable customer service. I am so keen on this item that I recommend it to all my students in the Boating Safety Course I instruct.

It is relatively inexpensive and very well built.

There are other systems on the market, and they all permit unrestricted movement about the boat and can accommodate multiple sending units.

 

[veritas honus]

Re: Kill switch idea

at the ramp by my house we had a man die when the 14ft tinny he was demo ing for a sale pitched him out and ran over him-prop struck him in the head.

anybody in a small boat alone needs a kill switch.

There was an avoidable tragedy talked about recently on iboats. Three people in a boat all got tossed. One man was killed and the other two, if I remember correctly, were critically injured (by the propeller as the boat made ever decreasing circles around them). Even if all three hadn't been tossed, someone left in the boat may be prevented from remedying the situation; whether by injury or lack of knowledge. A kill switch or other disabling device can be a lifesaver.

Safe and happy boating always!!!