kill cord

S

ssobol

Active member
My 22 has a kill cord for the motor. This is mounted at the right rear of the helm seat behind the throttle on the platform the helm seat sits on. The kill switch is in the panel with the ignition key and the warning lights.

I have had issues with the kill cord becoming dislodged enough to prevent the engine from starting. The plastic hold down clip gets knocked slightly askew and lets the plunger pop up enough to kill the ignition circuit. When the engine does stop running it is not the first thing I think of when troubleshooting the problem.

I want to jumper the kill switch out so I don't have to deal with it cutting out. Since the C-Dory has an enclosed helm I would think that this switch is not required on this type of boat. I also know that kill switches are not required on boats over a certain size.

Does anyone know if the kill cord is legally required on the 22 or is it just there because that's how they make the control panels these days?

Thanks.
 
I have a factory dual helm setup and there's not a safety kill switch located where you are most likely to fall out of the boat. I'm pretty confident the safety switch is there because most outboard motor controls are located outside, rather than in a cabin.
 
I agree and have removed or shorted cords in the past to keep them out of the way. It would be good to preserve the kill option in general but surely do what you need to prevent it from accidentally activating.

Greg
 
BTDT":1t2nb89f said:
I have a factory dual helm setup and there's not a safety kill switch located where you are most likely to fall out of the boat. . .
Click to expand...

Ditto on my boat: Switch at the helm inside and none outside. That seemed totally backwards, so I installed a kill switch for the cockpit helm. I don't know what the rule is (or if there is one) regarding a switch inside, but it really wouldn't make much sense.

Regardless of any rule, how many people attach the lanyard to themselves regularly, even where the controls are out in the open - let alone inside a cabin?
 
You could leave the switch in place and just super glue the clip in place so it does not fall out. You would still be able to smash the clip out if you had too.
 
The "laws" about tether kill switches vary a lot in each of the 6 states:: Alabama, open boat less than 24 feet long, Arkansas, Illinois, Iowa, Nevada, New Jersey.

Most the states rules are such that if a manufacture equips the boat with the kill switch, the lanyard should be worn. If I had an outside station, and was boating in Alabama, I would add a kill switch.

I don't put it on int the C Dory, since if an officer stopped you, you would have to remove it going outside of the cabin. When I take my CC Caracal, thru Alabama waters, I always wear it--because an officer can see if it is attached or not.

We had a case off Florida, where a solo boater fell off his 24 foot boat when going from the helm station on a half tower, to the cockpit. Fortunately the boater was a good swimmer and swam over a mile to the beach. The boat was found ashore about 70 miles away,
 
On certain motors the kill switch button is used to reset the oil change reminder and to basically communicate with the computer. Be careful what you glue or jumper.
 
Is something worn that allows the clip to slip off easily or is it because of the position where it is mounted? I can't speak to the legal requirements but here are some thoughts.

I like to stand at the helm because I find it gives me a better "read" on the waves, also less sea sickness when rough. However since I installed a compass in the helm cup holder this requires venturing over to the port side to grab my water. On occasion this has resulted in the ignition being killed while underway(forgot I was wearing the tether). Lucky so far but from what I have been told killing the ignition at speed can cause mechanical problems.

I still would recommend wearing the tether at planning speeds and particularly if single handing. 3 years ago(not wearing the tether) I lost steerage doing 53mph in my Stingray. Went into a full lock turn to starboard - luckily I was able to pull the throttle off before being thrown violently across to the port side gunwale. Even at Cdory speeds the g force of a 30mph full lock turn would make it very difficult to return to the helm if you are thrown to the port side and possibly injured.

2 years ago I had a heart attack while underway. My wife was able to take the helm and all ended well but it gives cause for thought - if you are single handing what would the outcome be if you were disabled and fell to the floor?

Just some things to consider before removing or disabling a safety feature.

Regards, Rob
 
These things are a frequent problem, and a life saver if you fall out of a boat you are driving, especially singlehanded. Not super appropriate for pilot house boats. BUT, you never know when this is going to be handy, so I would strongly advise you against any permanent modifications to this mechanism. You may also scare a potential future buyer with disabling of safety features.

I've done river rescues of disabled boats several times only to see people have frantically torn their engines apart when all they needed to do is put their safety cord back in. You're right, it's absolutely not the first thing you think of troubleshooting, but it surely should be. I have boats where I require their use and have put signs on the engine cowlings to remind operators to check the cord before going under the cowling.

When you need to reliably disable this safety feature, simply take the clip out (always keep an extra clip on your keychain, and on the spot on the throttle for the spare) and replace it with a zip tie of adequate thickness and pull it tight. It will keep the shutoff in RUN position until you cut the zip tie.
 
My kill switch is located at the aft edge of helm seat. It is not even very visible. Using the cord would be a PITA because it would get caught on the seat and would not let you get up without killing the engine.

The zip tie thing is a very good idea, I'll probably do that.
 
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