Launch safety - kill-cords

[Carl]

Another awful warning on the need, at all times, to connect the driver
to the kill-cord in small power boats:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-22431326

It was a family of 6. 2 died, 2 suffered life-changing injuries, and
the other 2 were injured.

And other brave people risked their lives to save lives and stop the
circling runaway boat.

Carl
--
Carl Douglas Racing Shells -
Fine Small-Boats/AeRoWing Low-drag Riggers/Advanced Accessories
Write: Harris Boatyard, Laleham Reach, Chertsey KT16 8RP, UK
Find: tinyurl.com/2tqujf
Email: ca...@carldouglas.co.uk Tel: +44(0)1932-570946 Fax: -563682
URLs: carldouglas.co.uk & now on Facebook @ CarlDouglasRacingShells

[James HS]

I always impress own our coaches and launch users the need to use kill cords - it is BR mandatory (hurra!) I buy 10 year for my club on a voluntary basis - do they use them?

I give people a real rollocking when they don't but I think I am going to start restricting use of launches to those who do not.

The way that I have found to make other elements of launch safety 'work' is to make the rowers that put the launches on the water responsible - the safety kit is in the launch to save their lives, so I make them put in the safety bag and check it's contents, and this has really worked.

I think I shall, from now on, get them to also audit their coach - that they have and use a PFD and the kill cord is in operation.

The last coach I asked to use one had it in his pocket - and actually did not know how to fit it to a mariner engine (perhaps one of the simplest!).

As an aside - 3 months ago after the very rare occurrence of an 8+ capcising local to the club I upped the number of space blankets we carry in a launch to 8+1. Last weekend an 8 waiting to race was washed down by a procession of 10 (yes 10) pleasure cruises and swamped the boat. Buoyancy worked and the crew were removed from the floating shell - and all the blankets were deployed while friends emptied the boat to get it ready to row back.

Lock & Lock containers are really effective! - PS each boat carries a SPARE kill cord in case the dopy coach does not have his/her own.

How often does this have to happen?

James

[Henry Law]

On 07/05/13 13:36, Carl wrote:
> Another awful warning on the need, at all times, to connect the driver
> to the kill-cord in small power boats:
>
> http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-22431326

And video of the circling boat, including the moment that the heroic
Charlie Toogood jumped aboard to cut the engine.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/video/2013/may/06/speedboat-padstow-crash-video

I gather that "The police will investigate whether the helmsperson on
the boat was equipped with a functioning kill cord, a lanyard that
causes the power to cut out if he or she is thrown off". Surely the
answer must be that he or she did not.

--

Henry Law Manchester, England

[James HS]

On Tuesday, 7 May 2013 13:36:47 UTC+1, Carl wrote:

Henry,

They often DO have them - as some engines 'insist' that you put the kill cord in.

What is missing is attaching it to one's person as it is the act of falling out that disconnects it.

Maybe we need new kit to have a dead man's handle of some kind?

James

[Peter Ford]

Huh? Surely the system only works if the engine insists the killcord is plugged in in order to run? I've never come across one which worked in a different fashion.

I did come across a launch (borrowed from another club) in which the killcord they used was long enough to allow me (having switched the engine off) to reach over the back of the boat and lift the engine out of the water without it disconnecting; this seemed unnecessarily long to me. However, I did have it clipped to my PFD, while the RYA appear to recommend having it rather unconvincingly wrapped around your leg?
http://www.rya.org.uk/cruising/safety/Pages/Useyourkillcord.aspx

Peter

[SingleMinded]

"One end of the kill cord is attached near the throttle and the other should go around the helmsman’s leg or buoyancy aid/lifejacket"

Not sure what the helmsman's leg idea is for. Maybe on some boats or if doing certain things it'd be more likely to get tangled if around a PFD?

[Carl]

I think the Dead Man's Handle is a good idea. I suppose a simple
version might require that the driver manually squeeze the throttle.
Sadly, I can see that many such devices could be easily thwarted.

As always, a safety device needing manual intervention to initiate its
safety function can be be over-ridden or ignored by cocky or hasty folk.
We had that case on the Potomac River in DC where a coach fell from a
dory & died after restarting the motor in front of an eight full of
young teenagers on a learn-to-row course. In that case the kill cords
existed, but had been locked away in an office drawer. And the PFD
which might still have saved him was unavailable as all of the club's
PFDs were being used to pad boats on a trailer for a regatta. That
club, on 2 separate occasions a few weeks earlier, had to call on the
Fire Department to rescue youngsters after 3 of their (non-buoyant)
eights sank - after which they had the temerity to write to tell me to
mind my own business.

So we're always dealing with hubris, arrogance & haste. And this
weekend's specific case also involved a very fancy & powerful RIB.

Still, a car can't run away under power as the driver must actively
depress the accelerator to sustain more than tick-over revs (unless they
have cruise control .......)

So we could consider the operating conditions for a small power boat. A
single-handed user must be able to moor up & cast off with the engine
running, but is there ever a realistic situation where you need power
when the driver is not in the intended driving position? If not, then a
spring-return throttle in a fixed mounting could make a lot of sense.

In the present case the casualties were limited to the occupants of the
RIB, but in too many cases of lost control a power boat will mince up
other water users. It does seem a suitable case for treatment.

The only value of an incident like this is to get us all thinking, & in
rowing we've had enough cases of out-of-control launches endangering
boats & crews.

[SingleMinded]

On Tuesday, 7 May 2013 19:18:34 UTC+1, Carl wrote:

> So we could consider the operating conditions for a small power boat. A
>
> single-handed user must be able to moor up & cast off with the engine
>
> running, but is there ever a realistic situation where you need power
>
> when the driver is not in the intended driving position? If not, then a
>
> spring-return throttle in a fixed mounting could make a lot of sense.

In my experience, outboards of the sort where the throttle is a twist-grip on the tiller (most smaller ones up to about 20-25 hp) do have a spring-return. However, this does not place the engine in neutral, it merely returns the engine to tick-over revs at which the boat, like many cars, will move. I don't think a spring return powerful enough to put the engine in neutral would be workable.

For smaller boats which are steered with a wheel (larger RIBs, and of course most purpose-built coaching launches) I'm not sure how practicable a dead-man switch would be. If it's mounted on a separate throttle, then the driver would have to keep one hand on the throttle at all times and would only have one hand left to steer and do anything else that might need doing. Obviously a foot pedal as in a car (or a train, I believe?) would be impractical in a boat.

Mounting it on the wheel might be a better idea, but might require dramatic changes to the steering gear. Currently, the wheel of such a boat in my experience usually has a large number of turns "lock to lock"- continuously keeping a dead-man switch down on such a wheel while steering would be difficult. There are two options I can think of. The first is to replace the wheel with something like motorcycle handlebars, complete with twist grip throttle. This would not work with mechanical steering set-ups, and would make steering very different.

The second might be some sort of switch round the whole wheel rim that stays on for a second after grip is released, thus allowing the driver to momentarily release grip while turning it. I've never seen anything like this, and I'm not sure how it would work or how reliable it would be.

[Carl]

Question 1: why would a foot throttle would be impossible in a RIB? Is
it assumed that you will be driving so close to the edge that your feet
will not be touching the bottom/floor?

Question 2: as you say, many outboards do have spring-return throttles
which should return to idle/low revs - not perfect but not too bad. But
for many craft with cable linkages the throttle tends to stay wherever
it's set. That's where the dead man device is needed most.

Cheers -
carl

[glasgow...@yahoo.co.uk]

A friend (non rowing) sitting beside me while I was reading this said---"they have a kill switch on a lawn mower--surely a boat is more dangerous--George

[R...@purwell.net]

Some observations on the above

1. Current RYA Powerboat training is that the kill cord should be wrapped around the helmsman's leg, whether or not the helmsman is wearing a PFD.

2. Most ride-on lawnmowers are now fitted with pressure switches that kill the engine as soon as the driver lifts backside off seat. That might work for boats with a fixed helming position (larger RIBs, and smaller boats with a console, for example). More difficult e.g. for a dory. Also not clear how this would work for those that like to helm standing up (though I am not much in favour of that practice, so perhaps a pressure switch would have a dual benefit).

3. Not sure that a safety system that simply returned the throttle to idle would do the trick. The problem is that most launches will continue to move at idle, as long as the engine is in gear (indeed most low-speed manoeuvres e.g. docking are done at idle). So unless the system also take the engine out of gear, the safety system that kills the engine is the right one, I think.

4. A possibly workable safety system would (a) kill the engine if the driver removed backside from seat while the engine was in gear, but (b) allow the engine to continue running at idle if backside was lifted while the engine was out of gear. The obvious difficulties with that system are (a) complexity (b) expense (c) the necessity for a connection between the pressure switch in the boat and the safety system on the engine (the kill switch on an outboard is essentially boat independent). So, on balance, I think the current kill cord system is probably the best compromise.

5. I dont buy the argument that its sometimes necessary for a single-handed helmsman to be moving around the boat (i.e. beyond the reach of an ordinary kill cord) with the engine at idle. In that situation it would be insane to leave the engine in gear (because the boat will continue to motor around out of control if you fall out). If a helmsman needs to move around the boat, I dont see very many situations in which there would be an essential difference between having the engine (a) killed; or (b) at idle and not in gear. A possible situation, I suppose, is that having tried (and failed) to to dock or moor single-handed, one might need to re-start the engine to back out (in a hurry). That's an argument for proper engine maintenance (so that the beast is easy to start).

Such a shame that we have to experience an appalling tragedy to get people remember to make intelligent use of proven, non-intrusive, safety systems . Hats off to my colleagues who use the kill-cord right, and respect to colleagues who have the courage to insist that others also use the kill-cord right (usually in the face of 'I know what I'm doing ...' or 'I've been driving boats for years ...' or 'I'm just [about to do something that looks so quick and easy that three seconds to put on the kill cord would be wasted...]')

Rob

[johnf...@gmail.com]

Uhh, George tell your friend to take a close look at a bunch of lawn mowers and report back how many of the kill bars on them have been disconnected or permanently tied in the "on" position with string.

The problem isn't that boats don't have a kill switch. They do. The problem is that people don't/won't use them and/or keep them in good repair. Human foolishness trumps engineering yet again.

[johnf...@gmail.com]

Rob, on a cat launch, which is rather stable, it can be useful for the coach to stand to get a higher vantage point to:
- assess traffic and other hazards which might endanger his/her crew(s)
- see better what his/her crew members are doing, particularly from astern when looking at leaning/balance issues
I'm not sure I'd stand for very long in an unstable tin fish.

In cat launches the engine is far back of the coach. It would be wise to require that the ignition (and choke if any) be located up front with the throttle next to the coach's seat. Otherwise, when the engine must be restarted (no matter how good maintenance is engines inevitably stall at some point) the coach must go back to the engine while the launch is drifting out of control.

[Richard]

There may be a relatively simple RF-based solution; along the lines of the anti-shoplifting tags we are all familiar with in shops (or the keyless entry system you get in many cars now). Incorporate the sensor into the ignition circuit for the engine, so that it won't start (and will cut out) if the "tag" isn't nearby. The tag could be something you clip to clothing, or worn like a wrist watch.

The problem with people not using kill-cords properly, it seems to me, is a combination of it'll never happen to me, kill-cords are for wimps and the tiny amount of effort it takes to clip it on. An RF-based solution removes the "faff" factor - you have to have the tag to start the engine, and once started it will operate as a wireless kill-cord without you having to do anything else. It combines the functions of a kill-cord and a dead man's handle. Yes, you could leave the tag on the dashboard (or its boaty equivalent), but you really don't want to lose the tag or your boat won't go, so keeping it close to you makes sense.

Put a security code on the sensor and tag, and you get an added anti-theft benefit - the engine will only operate with the correct tag, so there's little point in stealing the engine on its own.

[Mad Marsupial]

On May 8, 8:18 pm, johnflo...@gmail.com wrote:

> The problem isn't that boats don't have a kill switch.  They do.  The problem is that people don't/won't use them and/or keep them in good repair.  Human foolishness trumps engineering yet again.

And thus the sadness in this situation. Probably totally avoidable.

I could not count the number of times I've accidentally/
unintentionally killed the engine in the RIBs I drive by pulling the
kill cord loose while attempting to demonstrate some rowing technique
to my crews.

In a few weeks my club will be providing the on course safety cover
for one of the large dragonboat festivals. We share part of this role
with another organisation - and every year we give them a right
bollocking for barging around in a 9m twin outboard RIB without the
kill cord attached to the driver...

[R...@purwell.net]

>
>
> There may be a relatively simple RF-based solution; along the lines of the anti-shoplifting tags we are all familiar with in shops (or the keyless entry system you get in many cars now). Incorporate the sensor into the ignition circuit for the engine, so that it won't start (and will cut out) if the "tag" isn't nearby. The tag could be something you clip to clothing, or worn like a wrist watch.
>
> The problem with people not using kill-cords properly, it seems to me, is a combination of it'll never happen to me, kill-cords are for wimps and the tiny amount of effort it takes to clip it on. An RF-based solution removes the "faff" factor - you have to have the tag to start the engine, and once started it will operate as a wireless kill-cord without you having to do anything else. It combines the functions of a kill-cord and a dead man's handle. Yes, you could leave the tag on the dashboard (or its boaty equivalent), but you really don't want to lose the tag or your boat won't go, so keeping it close to you makes sense.
>
> Put a security code on the sensor and tag, and you get an added anti-theft benefit - the engine will only operate with the correct tag, so there's little point in stealing the engine on its own.

I like the sound of this, particularly the combination of kill switch and security system, but I think there is a drawback. On a typical rowing / sculling day, not all of our launches will be out supervising crews. One or more of them will probably be at the dockside. We encourage the helmsman to leave the kill-cord clipped to the ignition key when he / she is on shore, so that if we need to get an extra launch out in a hurry, another helmsman can jump in and go. As a backup, since its easy to forget (on occasion people have driven home with a kill cord still round their leg) there is a spare kill cord in the canister that contains the first aid kit. I think it might be problematic to have a limited number of engine-specific security tags.

Rob

[Phil]

On May 7, 1:36 pm, Carl <s...@sss.jjj> wrote:
> Another awful warning on the need, at all times, to connect the driver
> to the kill-cord in small power boats:
>
> http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-22431326
>
> It was a family of 6.  2 died, 2 suffered life-changing injuries, and
> the other 2 were injured.
>
> And other brave people risked their lives to save lives and stop the
> circling runaway boat.
>
> Carl
> --
> Carl Douglas Racing Shells        -
>      Fine Small-Boats/AeRoWing Low-drag Riggers/Advanced Accessories
> Write:   Harris Boatyard, Laleham Reach, Chertsey KT16 8RP, UK
> Find:    tinyurl.com/2tqujf

> Email: c...@carldouglas.co.uk  Tel: +44(0)1932-570946  Fax: -563682

> URLs:  carldouglas.co.uk & now on Facebook @ CarlDouglasRacingShells

Some déja - vu:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/1778214.stm

[Richard]

Turns out such devices already exist - e.g. www.autotether.com, www.wirelesslanyard.com. Not recommendations, just the results of a quick web trawl for "wireless kill cord" and "wireless lanyard".

[andymck...@gmail.com]

When I buy a fancy powerboat I'll invest in one, but for practical day to day club use I think a small cricket bat is a better solution. It is simple and effective. All you do is keep the bat by the launch. When you see a launch driver without the killcord attached, pick up the bat and thwack him on the posterior for the first offence, head for the second.

On a more serious note, some other forums have mentioned killcords failing, through material fatigue/corrosion , through being cheap copies made of cheap plastic, through electrical faults, or by being attached to things that tear off, like belt loops. So inspect - test - and regularly stop the engine by standing up and moving away from the helm so you know it all works.

Andy

[SingleMinded]

My problem with a foot throttle (or a foot dead-man switch coupled with a hand throttle) is that water can be much more bumpy than a road or railway track. I imagine, from my limited but not non-existent experience of such things, that a RIB driver would find it difficult to permanently keep one foot in one place to operate the switch.

[Carl]

I've taken time to discuss this with a couple of people far more
knowledgeable on this than me. If you're punching into serious waves,
then your foot might occasionally lift, but if lifted for much more than
a second they reckon you'd be out of control anyway. So their view was
that a foot switch (or, one suggested, a seat switch) which cuts power
after a couple of seconds of non-contact would be fine in almost every
situation except maybe power-boat racing or rescue.

The problem with launches of the kind in this case is the person behind
the helm, who has usually passed no test of competence, may even be an
8-yr old (occasionally younger) & thinks it's fun to gun the thing
around busy waters - & may not be wearing a PFD either. And it is in
the nature of the beast, if you jerk the throttle open or start it in
gear, to eject the crew.

This being a rowing group, our main concern is the coach who thinks kill
cords are an unnecessary inconvenience. I can't think why they would be
in the least incommoded by a foot-pressure switch. And too many shells
have been involuntarily shortened by a circling driverless launch over
the years.

Re the suggestion of an RFID device: I think that's great, but I can
imagine too many taking the easy route of taping the device into the
boat or onto the motor, in which case there is no safety.

So it's a problem largely made by the launch driver, & the only solution
would be one that takes out of his/her hands the choice to implement the
kill system. Which seems to point to an integral dead-man's pedal or
handle.

[tcyr...@gmail.com]

I am agreed with the need for a kill cord, but also need some advice.

We use tiller motors. Each time I move from one side of the rowers I am coaching to the other, I twist on my seat and kill the launch. I can clip it to the back of my pfd, but when I reach for a watch or pencil from my kit, or reach over to pick up trash or debris, I have to kill the motor. Any suggestions so that I do not continually fall behind or become a hazard to navigation?

John Davis,
Lead Coach
Minneapolis Rowing Club

[Ed F]

The round the leg use of the killcord is standard for boats with consoles - RIBs and the like. Keeps it all out of the way, but attached.

[Henning Lippke]

> Which seems to point to an integral dead-man's pedal or

As an aside: Railway systems don't require the driver to press the pedal
continuously, but it has to change position once in a defined time
frame. You can chose whether you like to keep it pressed and release for
a second or keep it released and press for a second or any combination.
But you may not put a stone on it or just leave it.

[Phil]

On May 7, 1:36 pm, Carl <s...@sss.jjj> wrote:

> Another awful warning on the need, at all times, to connect the driver
> to the kill-cord in small power boats:
>
> http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-22431326
>
> It was a family of 6.  2 died, 2 suffered life-changing injuries, and
> the other 2 were injured.
>
> And other brave people risked their lives to save lives and stop the
> circling runaway boat.
>
> Carl
> --
> Carl Douglas Racing Shells        -
>      Fine Small-Boats/AeRoWing Low-drag Riggers/Advanced Accessories
> Write:   Harris Boatyard, Laleham Reach, Chertsey KT16 8RP, UK
> Find:    tinyurl.com/2tqujf

> Email: c...@carldouglas.co.uk  Tel: +44(0)1932-570946  Fax: -563682

> URLs:  carldouglas.co.uk & now on Facebook @ CarlDouglasRacingShells

What we all knew already:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-22560652