Kill Cords

Just got home after a two week charter (three weeks total) and was amazed at the lack of use of kill cords worn by the dingy captains. I'm no curmudgeon, but that is a hard and fast rule on my boat. What's everyone else's thoughts?

never used one, had one stolen once

I'm with you JustBS, I am astounded at how many people don't use them.

After seeing someone killed in a pretty horrific way at the Southampton Boat Show many years ago. Prop through the head is not a good way to go.

So easy to just wear the damn thing.

By not, you are not just putting your own life in danger, also anyone else on the boat and potentially anyone else swimming in the vicinity. Which is f-ing irresponsible.

..in my humble opinion!

I only use it if I am the only person in the dinghy.

I am guilty of this, however I'm not a speed demon driving the dinghy either. At night, we're nearly idling through the mooring field.

25 years of boating I'm not sure I've ever seen anyone use one. That includes extended cruising the east coast of the US, the Bahamas and Caribbean... Not against it just reporting what I have seen or rather not seen.

It is a hard and fast rule on any vessel I am on.

I use mine

I use one whenever I am in a dinghy or on a PWC. The one time you wish you had used it maybe be the last time you will ever need it.

Use one, every time, no exception. Just irresponsible not to.

It's not just your own life you are putting at risk it is all the people nearby some of whom might have to try to catch your unattended dinghy. This is one example of how an unattended dinghy can behave... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5mogrUQ9QIk

For anyone who thinks that having other people in the boat means you don't need to bother wearing a kill-cord...have a read:

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

Father/husband killed, 8yr old daughter killed, mother/wife lost a leg, 4yr old in need of surgery. And this was a decent sized RIB, not a small tippy-slippy dinghy.

Christo: comparing the incident and boat in the link to driving a dinghy through a mooring field is like comparing kids pulling a wagon to a race car.

Well put. I always use mine. I also take it with me when I leave the dinghy as an extra security measure.

Years ago I watched my ex restart a motor that had stalled on an old little aluminum fishing boat out in front of the cottage (old motor with no kill switch option) he went to sit back down and lost his balance and toppled over the side (was stone cold sober).

The engine did start before he fell and once overboard the boat took off running full throttle. Because he was starting it right before he toppled the engine was turned so it circled back around literally DIRECTLY back at him, had he not been in waist deep water and able to sort of fend it off it would have run him right over. (Life jacket would have done him no good).

15 years later he still has shoulder problems and a scar on his forehead from that, from the force of it coming at him and him pushing it away and still smacking him in the forehead..... and he is a big guy. We watched it circle around and around for about 10 minutes getting closer and closer to other boats and thankfully swimmers had left the scene. Ultimately threw an anchor line at it until it finally fouled the prop.

I couldn't imagine not having one after witnessing what was almost a horrific and gory death. he was very lucky he was in shallow water when it happened and luckily no other boats were hit. Scary stuff.

I almost killed myself a couple of years ago on my dinghy, had I been wearing the kill-switch I would not have injured myself. I was fortunate that I was hit by the back end of the engine and only suffered major trauma (I still have a haematoma just smaller than a baseball that I will need to have operated out); had I been hit by the prop side of the engine I would have been eviscerated.

Please wear a kill cord.

An eye-opening thread -- thanks to all who've contributed.

On our recent charter with TMM the lanyard was tightly wrapped around the throttle handle, apparently to prevent it from getting lost. I didn't give it much thought at the time and didn't try to unwrap it, but you're all making me rethink that.

I do bring along one of these as a backup.

Dan <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Cheers.gif" alt="" />

@DanS I do bring along one of these as a backup.
Wow that looks like it would be the perfect dinghy thief tool!!! hope they don't start selling lots of them in the BVI.