Kill cords.
What is a kill cord?
The kill cord is a lanyard that connects the driver of an open powerboat or PWC to the engines remote kill switch. It’s purpose is to simply kill the engine should the driver fall from the helm position. This will safely bring the vessel to a stop.
Modern engines are now designed so that they will not operate without the kill cord fitted, however wearing the kill cord requires the driver to connect themselves to it to be effective - much like a seatbelt within a car.
Using a kill cord.
Kill cords have a variety of names, such as “dead mans lanyard”, however their function is still the same. It is fundamental that a kill cord is worn at all times when operating a powerboat or PWC. Whether it is for leisure or commercial purposes makes no difference - we can all be caught out from time to time.
The kill cord is taught at the beginning of all of our RYA Powerboat Level 1, Level 2 Powerboat courses, and all students are required to use an appropriate length kill cord at all times. The reason we teach this, and are passionate about teaching this is that kill cords have saved lives.
How do I wear it?
How to wear a kill cord will usually lead to a discussion of advantages/disadvantages. The most common answers you will hear are “around the leg”, “around the wrist” and “attach to a item of clothing, such as lifejacket”. So let’s look at the pro’s and con’s of each.
Around the wrist.
Wearing a kill cord around your wrist may seem like a logical option, there are some important safety concerns. Firstly, it is a known fact that kill cords have ‘slipped off’ a drivers wrist, therefore preventing the engine from being stopped. In this scenario, connecting the kill cord around the leg would provide a safer option.
When learning to operate a vessel, you’ll be frequently adjusting your hands position. This then means the kill cord can become tangled around the throttle and engine, which in turn will prevent it from functioning correctly.
On a PWC, a rider will naturally wear the kill cord around the wrist, but the kill cord is fitted with a snugly fitted Velcro strap rather than a clip.
Attached to a lifejacket.
Attaching a kill cord to a secure point on a buoyancy aid or lifejacket is acceptable. However, we recommend not wearing it like this. This is primarily due to the reason above. It is prone to being tangled within the controls which can prevent the kill cord from doing its job correctly.
Around the leg.
In our opinion a kill cord (where possible) should be worn around the drivers leg. This involves clipping the kill cord back on to itself and pulled tight so it is snugly fitted around the leg.
This will prevent the kill cord from becoming tangled, and will not slip off your leg. Once made a good habit, you’ll not even realise you are wearing it.
The purpose of the kill cord.
The common reason for why you should wear a kill cord is to “kill the engine should the driver be thrown overboard”. However, the kill cord has a greater purpose that this. The kill cords primary objective is to kill the engine if the helm is no longer at the helm position. This means that should the helm fall over on to the deck, slip and lose their footing, then the kill cord would be triggered.
There are alternative solutions out there for kill cords, some work on a wireless system. However, many of these are only triggered if the driver is thrown overboard. Therefore in our opinion, these should be avoided.
Remembering to wear a kill cord.
Remembering to wear a kill cord can be an oversight when new to boating, and if you are worried you might forget to do it, then there are a number of things you can do.
Your crew should also be familiar with the purpose and use of the kill cord - as they too may be required to wear it when helming.
Display a sticker near the helm as a prompt to wear the kill cord.
When changing drivers or not wearing the kill cord whilst stopped, place the end on the helm or near the throttle as a prompt to wear it. This is something we teach on our powerboat courses.
Eventually wearing a kill cord will become second nature. In fact, our team of instructors are so use to wearing them, they feel naked when it is not clipped on - much like wearing a seatbelt in a car.
Kill cord condition.
Most kill cords are prone to UV damage, and should be regularly inspected. At iPowerboat we always remove our keys and kill cord and store ashore (even in sunny Scotland).
There are a variety of kill cord manufacturers out there, but some are better than others. A good quality kill cord will have a cord or piece of string in the centre, surrounded by a plastic cover. Low cost kill cords tend not to have the inner cord/string and can snap, especially when brittle.
If it has an internal core, it will be evident by looking at the end of the cord where it has been crimped.
Spare kill cord?
Carrying a spare kill cord is highly recommended. If the driver is thrown overboard, then the crew will require a separate kill cord to be connected to the kill switch so that the engine can be restarted to recover the MOB. This kill cord should be stored somewhere visible so that the crew can access it in an emergency.
Credit: Royal Yachting Association
Testing the kill cord.
The kill cord should be frequently tested. This can be done by starting the engine and pulling out the kill cord. The engine should stop immediately. Thereafter, you should try to restart the engine without the kill cord attached - the engine should not start. Should the engine fail to stop when pulling the kill cord, then there is a fault with the kill switch, and this should be fixed before going to sea.
Summary.
iPowerboat and its team of instructors will always use and correctly wear a kill cord, and we think you should too! This kill cord will always be fitted around our leg, and used at an appropriate length at all times (no kill cord extensions). Our kill cords are regularly checked on their condition, and replaced is there is any hesitation about their integrity.
“The kill cord is useless unless worn”.
Ryan Tozer
RYA Advanced Powerboat Instructor & RYA Principal
