Every captain worth going boating with has thought about what could happen if he or she went overboard with the engine running. It’s a very dangerous scenario, and yet very few of us use the tether that’s supplied that will kill the engine if we stray too far from the helm. Hey, I’m guilty too. I’ve been knocked out of my boat and I wasn’t wearing the darn tether! Let’s just say the incident might have involved a little too much enthusiasm initiating a “power turn” and leave it at that. Luckily my friend was on board and he could stop the motor, and then start it again and drive over to me so I could climb aboard.
The tether I’m referring to, of course, is the red coiled cord that hangs just below the ignition switch. You hook it to a part of your clothing so that if you leave the helm position for whatever reason, the end connected to the boat pulls loose, activating a switch that turns the engine off. So I’ve always told myself that I would be sure to use the tether whenever I boat alone, and I sometimes do. But the thing is just so darned inconvenient.
Well the good folks at Fell Marine have come up with a great solution to this problem. Instead of literally tying yourself to the boat, you just keep a small fob (the other red thing in the picture, balanced on top of the MOB switch ) in your pocket or on your wrist. Whenever you move more than say, 50 ft. from the helm, or if the fob is submerged in 4 inches of water, it kills the engine. Then after 6 seconds, anyone who is still on the boat can restart it to affect a rescue.
It’s a nice addition the the Key West 1900 Sportsman that we’re refurbishing. By the way, things are coming along nicely with this boat. She’s gonna be pretty (and safer too)!