View Poll Results: Do you use a safety engine ignition kill lanyard ?

Voters
55. You may not vote on this poll
  • Always

    27 49.09%
  • Only when I am Driving/Racing very fast 50+.

    14 25.45%
  • NEVER

    7 12.73%
  • I plan to install a safety Lanyard Kill Switch in the future.

    5 9.09%
  • My Donzi has NO Engine Safety Ignition Kill lanyard switch.

    2 3.64%
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Thread: POLL: Engine Ign Kill Safety Lanyard/Tether Use

  1. #1
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    Question POLL: Engine Ign Kill Safety Lanyard/Tether Use

    I thought I would start this Poll & discussion here on your use of Engine Ignition Kill Safety Lanyard/Tether on your Donzi .

    Since while driving a Donzi 16' & 18', & other similar boats, you are really in reality sitting ON the boat rather than IN the boat because of the high center of gravity of the passenger seating areas, and low freeboard of the cockpit area~~~~ I just wondered how many Donzi owners actually use an engine safety ignition kill switch lanyard & tether ?

    None of the many boats my family has ever owned in 50+ years of boating has ever had such an ignition safety kill lanyard/tether.
    I do use an engine ignition kill lanyard while out on the SeaDoo PWC hooked directly to a D-ring on my PWC life jacket vest.

    Three years ago Dad & I were out fishing in the Great Egg Harbor Bay just below the Ocean City Yacht Club.
    Several teenagers employed by the club were out on the water in small Boston Whaler tenders setting-up red float bouys for the afternoon's sailboat race.
    One kid was standing and racing the yacht club tender around the sailboat race route dropping off a bouy & anchor when he decided to make a sharp abrupt turn.
    The teenager flew in one direction right off the tender while the boat continued at a rapid speed into the circle turn.
    The boat continued to make several high speed circles when it suddenly hit
    a boat wake and the outboard motor suddenly shifted to the center steering position and the boat was now heading straight through a group of boats that were drift fishing for flounder.
    We were in one of about 12 other boats in that drift fishing fleet group.
    The speeding tender zoomed past us by about 4 feet~~~We had no real time to react~~~start the boat~~~and try to get out of the way.
    It narrowly missed all the other drifting boats as well but was now heading at a very high speed still driverless down the bay heading toward the Ocean City north point side of the Longport /Ocean City NJ toll bridge.
    As it got close to the bridge another boat wake hit the boat and it turned sharply to starboard.
    Seconds later it ran up on the beach at high speed, just before hitting the bridge, and scooted about 50 feet up onto the sand.
    The outboard motor whipped violently up & back; and the prop was still spinning wildly when the Boston Whaler tender finally came to a sudden halt.
    It was almost like seeing a chase scene out of a James Bond movie .
    What a near miss~~~~
    The results could have been tragic.
    The Teenager was fished-out of the water uninjured .

    This episode proved to Dad & I the value of having ,& actually using, a safety lanyard/tether engine ignition kill switch.

    Do you have a similar story to tell ?

    Did a safety lanyard/tether ever save you, or a family member ?

    Did you ,or a family member ever fly out of your Donzi without a safety lanyard/tether engine ignition kill switch installed , or hooked-up.

    Do you have & actually USE your safety tether/lanyard ?

    Any opinions & stories greatly appreciated.

    Thank's
    Last edited by silverghost; 12-06-2011 at 01:42 AM.
    "BENCHSEAT 18" ~~YellowJacket~~ project owner~
    1929 Chris~Craft 28' Tripple Cockpit Mahogany Speedboat / A-120-A 845 Cu.In. 375 H.P. Chris~Craft V-8 racing engine.
    24' American Skier
    Super Eagle 454 HO Skiboat
    1991 454 SS Chevy Super Sport Pick-up for towing my "Toys".

    There is no such thing as going too fast ~ ~~
    OR~ Being too old~ for a new "Toy"!

    Brad Hunter
    Huntingdon Valley Pa (Just outside Philly)~
    Ocean City NJ
    silverghost1926@msn.com
    215 947 4676 (PA Home)

  2. #2
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    I always hook it on. Oddly, when I take it off to get out of or move around the boat, I clip it on the blower switch, which the can't be pushed in to the off position.
    Maddy's Daddy
    L.I.,N.Y.

  3. #3
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    Aug 2005
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    Always! It's a no brainer. It causes no discomfort so I clip it on my shorts even when I forgo the life jacket.
    Lake St. Clair, Lake Huron, Lake Erie, Lake Oakland

  4. #4
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    Clip or die..........
    1972 16 OB - C16B-63 - "Surface Tension" Resto Project
    1974 16 OB - DMR16106017-B - "The Mule"

  5. #5
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    We have about a 15-20 minute ride in a restricted speed zone(10 kph/6mph) before I can 'give 'er'. As we approach the unrestricted speed zone, we both put on our PFD's. Our PFD's are the inflatable type that you have to pull the ripcord to activate(not automatic inflation when hitting the water). I have drilled a hole in the plastic handle for the ripcord that I insert the clip for the lanyard. My theory is, that if I get ejected, the force will activate the CO2 cartridge to inflate the jacket as well as release the kill switch and stop the boat. Hopefully I won't have to put it to the test.

  6. #6
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    [ QUOTE=$originalposter]silverghost
    POLL: Engine Ign Kill Safety Lanyard/Tether Use
    I thought I would start this Poll & discussion here on your use of Engine Ignition Kill Safety Lanyard/Tether on your Donzi .

    Since while driving a Donzi 16' & 18', & other similar boats, you are really in reality sitting ON the boat rather than IN the boat because of the high center of gravity of the passenger seating areas, and low freeboard of the cockpit area~~~~ I just wondered how many Donzi owners actually use an engine safety ignition kill switch lanyard & tether ?

    None of the many boats my family has ever owned in 50+ years of boating has ever had such an ignition safety kill lanyard/tether.
    I do use an engine ignition kill lanyard while out on the SeaDoo PWC hooked directly to a D-ring on my PWC life jacket vest.

    Three years ago Dad & I were out fishing in the Great Egg Harbor Bay just below the Ocean City Yacht Club.
    Several teenagers employed by the club were out on the water in small Boston Whaler tenders setting-up red float bouys for the afternoon's sailboat race.
    One kid was standing and racing the yacht club tender around the sailboat race route dropping off a bouy & anchor when he decided to make a sharp abrupt turn.
    The teenager flew in one direction right off the tender while the boat continued at a rapid speed into the circle turn.
    The boat continued to make several high speed circles when it suddenly hit
    a boat wake and the outboard motor suddenly shifted to the center steering position and the boat was now heading straight through a group of boats that were drift fishing for flounder.
    We were in one of about 12 other boats in that drift fishing fleet group.
    The speeding tender zoomed past us by about 4 feet~~~We had no real time to react~~~start the boat~~~and try to get out of the way.
    It narrowly missed all the other drifting boats as well but was now heading at a very high speed still driverless down the bay heading toward the Ocean City north point side of the Longport /Ocean City NJ toll bridge.
    As it got close to the bridge another boat wake hit the boat and it turned sharply to starboard.
    Seconds later it ran up on the beach at high speed, just before hitting the bridge, and scooted about 50 feet up onto the sand.
    The outboard motor whipped violently up & back; and the prop was still spinning wildly when the Boston Whaler tender finally came to a sudden halt.
    It was almost like seeing a chase scene out of a James Bond movie .
    What a near miss~~~~
    The results could have been tragic.
    The Teenager was fished-out of the water uninjured .

    This episode proved to Dad & I the value of having ,& actually using, a safety lanyard/tether engine ignition kill switch.

    Do you have a similar story to tell ?

    Did a safety lanyard/tether ever save you, or a family member ?

    Did you ,or a family member ever fly out of your Donzi without a safety lanyard/tether engine ignition kill switch installed , or hooked-up.

    Do you have & actually USE your safety tether/lanyard ?

    Any opinions & stories greatly appreciated.

    Thank's
    {$pagetext}[/QUOTE]

    SG you have me confused here you go on in great lengths with a story about an accident and what an impacted in made on you to use a laynard but then go ahead an vote for my donzi doesn't have a laynard??????? why not vote for going to install in the future that would say i don't have one but want one????

    a story that made me think laynards were a good idea. accident on my lake about 7 years ago maybe more 2 boats 2 people on each boat at night one boat a drift one boat above the night speed limit of 15 mph. boats collide two in the a drift boat killed by impact , two on the speeding boat in the water survived impact only to have their boat circle and run them over. took the rescue crew a while to foul the prop with snare rope traps. a tragedy no matter what but maybe a laynard may have made a difference.

    anyone who has an old volvo powered classic with out power steering and with out a laynard try letting the wheel slip between your fingers on plane you'll get a good idea of the death circle ( DO NOT TRY THIS ON MY SUGGESTION IF YOU LET THE WHEEL GO AT SPEED YOU ARE GOING TO GET HURT ) adding a laynard is one of the best improvements you can make to an older boat, I also found it useful in troubleshooting and getting a new motor up and running like turning the motor over with no spark or killing the motor quickly much better than trying to pull the coil wire or reach for the key.
    When the sky is grey,look out to sea.
    When the waves are high and the light is dying,
    well raise a glass and think of me...
    When I'm home again,
    boys, I'll be buying!

    My Ride

    Come Join Us on The Queen Of American Lakes



    Contact Us

    www.lgdonziclassic.com

  7. #7
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    Matty~
    I voted that way for the very same reason that you stated that you have not seen a reason nor a need to use your bilge blower in the last three years. ;-)

    As many here know my "benchseat 18" project Donzi is completely engineless, with no viable Volvo drive, the deck is now off, the fuel tank is rotted-out & shot, and my aft stringers, lower transom, along with some deck balsa core is still rotted.
    Half the deck core we replaced before my Dad got very ill & sadly passed-away weeks later and the project was put on-hold~~~until now.

    Not much chance of me flying out of this Donzi at any speed without a safety lanyard any time soon in the near future.
    I will live dangerously for now~ ;-)
    "BENCHSEAT 18" ~~YellowJacket~~ project owner~
    1929 Chris~Craft 28' Tripple Cockpit Mahogany Speedboat / A-120-A 845 Cu.In. 375 H.P. Chris~Craft V-8 racing engine.
    24' American Skier
    Super Eagle 454 HO Skiboat
    1991 454 SS Chevy Super Sport Pick-up for towing my "Toys".

    There is no such thing as going too fast ~ ~~
    OR~ Being too old~ for a new "Toy"!

    Brad Hunter
    Huntingdon Valley Pa (Just outside Philly)~
    Ocean City NJ
    silverghost1926@msn.com
    215 947 4676 (PA Home)

  8. #8
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    Honestly I never wear mine unless I am alone or going fast. One may have saved my life about 10 years ago though when I hit a piling at night doing about 20 in my Whaler. I remember looking up and I was pressed up against the windshield and for a second I thought the boat was vertical until I looked astern and saw I was just dead in the water. My bud pulled up at that point and he was just behind me so I don't know if I was knocked out for a few seconds. Anyway I totaled the Montauk but it drove home on plane with the front end smushed in almost to the bow locker. Piling was no where to be found. Not only did the tether help but being I was in a Whaler certainly did. Only reason I was wearing it that night was because I was alone.
    Nick
    1994 22' Classic-454 B1 Red & white
    1981 13' Whaler sport(original owner)
    South Tampa Bay, FL "May I mamoo dogface to the banana patch?"

  9. #9
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    [ QUOTE=$originalposter]
    Matty~
    I voted that way for the very same reason that you stated that you have not seen a reason nor a need to use your bilge blower in the last three years. ;-)

    As many here know my "benchseat 18" project Donzi is completely engineless, with no viable Volvo drive, the deck is now off, the fuel tank is rotted-out & shot, and my aft stringers, lower transom, along with some deck balsa core is still rotted.
    Half the deck core we replaced before my Dad got very ill & sadly passed-away weeks later and the project was put on-hold~~~until now.

    Not much chance of me flying out of this Donzi at any speed without a safety lanyard any time soon in the near future.
    I will live dangerously for now~ ;-)

    {$pagetext}[/QUOTE]

    your time might be better spent working on the boat than running these polls boating season will be here sooner than you think. if you're still a cash buyer for a benchseat mine will be on the market first of the year come with 25k in cash
    When the sky is grey,look out to sea.
    When the waves are high and the light is dying,
    well raise a glass and think of me...
    When I'm home again,
    boys, I'll be buying!

    My Ride

    Come Join Us on The Queen Of American Lakes



    Contact Us

    www.lgdonziclassic.com

  10. #10
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    Boat wont satrt without the kill switch engaged

    So its on the the ankle and away we go. I used to clip it to the shorts but I kept killing the boat when moving around.
    Thanx,
    SCOTT R.

  11. #11
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    By myself or when going a little nuts. You also sit in my Nova then on top like with a Donzi.
    A winner is just a loser that got up and did it one more time.
    1959 Biesemeyer - 4pt Hydro Drag - 2013 ACBS Winner - Best Race Boat
    1967 Nova Marine - SuperNova24 - ACBS Winner - 2012 Best Race Boat - 2016 Peoples Choice & Best Non Wood
    1972 John Allmand - Nova 19
    1972 John Allmand - Nova19 (#2)
    1982 PolarKraft -Jonboat - Crab Killer

  12. #12
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    Talking

    I only wear them when I am wasted so I won't get pulled over for BUI.

    The only problem is that I am getting a tan line from mine!
    2001 35 Fountain Lightning w500 EFI's
    1973 X-18 - Merc 383 Magnum
    1974 Chris Craft Roamer with 1271 TI's

  13. #13
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    I find it to be a great way to shut off my engine before I leave the cockpit. Sometimes I forget this, because my exhaust is so quiet...

    Anybody that doesn't use this sort of very basic safety precaution is a hazard to anyone and everyone around them.

  14. #14
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    installing one is my next project.

  15. #15
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    Thumbs up

    I actually just strap mine around my ankle. I usually do not know it is there. Key in and strap on.
    2001 35 Fountain Lightning w500 EFI's
    1973 X-18 - Merc 383 Magnum
    1974 Chris Craft Roamer with 1271 TI's

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