Learned a hard lesson about deadman switches

NickR

NickR

Well-known member
OK, just to be clear, this wasn't the kind of hard lesson where someone got hurt or killed due to lack of a kill switch.

But, for my last hunt last fall I went out to Lake of the Woods to set up my Zack Taylor Wigeon for an open water layout hunt. While picking up the decoys, apparently one of the lines or dekes knocked the kill switch key off. It's not terribly rare for my motor to cut out when at the lowest idle, so I didn't think much of it. Once I had that string of dekes in the boat, I pulled the starting rope twice before I noticed the kill switch was gone and had drifted out of site. So, I had to pick up the remainder of the spread by rowing and row back to the access.

I was lucky that I didn't make a long run from the boat landing, or it would have been a pretty miserable outing.

So, for the past 5 months I've been trying to locate a replacement key but have had zero luck. Asked a buddy if he could make me one, and in about 5 minutes he managed to find the correct replacement online. Why I couldn't find the replacement I'll never know. Just adds to the bad luck of that outing, I guess.

So, if your motor has a kill switch... be sure to keep a spare on hand... stuff happens.
 
Mine has a cord and a clip. Clipped to me when the motor is running (unless I'm being a dumb-ass) and to the motor when it's not.
 
Nick,

A couple things that come to mind. My honda 50 had an extra key slot on the motor by design. I always thought that was cool. I have an extra key and the guys I hunt with know where to find it. It wouldn't do them much good if they didn't know where it was....however, I discovered with my ETec that popping the kill switch will kill the motor, However, it will restart without the kill switch and run. I thought the kill switch was defective and brought it in for repair. The technician explained to be that this was by design so that if the kill switch is lost during an outing, the motor will start and get you home. I thought that was pretty cool. I do remember one time chasing my lab because he was going out for a retrieve and had manged to get the kill kill switch clip onto his collar and was headed out the dog door with my kill switch attached.. Trying to call him off a bird was not easy. He looked so confused.
 
Nick, Sorry to hear about losing the tether key. Glad you found a replacement and it is a good lesson. I really like the Merc system where it is just a hooded toggle switch with a plastic loop that shuts the motor off when pulled out. To restart all that is needed is to flip the switch back on. Those of you who know me know I am not a Merc fan BUT this is one feature I love, even to the point of refitting some of my older OMC's with a similar system. My OMC's that have a factory tether switch have a spare on the tiller but in a stressful situation that could be hard to find OR easy to drop. Funny how loud that splash is. Thanks for sharing your lesson, that is one of the reasons for being here. That must be the teacher in me coming out heehee. Oh yeah, I can't resist to ask, wasn't the tether around your wrist? You know how I feel about that.
 
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Just to carry that one step further. Spare keys for vehicles, trailer locks, toolbox locks, etc, can also spare a lot of grief and/or save a hunt. I got in the habit years ago of having spare keys for my vehicles and the padlocks on my trailer hitches hidden on the vehicle. It's embarassing to say how many times I have had to use them, but I sure was glad I had them each time.
 
As far as I can tell, it would be physically impossible to pick up the decoy spread while tethered to the kill switch. The motor is too far away on a bbsb and I move too much while stowing the dekes and anchors.

I'm not sure if there is a feasible place to tether it to the motor as suggested above, but I will certainly be looking. Thanks for the tip on that one.
 
Nick, I just wrap it around the tiller when I have to move away from the motor. Not preaching, just sayin. nobody wants bad things to happen. Plan for the worst and then be surprised when things do work out.
 
Nick,
I've done a combination of two things. (A) I tether the lanyard to my vest rather than my wrist. (B) I've extended the length of the tether.
The longer tether means I can be farther from the motor. Tethering to my vest gives my hands freedom of movement. Worse case scenario, I can start hauling in tether line till the switch activates.
 
Nick, IDK what your boat configuration is... but I have a 12ft BBSB. I run all the decoys off the back deck but store 2 6bird bags on the foredeck. I have 2 tethers ganged together, which gives me a duplicate key too. A cheap carabiner on one end that I attached to the strap on my life vest rather than my wrist. On my wrist is a real PITA! I have forgotten about the tether and actually stepped onto the dock at the ramp before it pulled and killed the motor. I can reach everything in my boat while tethered. If I am going to fall out of my boat, I bet it will be while setting decoys. Any other time, I am focused on running the boat, and have a hand on the boat and the tiller. While setting decoys, I may be in gear, at idle so the long lines can play out, and have no hands on the tiller or the boat....

I must have been typing while Dave was... we think alike.
 
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As far as I can tell, it would be physically impossible to pick up the decoy spread while tethered to the kill switch. The motor is too far away on a bbsb and I move too much while stowing the dekes and anchors.

I'm not sure if there is a feasible place to tether it to the motor as suggested above, but I will certainly be looking. Thanks for the tip on that one.
IF you want to keep tethered you can. You would need to use a belt/rope around your waist a d loop through the rope.1 end of the kill switch to the motor then a curly cord as long as you needed to the d loop. You can make the curly cord by getting some weed wacker cord and wrapping it around a pipe then boil. The cord will take a set.That being said and I know its wrong my kill switch tether is tied to my engine handle. Hope I never have to pay the price.
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In my go to bag I have a piece of 14 gauge copper wire that will hold in place with one rap the grandson put mine in the toy box on a friday night the wire works
 
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