I have always had this worry in the back of my mind...
 

I run the boat 90%+ on autopilot and I fish alone fairly often. I admit I am addicted to it and really don't enjoy running the boat for long periods of time. I know how to run a boat been doing it my entire life but it becomes monotonous and I would rather be fishing than driving. I have even been known not to go out because the AP pump was bad and I didn't leave until it was replaced. That said, I normally do not go too far offshore alone <15 miles but I do go alone.

My worry was I fall overboard while fishing while under AP and watch the boat keep driving away as I tread water:eek:.

Well, I last year I got a wireless kill switch that was sort of made for outboards but was able to configure it for my diesel with the help of the auto-tether folks thru a universal kill switch wired to the injector pump shut off solenoid. I never installed it, it sat in a box all last year. I looked at it this year and said.." I better install this, or they will find me dead and my boat 400mi away and this kill switch in the box on board. It actually was not that hard but it took some experimenting with a volt meter to figure out what wire goes to what. The directions that come with it are for outboards. Anyway I tested it out and it works great. If the fob goes in the water or the distance exceeds some length the engine stops and alarms go off. It will handle up to 4 fobs (only the capt's shut the engine off the passenger fobs sound an alarm that someone went OB)

Nice! Being an outboard guy I do have the red spiral cord attached to the kill switch, one of these days I might actually attach it to something!:smash:

Yup. Mine just dangles there.
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kill switch ...? your still having to swim after it...
didn't someone invent a motorized lifesaving device
or one of those powered torpedo shaped swimmers
that self propel you through the water....?
if it were me... and i'm absolutely sure your rolling your eyes
about now... i'd want a motorized bay watch buoy thing
to take me back to the boat just in case i was injured .

I smile when I read this because several years ago a prominent charter guy who posts his successes for all to admire (and to enjoy) on SOL had a customer knock loose the toggle kill switch while coming into Falmouth Harbor, killing all power to his engines. He got a tow and took his boat to his mechanic to find out what was wrong :).

Theres also another prominent charter guy who went in the drink.

Fishing for tuna solo is my new drug of choice. Complete silence. No kids, no wife, no uncle telling you how they used to fish for tuna in the 70s. You and your skills vs the fish.

Also a complete clusterf*ck.

I thought that's what the air freshener got attached to....

The way I look at it you take all the precautions to be as safe as possibly but
"When your time is up, your time is up"
And I hope to be so lucky that when it's my time I'm on my boat or I go down with my boat.
Would certainly be better than cancer !!!

:buds:

I have an AutoTether along with the 3 passenger FOB's for my wife and 2 kids. I like the system a lot, much better than the coiled lanyard I'd have around my wrist or clipped to my PFD in the past.

I also keep a VHF strapped to my PFD in case I go in alone. I might not survive long in the cold water(s) but at least the boat will shut down and maybe I'll get off a mayday to the CG to come and find my body and boat.

I was out fishing 20 miles out of NBPT this past month and I stayed extra careful about not coming out of the boat. Super careful when taking a whizz since most guys who go overboard and drown are found with their pants down or zippers undone. I'd rather piss on my deck and let it run out the scuppers than take a chance and end up in the water.

I have a box of 25 plastic clip on whistles I got on ebay for 10 bucks, now everyone who comes on board gets a whistle.

If we got one and forget to bring, do we get another?:biglaugh:

Till the box is empty. The kids have a string on theirs maybe you need one with a string haha
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Do they get a lollipop also ?

That is a good idea as I know in sailing classes that are taught to kids, they must have a whistle attached to their PFD that they can blow into but if it gets dropped it will stay with the PFD.

I piss on my deck all the time //:jump1:

F uck that leaning over the side ;;:smash:

plus . even if I got to the side it won,t reach out enough to get to the water ><><:buds:

good thing we were made with tongues :devil2:

I've been using the autotether for a few years now as I fish alone most of the time too... and dare I say.....""even at night""" .... I'm such a rebel !!!!!!!!!

I had one small issue with it at first. The guys at AT are awesome. He even gave me his cell number to talk to him directly off hours about the problem. Its been flawless since.

Good choice.

Can you climb back in if you had to?
I know I can.

Imagine that feeling if you went in, the boat stopped and you climbed back on deck. I think I would become religious (or not)>>>

EWWWW. Just keep a small bucket on board, or a tennis ball can something with a wide mouth LOL...Coke bottles are tough unless you got good aim or a pencil _ _ _ _.....

They found a guy in the water (alive!) by me a couple years ago and he was completely nude! He was in the water for something like 6 or 7 hours. He was a your typical "sail boat guy" and I guess he was working on his tan. His boat sailed to Nantucket without him.

As for pissing....they have heads nowadays but they seem to see as much use as the kill switch cord.

How much Is the system?
Now that I have rear controls I am operating the boat from the stern. If I fall in Stacie would never know, she is usually curled up in the cabin reading.
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"If I fall in Stacie would never know, she is usually curled up in the cabin reading" And that's just what she'll be telling the cops......and insurance man. ;-)

I've had a wire tie zipped around the dead man switch to bypass it for five years. I keep the red lanyard on as it makes it easy to find the keys in the glove box. While accidents do happen, good judgment and seamanship go a long way towards keeping you onboard....

All I can say is stuff happens... I have had a couple close calls but never went in. But for a few hundred bucks at it gives me a chance to swim back to a stopped boat. To see it driving away on its own has got to be feeling that I never want to experience.

How it Works - autotether.com


to be honest....I didn't do it for me

Jim, by no means am I judging, or critiquing someone adding safety gear or measures to their vessel. Rather I was pointing out that I have taken the questionable step of bypassing a safety system....

I totally agree, at least it gives one both a chance to get back to the boat, but at least the boat is a bigger thing to see in the water than a head, but, the most important thing to me is I don't want the boat ghost-riding and hurting or killing someone else or some other family out on the water or on some dock or beach-whereever.

I worry about it, but have done nothing, other than being very careful, to avoid it. When the boat is running I'm usually behind the wheel or close to it, just to keep a lookout. I'll never go up to the bow when I'm alone on the boat, and if I have to go up into the tower, I tie a line around my waist, just in case.

Clammer taught me to piss in the boat 10 years ago. Hell, it runs out through the scuppers!

With 2 fobs probably over 200 bucks.

I only have one and did a group buy on another website.
I paid like 130 a few years ago at that....

Wait---What--- you fall in,,, Stacie doesn't realize it,,,your gone she gets a boat and (do you carry insurance?) lose-win situation....

Jim - The Autotether is pretty slick. I've been thinking about adding one for the same reasons.......Pretty cheap solution that could possibly save your life. A buddy installed one on his boat, works well

Mine is in the mail, ordered one last weekend Mem Day special from Defender. Need to special order the Suzuki clip, $15, doesn't come in kit.

:rotfl:
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