Ski Platform use with engine running?
Printed From: CorrectCraftFan.com
Category: General Correct Craft Discussion
Forum Name: Common Questions
Forum Discription: Visit here first for common questions regarding your Correct Craft
URL: http://www.CorrectCraftFan.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=41629
Printed Date: November-28-2024 at 12:20am
Topic: Ski Platform use with engine running?
Posted By: beebe
Subject: Ski Platform use with engine running?
Date Posted: July-28-2017 at 6:27pm
I have a 1986 ski nautique 2001. I see everywhere it's advised to shut off the engine while swimmers climb aboard. Is this really necessary? Whilst in Neutral and idling the prop doesn't turn. And there's the safety neutral switch you can keep pulled out, and the swimmer probably won't stick his foot in the prop anyway (although that is always a possibility).
Let's say I'm running the boat all day with a youth skiiing group of several dozen skiiers. It'd be pretty had on the engine and starter and battery to turn it off and on dozens of times a day. What are your thoughts? I want to be safe and safety is more important than wear and tear on the boat. But then it seems safe to keep it running does it not?
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Replies:
Posted By: Blamey
Date Posted: July-28-2017 at 7:20pm
Yes, it is necessary. Engine off is a good sign to anybody in the water that it is safe to approach the boat. Dirty neutral, Knocking the throttle etc. can also be a danger.
Carbon Monoxide is also an issue. Later swim platforms are completely closed to help with this but yours has slats and lets more fumes into the air.. People have died after passing out from fumes, falling into the water and drowning.
The cost of a new battery, new starter and engine rebuild is not worth risking peoples lives.
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96 Super Sport
Previously: 95 Sport Nautique, 1980 Ski Supreme
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Posted By: desertskier
Date Posted: July-28-2017 at 7:31pm
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+1 what he said and I always communicate that the engine is off and wait for the skier to let me know they are clear before starting the engine.
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Posted By: SNobsessed
Date Posted: July-28-2017 at 8:27pm
Agree with shut down.
Accidents happen fast.
Our local ski team driver accidently ran over 2 kids. I am sure he will never forgive himself for that error.
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“Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.”
Ben Franklin
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Posted By: jimsport93
Date Posted: July-28-2017 at 9:03pm
I agree. Shut it down.
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http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=2798 - 93 Sport Nautique
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Posted By: MrMcD
Date Posted: July-28-2017 at 9:35pm
I agree on the Shut it down advice. We had a friend nearly lose his son to carbon monoxide. They called life flight and saved him but it was very close to another tragedy.
Be safe first and all else second.
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Posted By: TedR
Date Posted: July-28-2017 at 11:28pm
Always shut it down between skiers/boarders using the swim step. CO is a silent killer.
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Posted By: 8122pbrainard
Date Posted: July-29-2017 at 12:50am
Roger,
If you feel starting and stopping the engine "dozens" of times a day,is hard on the battery and starter, you have a problem. I suggest checking the condition of your alternator, battery and starter. Paul mentions a dirty neutral. Have you checked for a dirty neutral?
How's your insurance if one of the youth group gets injured?
BTW, have you driven one of the new cars that starts and stops it's engine in stop and go traffic and at stop lights?
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/diaries/details.asp?ID=1622" rel="nofollow -
54 Atom
/diaries/details.asp?ID=2179" rel="nofollow - 77 Tique
64 X55 Dunphy
Keep it original, Pete
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Posted By: beebe
Date Posted: July-30-2017 at 1:16am
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Some very good points.. I'm glad I asked. It seems wise to stop the engine. Thanks everyone.
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Posted By: TRBenj
Date Posted: July-30-2017 at 12:22pm
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Seems overly cautious to shut it down every time a skier nears the platform. A healthy dose of common sense and a proper amount of situational awareness seems a better course, at least on my boat. YMMV.
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Posted By: baitkiller
Date Posted: July-30-2017 at 1:30pm
^^^
Engine on when booting up, I'm idling down river at that time anyway. The rider typically steps or hops off the back while I'm underway at clutch speed. i feel this is pretty much SOP for most operators.
Engine OFF when boarding the platform all and every time without exception. Engine OFF and handle in. Those are the rules. Lose a $150 wake-board mainline in your running gear once and you'll add that to the list pretty quick.
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Jesus was a bare-footer.............
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Posted By: 63 Skier
Date Posted: July-30-2017 at 2:18pm
I think I mentioned some of this in the thread about the tragedy on Newfound Lake in NH, over the past 10 years I've changed how I handle skiers. Prior to that I might have left engine on when swapping skiers, definitely came back to a downed skier at higher speed. Now I idle down when a skier drops and turn and come back slowly, and engine off whenever a skier is in the water or on the platform. I wouldn't feel comfortable idling forward while skiers hop off the platform, I realize that it seems safe in an inboard, prop is under the boat and moving away from the skier, but I just don't want to go there. Some of this is my getting older I think.
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'63 American Skier - '98 Sport Nautique
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Posted By: MrMcD
Date Posted: July-30-2017 at 4:50pm
63 skier, your note about turning back slower and more carefully hit an old nerve.
We were on our local lake bare footing one night with the owner of west coast Correct Craft. This was 1983. He asked me to sit on the gunnel behind him to offset the guy on the boom. I had one hand on the ski pole, The footer fell off the boom and the owner spun the wheel hard left at barefoot speed, I tried to hold on which was a mistake because it slowed my ejection. I hit the water knowining I was in deep shi* and landing digging hard to get deep fast. I watched the prop go right over me. Missed by maybe 18 inches.
The guy forgot I was behind him and could have killed me.
Then not knowing if I was alive or not and panicked, he kept spinning circles looking for me till my wife told him to shut it down. Then I came up for air. It was a learning experience with all seasoned boaters in that boat.
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Posted By: TedR
Date Posted: July-30-2017 at 5:26pm
Dear Mr McD, that was a good lesson learned in your above story; glad you kept your head, and swam deep. These boats create huge lateral g-force in an extremely short period of time. It is almost possible to "self eject" a driver, if a sudden chop were hit whilst executing a min radius turn at ski/barefoot speeds (not that we would do that, right?!) In teaching a young driver the importance of preventing an unmanned Nautique from ghost riding.
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Posted By: MrMcD
Date Posted: July-31-2017 at 2:13am
Thanks, that note from 63 Skier brought back that bad memory. If I had just let go in the turn I'm sure the turn would have thrown me well out of the boat path but first response was to hold on which was futile with one hand.
Mark
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