Why?

Why does a boat that sits on a trailer when not in use have a key start?

I was doing some work on my boat today and among other things, that included spilling a whole pile of oil into the bilge, I decided to clean up the electrical side of things. While I was re-drawing the circuit diagram I wondered, why do I need a key start?

In a car, fine, so people can't drive away with it. In a boat on a trailer, what's the bloody point. Put a lock on the trailer hitch, sensible, on the boat???

In the past I have even driven to the boat ramp and realised I have forgotten my key and driven back for it, and only today I realised I don't need it.

WHY? Don't boat manufacturers make boats that suit both entertaining and fishing.

I went to the boat show on Friday night and there seems to be two types of boats (we were looking at trailable boats) 1. For fishing and diving and 2. For entertaining.

I wanted to buy the fishing boat with the open rear for fishing tackle or dive gear and the wife wanted the boat with the rear fitted out with curved comfy seats at the back with a built in table.

All through the boat show the boats were either one way or the other.

Why can't a boat be built that has the rear seats and table etc. removable.

It seems to me that all you need to encorporate in the design are layflat brackets, similar to the handles that hinge up to open hatches.

The seats have stainless wire ropes with hooks on and turnbucles. Simply put the seat in, hook on to the bracket and tighten with the turnbuckle.

Of course you could buy the fishing boat and put your own seats in but seats made to fit during manufacture would look nicer.

Now because my wife liked the entertaining boat and I liked the fishing boat the company didn't sell us a boat.

Sorry this went in the wrong section, shoulda been general Discussion.

 

As for the key start.... seeing as you can start just about any small craft with an ignition key by simply jumping a few terminals under the dash with a $1 alligator clip, I think it's more for style than anything. I do the lock-on-the-trailer thing myself, and I take my kill lanyard with me when I leave the boat. That seems to do the trick. Thieves just crank the starter and can't figure out why it won't catch, then they give up.
As for more practical design: The question the stylists who draw up these impractical runabout interiors ask isn't "is this practical", it tends to be more along the lines of "how does this attract the target demographic in the boat show". It ain't hard to do both comfortable and practical, just so far that's not what the marketing types see as being in demand. They'd rather sell ya two boats

 

Why a key? Because that's what consumers and marketers demanded (has nothing to do with common sense or good engineering practice)

Why the less than practical design. Same answer.

The BIG factor: (This is going to sound sexist but if you talk to the people who design the boat you'll find it's true) women!. Marketers wanted to sell more boats. The best way to sell more boats, attract the women because in most Amercian households the women control the purse strings. So make the boats attractive to the women. If you go back before the sixties boats were pretty basic and spartan. In the 70's they began using designer fabrics and interiors, making them easier to run (there's the reason for the key, so it's just like their car), including heads, nice plush furnishings etc, oh yeah, I forgot, less damp and cold, warm and snuggly and friendly. In other words, the boat companies hired stylists and interior designers, not naval architects and engineers.

 

I hate keys ever since I had to leave my corvette at the side of the road with the window down because this stupid tart I had with me at the time pulled the key and threw it out of the window. Silly cow!!

Any way I have often thought about making my own security switch arrangement with 6 or more switches so that can never happen again.
This would be say 6 switches - off and on-- you had to get all the switches in the right place to make an ON. No more rusty keys Or handing over keys to hijackers, lots of reasons. If you didnt get the switches in the right position and tried to start,--- the horn would blow attracting attention. After a few attempts I think they would give up.

I suppose a clever guy would be able to do this electronicaly, but I am not he.

 

Why don't you just put in a key pad. Then you program it with a combination. Punch the right combo and the engine starts. Punch the wrong combo say three times (you can set this to whatever number you want) and alarms go off. You can even set it up so when you've had too much to drink you can't start the boat!

 

They use keys because everyone knows how to use this type of switch. If each manufacture began using different starting procedures, some with buttons, others with numeric key pads, etc. then there would be a great deal of confusion. It could be as simple as looking up the starting sequence in the owners manual, but what if there is no owners manual to be found or a Sea Tow skipper is trying to get a grounded boat of a bar, or a used boat is sold without the owners manual and the proper starting sequence. It has nothing to do with women or styling, it is purely to keep things simple and easily understood.

 

Hunter - Numeretical keypads were brought into the discussion in regard to starting cars not boats. My original comment was a boat on a trailer does not need a key start as it does not prevent anyone from stealing it.

Start buttons are as common as poo, if someone doesn't know how to push one they would be as stupid as someone who would buy a boat and not ask how to start it. I didn't know you needed to start a boat to tow it, I thought that was one of the main reasons you towed 'em.

Anyway I am redoing all the electric wiring on my boat and it will probably never start again.