Lost key - sell boat?

[DaveC426913]

Yep. In the space of one hour, between home and slip, I have lost my engine key.

Looked everywhere six times. Looked everywhere else six times. Sent out a message to the club.

Unless I want to pay for a locksmith to visit my dock, I might be SOOL.

Too chicken to exit lagoon on sail alone. (See post elsewhere re: bent prop, running aground)

[Stevenhigbee]

Couldn't be all that hard to hot-wire it. You have to look at removing the switch anyway, because you don't want to pay the locksmith to do that.

[npsrangerchuck]

May be a long shot but I'd check with a local dealer and give them your motor's serial number. Might be able to get a key made that way for a lot less than the locksmith will charge....

[seahouse]

There isn't a second key?

[C Buchs]

There isn't a second key?

I need to get a second key. My boat only came with one and I've put it off. I'll move it up my priority list.

Jeff

[Obelix]

The motor-key is only working an electrical switch.
Why can't you shorten the switch out and tap the starter wire to start the engine?

Obelix

[paul I]

if its like my with a 50HP Honda, any Honda Outboard dealer can sell you a replacement key. They aren't toothed or ground like a house key or anything. The key to my Honda will work in any Honda outboard with the same remote.

[PAWSEIDON]

if its like my with a 50HP Honda, any Honda Outboard dealer can sell you a replacement key. They aren't toothed or ground like a house key or anything. The key to my Honda will work in any Honda outboard with the same remote.

Have a Evinrude 50 on our . The PO only had one key. I went to the local Evinrude dealer and he had replacement keys in stock. I keep one on the boat key chain with one of those spongy blue floats so if it drops in the water, it will not sink and it is easy to spot when I put it down somewhere. The other is hidden inside the cabin in case I forget the key on the way out the door only to get to the marina and have to drive back home for the key.

[BOAT]

Okay, so I think I am just going to wire up a hot wire switch inside the pedestal for emergencies. I mean, any guy that wants to go inside the pedestal can hot wire the boat anyways - so i might as well put one in there for myself. I don't want to be in this situation.

All my previous boats all had little tiny motors that you pulled with a rope to start - no key.

Why do we have a key? Is stealing a boat really something that happens a lot? Is that what the key is for?

[Stevenhigbee]

The key is for safety, so you don't accidentally crank it with swimmers near the motor.

[seahouse]

The key also hinders unauthorized use. In some boats it is attached to a tether that cuts out the ignition if that person falls overboard. One of ours got banged and bent, they are soft brass, I got a new one from the dealer by providing him with the number on it (no one else had a key blank that would work).

[paul I]

Oh yeah. I forgot the tether and clip. To the OP: If your safety clip was attached to the key and it is lost too, you will need a new safety clip as well. Good point.

[NiceAft]

Is there a place on the pedestal, near the throttle control, in which a spare thingy that inserts into the safety switch can be kept? There is such a place on mine.

Does anyone know the nomenclature for that thingy/doohickey, which when removed, shuts down the engine:?:

Ray

[sailboatmike]

With the Mercury the keys are coded,I think mine is a 1D, I just rang the dealer and said I want a 1D key and he had one on the shelf.

I seems unlike car / house keys each one isnt different, rather there is about 20 different locks that are numbered, and the 1D is the lock on mine.

Interesting note is that my local locksmith didnt have that sort of key blank, so I had to go to the Mercury dealer to get new keys

[dlandersson]

What SailboatMike said.

And there are tons of keys on Ebay - once you know the code you are looking for.

if its like my with a 50HP Honda, any Honda Outboard dealer can sell you a replacement key. They aren't toothed or ground like a house key or anything. The key to my Honda will work in any Honda outboard with the same remote.