1. Fabricate a "stop device" that can stall the skipper-less craft.
A nearly perfect solution for a "sailing" auto-stop would be to re-pilot directly upwind, approximating a heel-to. It requires a real-time wind indicator linked to the pilot, and an intelligent device that can direct the pilot to that heading. The "stop device" that signals an emergency piilot heading could easily kill the outboard too, if running.
An imperfect approximation is to hold the helm hard-over, but I doubt there's any direct way to force an active autopilot to hold the helm on-stop? I guess an approximation will vary with behaviors of various autopilots ... change pilot's heading by 90+ degrees, then kill the pilot's power line, leaving (and holding) the helm hard-over ... ??
It seems to me that this stop-device, and its controlling behaviors, is the crux of the problem.
2. Activate the stop-device when Skip takes the dive.
Once a quality stop-device has been designed, the wireless electronic anklet, water-triggered, is the obvious perfect solution. Where money's no object, the technologists will be eager to fill this vacuum.
A lanyard is the straightforward option, assuming Skipper is willing to be tethered. My outboard's lanyard is very short, but this might be (approximately) solved by attaching a short lanyard to a jackline. When the jackline is yanked, the lanyard is pulled. Better yet, an electronic strain gauge could sense tension in the jackline and trigger the stop-device. As backup, Andy's trailing safety line could also be similarly linked to the stop-device.
Unfortunately, articles I've read imply that simply being tethered is better than nothing ... but not really a solution. Even at a speed of only 3 knots, it seems many, perhaps most, would be unable to recover to the transom. Ergo, some sort of stop-device is really needed.
Perplexed ....
