Chaparral 2012 H2O Series, Owner'S/Operator'S Manual

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SAFETY EQUIPMENT
Important: Federal law requires you to provide and maintain
safety equipment on your Chaparral boat. As the boat owner,
you are responsible for supplying all required safety equipment.
Consult your Coast Guard, state, and local regulations to ensure
your boat has all required safety equipment on board. Additional
equipment may be recommended for your safety and that of
your passengers. Make yourself aware of its availability and use.
Personal Flotation Devices (PFDs)
There must be one United States Coast Guard approved wearable
personal flotation device of Type I, II, or III for each person on board
or being towed on water skis, water sports tubes, kneeboards, etc.
and one Type IV throwable device on board. The PFDs must be of a
suitable size for each person aboard and must be in serviceable
condition and readily accessible.
PFD Type I, Wearable: This off-shore life jacket has the greatest
buoyancy. It is most effective for all waters where rescue may be
delayed. Its design allows for turning most unconscious persons in
the water from a face down position to a vertical or face-up position.
PFD Type II, Wearable: This near-shore buoyant vest provides less
buoyancy than a Type I PFD. It is intended for calm inland water or
waters where there is a chance of quick rescue. It turns its wearer to
a face-up position as does the Type I PFD, but the turning action is
not as pronounced as the Type I, and it will not turn as many per-
sons under the same conditions as a Type I.
PFD Type III, Wearable: Classified as a flotation aid, this PFD
allows wearers to place themselves in a vertical or face-up position
in the water. Type III has the same minimum buoyancy as a Type II
PFD. It has little or no turning ability. People participating in water
sports often prefer this PFD because it intended for use in waters
where quick rescue is possible and it is generally the most comfort-
able for continuous wear.
PFD Type IV, Throwable: You must also have aboard at least one
throwable PFD Type IV device. The Type IV device can be thrown
to a person in the water and grasped and held by the user until res-
cued. The design does not allow it to be worn. The most common
Type IV PFDs are buoyant cushions or ring buoys. This PFD must
be immediately available for use and in serviceable condition.
PFD Type V: Must be worn to be effective. When inflated, it pro-
vides buoyancy equivalent to Type I, II, or III PFDs.
Fire Extinguishers
As the boat owner, you are responsible for making sure you have
the required number of fire extinguishers. Fire extinguishers must
be approved by the U.S. Coast Guard.
Boats longer than 26 feet and shorter than 40 feet: Two Type B-1 or
at least one Type B-2 portable hand extinguishers. If your boat has
a fixed fire extinguishing system approved by the U.S. Coast Guard,
one Type B-1 extinguisher is required.
Boats longer than 16 feet and shorter than 26 feet: At least one
portable hand Type B-I fire extinguisher.
When outfitting your boat with portable fire extinguishers, make sure
that you select a model that is large enough to fill the volume of your
boat’s engine compartment. Have your dealer help you choose the
proper equipment for your boat.
All fire extinguishers should be mounted in a readily accessible loca-
tion away from the engine compartment. Everyone on board should
know where the fire extinguishers are and how to operate them.
If your fire extinguisher has a charge indicator gauge, cold or hot
weather may affect the gauge reading. Consult the instruction man-
ual supplied with the fire extinguisher to determine the accuracy of
the gauge.
Visual Distress Signals
The U.S. Coast Guard requires all boats operating on U.S. coastal
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