Chaparral 420 PREMIERE, Owner'S/Operator'S Manual

Page: 29 / 164

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) charts for
coastal waters, observing and understanding all
navigational aids, using the knowledge and guid-
ance of experienced boaters, and being aware of
tide times when appropriate.
Let others know where you are going. Avoid trav-
eling alone, and always inform someone of your
float plans. A float plan is your cruising course and
itinerary, boat description, and your expected time
and date of return. Give the float plan to a friend or
relative, so they can give that information to a
national boat agency, like the U.S. Coast Guard, in
the event you fail to return.
eMerGenCY siTuaTions
We hope that you are never involved in an emer-
gency situation. Prevention is the safest approach.
ASSISTING OTHER BOATERS. All boaters have a
legal obligation to help other boats who are in
distress, as long as rendering assistance does
not endanger you, your passengers, or your boat.
If you are involved in an emergency situation, it is
imperative that you know how to react, in order to
protect the lives in your care.
Fire
Important: A fire aboard your boat is a serious
emergency. You must act immediately!
Every boater should develop a fire response plan to
determine what kind of fire (fuel, electrical, etc.)
might break out, where it might break out, and the
best way to react. Having a plan and assigning
responsibilities to others results in quicker decisions
and quicker reactions.
Boats will burn quickly. Do not remain on board and
fight a fire for more than a few minutes. If the fire
cannot be extinguished within a few minutes, aban-
don the boat.
Have fire extinguishers handy. A small fire can be
extinguished quickly with the right size and type of
fire extinguisher.
Any fire requires stopping the engine(s) immediately.
Then:
• Extinguish smoking materials and shut off blow-
ers, stoves, engines, and generators.
• Throw burning materials overboard, if possible.
• Keep the fire downwind, if possible.
• If the fire is accessible, empty the contents of fire
extinguishers at the base of the fire.
• If the fire is in the engine compartment and you
have an automatic extinguisher for the engine,
wait 15 minutes before opening the compart-
ment after using the extinguisher. Have a
portable extinguisher ready in case the fire flares
up again.
• Signal for help.
• Grab distress signals and survival gear. Put on
PFDs. Prepare to abandon ship. If the decision
is to abandon ship, all persons on board should
jump overboard and swim a safe distance away
from the burning boat.
Flooding, swamping, and Capsizing
Flooding, swamping, or capsizing is usually caused
by the actions of an inattentive boat operator, or by
hazardous weather or water conditions. In the event
of flooding, swamping, or capsizing:
• Try to shut off engines, generators, and blowers
before leaving the boat.
• Have everyone put on Personal Flotation
Devices (PFDs).
• Account for all who were on board.
• If the boat is floating, stay with the boat. Hang
on, or climb on the boat and signal for help.
• Only as a last resort should you attempt to swim
to shore – it is farther away than it looks and you
can tire and drown.
2-7