Everglades 320 EX, Owner'S Manual

Page: 32 / 170

32
Operation
WARNING
the tower raises the boat’s center of gravity and
the boat’s motion is greatly exaggerated for the
person in a tower.
If you are fishing in an area that is crowded with
other fishing boats, it may be difficult to follow
the rules of the road. This situation can become
especially difficult when most boats are trolling.
Being courteous and exercising good common
sense is essential. Avoid trying to assert your
right-of-way and concentrate on staying clear and
preventing tangled or cut lines and other unpleas-
ant encounters with other boats. Also keep in
mind that fishing line wrapped around a propeller
shaft can damage seals in the engine lower unit.
2.11 Tower Operation (Optional)
350 EX models could be equipped with an optional
fabricated aluminum tower with an upper helm
station. Towers are normally equipped with full
engine controls, trim tab controls, compass, en-
gine alarms, stop and start buttons, emergency
stop switch and tachometers. This allows for
complete operation of the boat from the tower.
Operation of the Upper Station Controls
The engines should be started at the lower helm.
Monitor the gauges to make sure all systems are
normal and the engines have been allowed to
warm up slightly before proceeding to the tower
helm. The ignition or restart switches on the tower
are only used to restart an engine in the event it
should stall. The shift controls must be in neutral
for the start switches to be functional.
Electronic engine controls are equipped with a
station transfer button that allows the operator to
transfer control from one station to another with
the push of a button. Always make sure that you
activate the controls as soon as you reach the
upper helm station.
Refer to the Control Systems chapter and the
electronic engine control owner’s manual for more
information on the control system operation and
selecting the controls on boats with dual stations.
The following is a list of safety precautions
for tower operation:
• Do not operate the boat from the tower in
rough sea conditions. The boat’s motions are
exaggerated in the tower and this motion may
become excessive in rough seas.
• Be careful when using the trim tabs from the
tower. The reaction of the trim tabs will be
exaggerated in the tower. Use small tab cor-
rections and wait ten (10) seconds for the tabs
to react. Keep making small corrections until
the hull is at the desired attitude.
• Do not overload the tower. Most towers are
designed to hold the weight of only two aver-
age- sized people. Weight in the tower raises
the boat’s center of gravity. Too much weight
in the tower could make the boat unstable.
• Do not operate the boat in tight quarters, such
as marinas, from the tower. The operator is
isolated from the boat while in the tower and
will not be able to assist in docking procedures.
• Always pay close attention to your grip and
footing on tower ladders. Your ability to
achieve a good grip and proper footing is re-
duced in wet or rough weather. Therefore, the
tower should be avoided in these conditions.
• Only operate the boat from the tower in famil-
iar waters or where running aground is not a
possibility. Running aground while operating
the boat from the tower could result in severe
injury.
• Always be alert for waves and boat wakes
when operating the boat from the tower. Re-
member that the boat’s motions are exagger-
ated in the tower.
• Good common sense and judgment must be
exercised at all times when operating a boat
from the tower.
• If an engine alarm sounds, immediately put the
boat in NEUTRAL and shut OFF the engine(s),
if safe to do so, until the problem is found and
corrected.
• Always put the boat in NEUTRAL before mov-
ing to and from the tower helm and cockpit.
GOOD COMMON SENSE, JUDGMENT AND EXTREME CAUTION
MUST BE EXERCISED WHEN OPERATING A BOAT WITH
SOMEONE IN THE TOWER. DO NOT ALLOW ANYONE IN THE
TOWER WHEN THE WATER IS ROUGH OR WHEN OPERATING
IN UNFAMILIAR WATERS WHERE RUNNING AGROUND IS A
POSSIBILITY. REMEMBER, WEIGHT IN THE TOWER RAISES
THE BOAT’S CENTER OF GRAVITY AND THE BOAT’S MOTION
IS GREATLY EXAGGERATED FOR THE PEOPLE IN THE TOWER.