MerCruiser 8.1 H.O., User Manual

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Section 3 - On the Water
Page 40 90-899883273 MARCH 2008
1. Example of desired air flow through the boat.
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Poor Ventilation
Under certain conditions, permanently enclosed or canvas enclosed cabins or cockpits with
insufficient ventilation may draw in carbon monoxide. Install one or more carbon monoxide
detectors in your boat.
Although the occurrence is rare, on a very calm day, swimmers and passengers in an open
area of a stationary boat that contains or is near an operating engine may be exposed to
a hazardous level of carbon monoxide.
1. Examples of poor ventilation while a boat is stationary:
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a
b
a - Operating the engine when the
boat is moored in a confined space
b - Mooring close to another boat with
its engine operating
2. Examples of poor ventilation while a boat is moving:
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a b
a - Operating the boat with the trim
angle of the bow too high
b - Operating the boat with no forward
hatches open (station wagon effect)
Basic Boat Operation (Non‑DTS Models)
Launching and Boat Operation
IMPORTANT: Install bilge drain plug prior to launching boat.
Follow these guidelines when operating your boat to avoid possible water ingestion:
• Do not turn the key off when the engine is above idle speed.
• Do not use the lanyard stop switch to shut off the engine when operating above idle
speed.
• Enter the water slowly when launching your boat from a steep ramp.
• Do not shift into reverse while on plane.
• When coming off plane, avoid impact with large waves by applying short, light bursts
of power to minimize the wave action against the stern of the boat.
• Do not come off plane quickly and immediately shut of the engine.