PURSUIT OS 325 OFFSHORE, Owner'S Manual

Page: 69 / 168

Safety Equipment
9-7
Section 9
OS 325
Bilge and Fuel Fires
Fuel compartment and bilge fires or explo-
sions are dangerous because of the pres-
ence of fuel. You must make the decision to
fight the fire or abandon the boat. If the fire
cannot be extinguished quickly or it is too
intense to fight, abandoning the boat may be
your only option. You must consider your
safety, the safety of your passengers, the
intensity of the fire and the possibility of an
explosion in your decision.
If you find yourself in this situation, make
sure all passengers have a life preserver on
and go over the side and swim well upwind
of the boat, to keep clear of any burning fuel
that could be released and spread on the
water as the boat burns or in the event of an
explosion. When clear of the danger, check
and account for all passengers who were
onboard. Give whatever assistance you can
to anyone in need or in the water without a
buoyant device. Keep everyone together for
morale and to aid rescue operations.
9.9 Additional Safety Equipment
Besides meeting the legal requirements,
prudent boaters carry additional safety
equipment. This is particularly important if
you operate your boat offshore. You should
consider the following items, depending on
how you use your boat.
Satellite EPIRB 'S
EPIRB's (Emergency Position Indicating
Radio Beacon) operate as part of a world
wide distress system. When activated,
EPIRB's will send distress code homing bea-
cons that allow Coast Guard aircraft to iden-
tify and find them quickly. The satellites that
receive and relay EPIRB signals are oper-
ated by the National Oceanic and Atmo-
spheric Administration (NOAA) in the United
States. The EPIRB should be mounted and
registered according to the instructions pro-
vided with the beacon, so the beacon's
unique distress code can be used to quickly
identify the boat and owner.
Additional Equipment to Consider:
❑
VHF Radio
❑
Life Raft
❑
Spare Anchor
❑
Spare Keys
❑
Heaving Line
❑
Fenders
❑
First Aid Kit
❑
Portable Radio
❑
Flashlight and Batteries
❑
Mirror
❑
Searchlight
❑
Sunburn Lotion
❑
Tool Kit
❑
Ring Buoy
❑
Whistle or Horn
❑
Anchor
❑
Chart and Compass
❑
Boat Hook
❑
Spare Propellers
❑
Mooring Lines
❑
Food and Water
❑
Binoculars
❑
Sunglasses
❑
Marine Hardware
❑
Extra Clothing
❑
Spare Parts
!
WARNING
BURN HAZARD
Fuel floating on water which is ignited
can cause death or serious injury.
Fuel will float on top of water and can
burn. If the boat is abandoned, swim
upwind, far enough to avoid fuel that
can spread over the surface of the
water.