Scout Boats 245 Abaco, Owner'S Manual

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SAFETY EQUIPMENT
11.1 General
Your boat and outboard engine have been
equipped with safety equipment designed to
enhance the safe operation of the boat and to
meet U.S. Coast Guard safety standards. The
Coast Guard or state, county, and municipal law
enforcement agencies require certain additional
accessory safety equipment on each boat. This
equipment varies according to length and type of
boat and type of propulsion. The accessory equip-
ment required by the Coast Guard is described in
this chapter. Some local laws require additional
equipment. It is important to obtain “Federal
Requirements And Safety Tips for Recreational
Boats,” published by the Coast Guard, and copies
of state and local laws, to make sure you have the
required equipment for your boating area.
Your boat is equipped with an engine alarm. The
alarm is designed to increase your boating safety
by alerting you to potentially serious problems in
the primary power systems. Alarm systems are
not intended to lessen or replace good mainte-
nance and precruise procedures.
This chapter also describes safety related equip-
ment that could be installed on your boat. This
equipment will vary depending on the type of
engines and other options installed by you or
your dealer.
11.2 Engine Alarms
Most outboards are equipped with an audible
alarm system mounted in the helm area that moni-
tors selected critical engine systems. The alarm
will sound if one of these systems begins to fail.
Refer to the engine owner’s manual for information
on the alarms installed with your engines.
If the alarms sounds:
• Immediately throttle the engine back to idle.
• Shift to neutral.
• Monitor the engine gauges to determine the
cause of the problem.
• If necessary, shut off the engine and investigate
until the cause of the problem is found.
11.3 Neutral Safety Switch
Every control system has a neutral safety switch
incorporated into it. This device prohibits the
engine from being started while the shift lever
is in any position other than the neutral position
and should be inspected and tested periodically
to ensure the switch is working. If the engine will
not start, slight movement of the shift levers may
be necessary to locate the neutral position and
disengage the safety cutout switch. Control or
cable adjustments may be required to correct this
condition should it persist. See your Scout dealer
for necessary control and cable adjustments.
Please refer to the Helm Control Systems chapter
for more information on the neutral safety switch.
11.4 Engine Stop Switch
Your Scout is equipped with a engine stop switch
and lanyard. When the lanyard is pulled it will
engage the switch and shut off the engine. We
strongly recommend that the lanyard be attached
to the driver and the stop switch whenever the
engine is running. If the engine will not start, it
could be because the lanyard is not properly in-
serted into the engine stop switch. Always make
Chapter 11: