Scout Boats 420 LXF, Owner'S Manual, Page: 36 / 202

36
Operation
WARNING
WHEN TOWING OPERATIONS ARE UNDERWAY, HAVE
EVERYONE ABOARD BOTH VESSELS STAY CLEAR OF THE TOW
LINE AND SURROUNDING AREA. A TOW LINE THAT SHOULD
BREAK WHILE UNDER STRESS CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS
AND COULD CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH.
WARNING
RUNNING AGROUND CAN CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY TO
PASSENGERS AND DAMAGE TO A BOAT AND ITS UNDERWATER
GEAR. IF YOUR BOAT SHOULD BECOME GROUNDED,
DISTRIBUTE PERSONAL FLOTATION DEVICES AND INSPECT
THE BOAT FOR POSSIBLE DAMAGE. THOROUGHLY INSPECT
THE BILGE AREA FOR SIGNS OF LEAKAGE. AN EXPERIENCED
SERVICE FACILITY SHOULD CHECK YOUR UNDERWATER
GEAR AT THE FIRST OPPORTUNITY. DO NOT CONTINUE TO
USE YOUR BOAT IF THE CONDITION OF THE UNDERWATER
EQUIPMENT IS QUESTIONABLE.
2.9 Flooding or Capsizing
Boats can become unstable if they become flooded
or completely swamped. You must always be
aware of the position of the boat to the seas and
the amount of water in the bilge. Water entering
the boat through the transom door or over the
stern gunnels can usually be corrected by closing
the door and turning the boat into the waves. If
the bilge is flooding because of a hole in the hull or
a defective hose, you may be able to plug it with
rags, close the thru-hull valve or assist the pumps
by bailing with buckets. Put a mayday call in to
the Coast Guard or nearby boats and distribute
life jackets as soon as you discover your boat is
in trouble.
If the boat becomes swamped and capsizes, you
and your passengers should stay with the boat as
long as you can. It is much easier for the Coast
Guard, aircraft or other boats to spot, than people
in the water. If your boat is equipped with an
EPIRB, make sure it is activated. When activated,
EPIRBs will send distress code homing beacons
that allow Coast Guard aircraft to identify your
boat and find you quickly.
2.10 Fishing
Fishing can be very exciting and distracting for
the operator when the action gets intense. You
must always be conscious of the fact that your
primary responsibility is the safe operation of your
boat and the safety of your passengers and other
boats in the area.
You must always make sure the helm is properly
manned and is never left unattended while trolling.
If your boat is equipped with a tower, caution and
good common sense must be exercised whenever
someone is in the tower. Remember, weight in
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
Your boat could be equipped with an optional
fabricated aluminum tower or upper helm station.
Towers are normally equipped with full engine con-
trols, trim tab controls, compass, engine 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.
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