Scout Boats 221 Winyah, Руководство пользователя, Страница: 91 / 150

91
DANGER
WARNING
THE MOORING CLEATS ON SCOUT BOATS ARE NOT DESIGNED
OR INTENDED TO BE USED FOR TOWING PURPOSES. THESE
CLEATS ARE SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED AS MOORING CLEATS
FOR SECURING THE BOAT TO A DOCK, PIER, ETC. DO NOT
USE THESE FITTINGS FOR TOWING OR ATTEMPTING TO FREE
A GROUNDED VESSEL.
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.
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.
12.9 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 over the transom can usually be corrected
by 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.
12.10 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. Most towers are designed
for two average-sized people. Remember, weight
in the tower raises the boat’s center of gravity and
the boat’s motion is greatly exaggerated for the
people 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 pre-
venting tangled or cut lines and other unpleasant
encounters with other boats. Also keep in mind
that fishing line wrapped around a propeller shaft
can damage seals in the engine lower unit.
12.11 Water Skiing and Wakeboarding
Your boat could be equipped for water skiing and
wakeboarding. If you have never driven skiers
before, you should spend some hours as an ob-
server and learning from an experienced driver.
If you are an experienced driver, you should take
some time to become familiar with the boat and
the way it handles before pulling a skier. The
driver should also know the skier’s ability and
drive accordingly.
Always use high quality tow ropes with attachment
loops when pulling wakeboarders or skiers and
only attach the tow rope to the ski tow fittings on
the optional ski tow bar. Never use mooring cleats
or grab rails to pull skiers. They are not designed
for towing skiers and injury to skiers or passengers
and/or damage to the boat could result.
The tow rope should always be attached using
the attachment loops and never tied to the ski
tow or to any type of metal hook attached to the
tow fitting. Tied ski ropes are very difficult to
remove and metal hooks will damage the ski tow
fitting and the engine cowling. Metal hooks also
can cause injury to your skiers if the metal hook
breaks under the strain of the tow.