Mercury 135 Verado Manual page 29

GENERAL INFORMATION
To avoid serious injury or death from all or part of an outboard
coming into the boat after striking a floating or underwater
obstacle maintain a top speed no greater than minimum planing
speed.
Striking a floating or underwater object could result in an infinite
number of situations. Some of these situations could result in the
following:
• Part of the outboard or the entire outboard could break loose
and fly into the boat.
• The boat could move suddenly in a new direction. Such a
sharp change in direction can cause occupants to be thrown
out of their seats or out of the boat.
• A rapid reduction in speed. This will cause occupants to be
thrown forward, or even out of the boat.
• Impact damage to the outboard and/or boat.
Keep in mind, the most important thing you can do to help reduce
injury or impact damage during an impact is control the boat speed.
Boat speed should be kept to a minimum planing speed when
driving in waters known to have underwater obstacles.
After striking a submerged object, stop the engine as soon as
possible and inspect it for any broken or loose parts. If damage is
present or suspected, the outboard should be taken to an
authorized dealer for a thorough inspection and necessary repair.
The boat should also be checked for any hull fractures, transom
fractures, or water leaks.
Operating a damaged outboard could cause additional damage to
other parts of the outboard, or could affect control of the boat. If
continued running is necessary, do so at greatly reduced speeds.
Avoid serious injury or death from loss of boat control. Continued
boating with major impact damage can result in sudden outboard
component failure with or without subsequent impacts. Have the
outboard thoroughly inspected and any necessary repairs made.
WARNING
!
WARNING
!
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