Impact With Underwater Hazards - Mercury 75 Pro XS FourStroke Operation Maintenance Installation Warranty Manual

Impact with Underwater Hazards

Reduce speed and proceed with caution whenever you drive a boat in shallow
water areas, or in areas where you suspect underwater obstacles may exist
which could be struck by the outboard or the boat bottom. The most important
thing you can do to help reduce injury or impact damage from striking a
floating or underwater object is to control the boat speed. Under these
conditions, boat speed should be kept to a minimum planing speed of
24 to 40 km/h (15 to 25 mph).
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.
GENERAL INFORMATION
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