Flooding Or Capsizing; Fishing; Water Skiing And Wakeboarding - Monterey M3 Owner's Manual

Operation
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 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 bilge pump 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 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 the seal in the lower unit.

2.11 Water Skiing and Wakeboarding

Your boat is equipped for water skiing and wake-
boarding. If you have never driven skiers before,
you should spend some hours as an observer 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 transom, arch or wakeboard tower. 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 fiberglass around it. Metal hooks also
can cause injury to your skiers if the metal hook
breaks under the strain of the tow.
When attaching a tow rope using the attachment
loops, hold the attachment loop in one hand and
pull a length of rope on the handle side of the
loop through the loop, creating another 6" loop.
Slide the loop just created over the ski tow fitting
and pull the handle side of the rope to tighten the
loop around the tow fitting. This procedure will
attach the rope securely to the ski tow, be easy
to remove and will not come off if the skier or
wakeboarder falls.
MONTEREY
BOATS
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