Impact With Underwater Hazards; Conditions Affecting Operation; Weight Distribution (Passengers And Gear) Inside The Boat; The Bottom Of The Boat - Mercury T6200 TowSport Operation And Maintenance Manual

Section 2 - On the Water

Impact with Underwater Hazards

Reduce speed and proceed with caution whenever you're driving a boat in shallow water or in areas where the waters are
suspected of having underwater obstacles that could be struck by the underwater drive components, rudder, or the boat
bottom.
IMPORTANT: The most important thing you can do to help reduce injury or impact damage from striking a floating or
underwater object is control the boat speed. Under these conditions, boat speed should be kept to the minimum planing speed,
typically 24–40 km/h (15–25 mph).
Avoid serious injury or death from all or part of an outboard or drive unit coming into the boat after striking a floating or
underwater object. When operating in waters where objects may be at the surface or just under the surface of the water,
reduce your speed and keep a vigilant lookout.
Examples of objects that can cause engine damage are dredging pipes, bridge supports, wing dams, trees, stumps, and
rocks.
Striking a floating or underwater object could result in any of an infinite number of situations. Some of these situations could
yield the following:
• The boat could move suddenly in a new direction. A sharp change in direction can cause occupants to be thrown out of
their seats or out of the boat.
• The boat's speed could rapidly reduce. This will cause occupants to be thrown forward or even out of the boat.
• The underwater drive components, rudder, or boat could sustain impact damage.
After striking a submerged object, stop the engine as soon as possible and inspect the drive system for any broken or loose
parts. If damage is present or suspected, the power package should be taken to an authorized Mercury MerCruiser dealer for a
thorough inspection and necessary repair.
The boat should also be checked for any hull fractures, transom fractures, or water leaks. If water leaks are discovered after an
impact, immediately activate the bilge pump.
Operating with damaged underwater drive components, rudder, or boat bottom could cause additional damage to other parts of
the power package or could affect control of the boat. If continued operation is necessary, do so at greatly reduced speeds.
Operating a boat or engine with impact damage can result in product damage, serious injury, or death. If the vessel
experiences any form of impact, have an authorized Mercury Marine dealer inspect and repair the vessel or power package.

Conditions Affecting Operation

Weight Distribution (Passengers and Gear) Inside the Boat

Shifting weight to rear (stern):
• Generally increases speed and engine RPM
• Causes bow to bounce in choppy water
• Increases danger of following wave splashing into the boat when coming off plane
• At extremes, can cause the boat to porpoise
Shifting weight to front (bow):
• Improves ease of planing
• Improves rough water ride
• At extremes, can cause the boat to veer back and forth (bow steer)

The Bottom of the Boat

To maintain maximum speed, the boat bottom should be:
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90-8M0128975 JUNE 2017
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