Visibility From Helm Station; Man-Overboard Prevention And Recovery - Bella 500 BR Owner's Manual

15. Visibility from helm station

Driving in nice weather and with a calm sea is simple, but remember to arrange for proper lookouts as
per International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREG). Always ensure that the
visibility from the helm station is as good as possible:
- people, curtains, etc. should not obstruct the view,
- do not drive continuously at the planing threshold, as raising of the bow obstructs visibility,
- adjust the trim angle using trim tabs and/or power-trim so that the raising of the bow does not
obstruct visibility,
- use the windscreen wipers if necessary,
- in poor visibility open the hatch above the helm position and keep lookout through it,
- especially in shipping lanes, remember to look aft.
Operator vision from the helm can be obstructed by high trim angles of the craft and other factors; for
example transition from displacement to planing mode and sea conditions.
Use relevant navigation lights if it is dark or visibility is otherwise restricted (e.g. fog). Switch off the
lights inside the craft, if they or their reflections reduce visibility.

16. Man-overboard prevention and recovery

The working decks of the boat are shown in Fig. 8.
Other areas, such as the cabin roof (HT and Cabin models), must not be occupied when underway.
If a person has fallen into the water in calm seas, use the reboarding ladder located on the stern
platform. The ladders can be pulled down by a swimmer in the water.
Figure 8. Location of working decks and reboarding ladder.
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