Mercury SST120 User Manual page 17

GENERAL INFORMATION
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Impact With Underwater Hazards (Continued)
Keep in mind, one of the most important things you can do to help
reduce injury or impact damage in these situations 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 pos-
sible and inspect the outboard for any broken or loose parts. If dam-
age is present or suspected, the outboard should be taken to an au-
thorized dealer for a thorough inspection and necessary repair.
The boat should also be checked for any hull fractures, transom frac-
tures, water leaks.
Operating a damaged outboard could cause additional damage to
other parts of the outboard, or could affect control of the boat. If con-
tinued running is necessary, do so at greatly reduced speeds.
Avoid serious injury or death from loss of boat control. Con-
tinued boating with major impact damage can result in sudden
outboard component failure with or without subsequent im-
pacts. Have the outboard thoroughly inspected and any nec-
essary repairs made.
WARNING
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