Table of Contents
Advertisement
B. Stopping
Boats have no brakes. Stopping is accomplished by
backing down on the throttle. Practice stopping maneu-
vers and learn early how your boat reacts. From
forward motion, pull the throttle back towards NEU-
TRAL. Depending on your speed, the distance the boat
travels until it comes to a complete stop will vary. The
ability to measure the distance will only be acquired
through experience.
Once the boat has slowed and motor is idling, place the
shift in REVERSE. Gradually increasing reverse power
with the throttle will allow you to stop the boat in a very
short distance.
NOTE: A boat will not respond to steering in reverse
nearly as well as it does when going forward, so do not
expect to accomplish tight turning maneuvers when
backing up.
Remember that all boats steer by the stern (the feeling
is much like steering your automobile in reverse). This
means that the stern of your boat will swing in the
direction opposite to your turn. For example, when you
turn the helm wheel to the left, the stern of your boat
will swing in the direction opposite to your turn. This is
especially important to keep in mind when docking,
operating in close quarters with other boats, or when
approaching a swimmer or downed skier in the water.
Always look behind you and to both sides of the boat
before slowing down. Tell your passengers your
intentions to allow them time to make adjustments to
their balance or positions.
Slowly pull back on throttles, glance back and see if a
large following wave is approaching the transom. If so
give the engines a little throttle as the wave arrives to
keep wave from rolling over the transom.
Once you have spent enough time practicing maneu-
vers and have a feel for how the boat handles, you will
be ready to run in open waters.
Pre-Launch and Underway - Section S
S - 6
ACCELERATION
Before accelerating to bring your boat on plane,
be sure that the area in front of your boat is clear.
The bow will rise out of the water momentarily
before you plane and may temporarily obstruct
your vision.
If you have never had your boat on plane before,
choose a calm day for your first on plane experience.
Never boat beyond your ability and experience.
Before bringing your boat "on plane", check the entire
area to make sure you have a clear, safe path. As
you throttle up to accelerate, your boat will increase
its angle of trim, causing the bow to ride high. From a
maximum angle, the boat will level out to its planing
attitude with continued acceleration. This maximum
angle is known as the "hump". Because visibility,
handling, and performance are reduced, it is advis-
able to get "over the hump" as soon as possible. A
few seconds at full throttle should get the boat over
the hump and into its planing attitude.
After getting over the hump, accelerate until reaching
a comfortable plane, then throttle down to cruising
speed. This also will provide for better fuel efficiency.
S - 7
TRIMMING YOUR BOAT
Trim tabs are used to add lift to the boat's stern,
thereby changing the boat's attitude. This lift can help
the boat get on plane faster and remain on plane at
slower speeds than if no tabs were used. Used
independently, tabs can also correct listing conditions
caused by crosswinds, unbalanced loading and
quartering seas.
Before accelerating and trying to gain plane, press
upper button. This will cause both trim tab blades to
lower in parallel and force the bow down when
running. This can also be used when running the
boat with a heavy load aboard.
Moving the trim tab blades downward will in crease
the lift and the boat will achieve plane faster, or stay
on plane at a lower engine and boat speed.
After gaining plane and establishing cruising speed,
pressing the lower button retracts the blades in
parallel and will allow the bow to rise. This should be
used to adjust the run ning attitude of the boat to
Owner's Manual Page 189
Advertisement
Table of Contents
