3.3242 Islander
®
seCtIon 3 • usIng your Boat
• Shut off gas burning appliances (gas stove,
etc.).
• Close all hatches, doors, and keep engine
compartment closed to prevent gasoline fumes
from entering the cabin or cockpit area.
• All passengers must leave the boat until it is
refueled and engine is safely started.
• There must be no smoking or any ames within
20 feet of the boat, before, during, and for at
least 5 minutes after fueling is completed.
• Open fuel ll cap and insert hose nozzle into
the fuel ll opening. Fuel ll hose nozzle must
contact the fuel ll opening BEFORE adding
fuel to prevent discharge of static electricity.
fillinG The Tanks
• Check the ll plate label to ensure that fuel is
placed ONLY in the fuel tank. The fuel ll plates
are located on the port side of your boat (Figure
3.2.1).
• Keep nozzle in contact with fuel ll opening at
all times during fueling.
• Listen as tank lls and stop adding fuel before
it spills from the vent. Fuel must have room for
expansion.
• Look for leaking fuel near fuel ll and near
tank.
afTer fillinG
• DO NOT wash spilled fuel overboard. Wipe up
any spill with rags or paper towels and dispose
of them properly on shore.
• Open engine compartment and look for fuel
leaks or smell for fumes. This is especially
important if your boat is equipped with gasoline
engines. Leave compartment open until no odor
is apparent. Close compartment.
• If fumes in the engine compartment do not
disappear, do not turn on blower or start engine.
Get help from trained and experienced persons
before using the boat.
• Turn on blower for four minutes, then restart
engine.
• Assist passengers back into the boat.
4. boarDinG
• DO NOT overload the boat.
• Board one person at a time and give assistance
as needed.
• Transfer gear and equipment by handing it from
a person on the dock to a person on board. You
can lose your balance and be injured if you
attempt to board while carrying equipment or
gear.
• Distribute the weight of equipment and
passengers as evenly as possible to keep the
boat balanced.
• Stow gear and equipment so that it is accessible,
but everything is to be stored in places so as to
prevent it from ying about if the boat encounters
rough water or weather.
5. personal floTaTion Devices
(pfD’s)
• Operator must instruct all passengers on location
and use of PFD’s (See Section 1- Safety, page
4 for type and usage).
• Children and all non-swimmers, adults as well
as children, must wear properly-sized PFDs at
all times when aboard. Check applicable state
regulations for PFD wear requirements.
• ALL passengers should wear PFDs. By the
time someone falls overboard, it can be to late
for them to put on a PFD and fasten it properly.
This is especially true in colder waters, below
70
o
F, where survival time, before hypothermia
sets in, is measured in minutes.
Wet decks are slippery.
You can be seriously injured if you slip and fall.
Wear slip-resistant footwear secured to your feet and
hold onto rails or boat structure.
! WARNING