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PRSA’s Bayliner
Care and Use Instructions
Operator:
Please read this before using the boat.
At the end of the day, please make a report to the vice-commodore
– see the end of these instructions.
·
Have your boat safety certificate with you; though
rarely enforced, it is the law.
Get one at
http://www.boatus.org/onlinecourse/DistrictofColumbia.asp
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The Bayliner’s gas gauge is not reliable.
Someone on the boat committee has made sure there is enough gas
in the boat. However,
if you want insurance, bring a 5 gallon plastic gas can filled with
regular-grade (86 octane) gas.
You can add it if the boat committee has fallen down on the job.
The filler is on the port side of the transom. The tool for
opening it is in the ice box.
Don’t drop the cover or the tool into the water!
Starting
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Make sure there are no
dangerous fumes in the engine compartment
1.
Turn on the blower switch (red toggle switch next to steering wheel) and
let it run for 60 seconds.
2.
Open the engine cover as an extra precaution
3.
After about a minute turn off blower and close cover
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“Set the choke” and prime
the engine with some gas.
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With control handle in vertical (neutral) position, pull it out and away
from the side of the boat and then “pump” forward and back 2 or 3 times.
·
Put engine in neutral with
fast idle.
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With lever in the vertical (neutral) position, pull it out and away from
the side of the boat and push forward about 45 degrees. You are
still in neutral but the throttle is in an open position.
·
Insert key and start as you
would your car.
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Adjust engine speed to
about 1000 rpm so that it can warm up.
If motor does crank or start
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If the engine does not turn over or turns over slowly, the battery is
dead or weak. Jump the battery off of one of the skiffs
using the long jumper cables under the seat facing aft.
·
In the worst case, get a tow from one of the Skiffs up to the course and
drop anchor.
Dock Lines and Shore Power
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Disconnect yellow cable from boat and leave neatly coiled on the power
stand on the dock.
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Three dock lines secure the boat to the floating dock:
One each on the port and starboard sides of the bow and one on
the starboard side of the transom.
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Untie lines from dock and bring onto the boat.
On The Water
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Registration is in the icebox if asked.
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Stay in deep water. Propellers are $200 or more and ones that have
been churning mud lose effectiveness.
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Keep speed down while docking and turning.
Shifting between forward, neutral, and reverse needs to be done
methodically – this is not a Ferrari.
·
Keep an eye the temperature gauge. If the temperature goes
above the half way point or into the red zone, stop the engine –
something is probably clogging the water passages – and have one of the
Skiffs tow you up river.
·
The Bayliner is not good for approaching people in the water. Only
when the Skiffs are not available and there is an emergency should that
be tried.
Maneuvering
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Boat is heavy and takes a while to slow down. Be conscious of your
speed. Stay in control!
·
There is no center board or rudder, so turning rate is controlled by
inertia and engine power/angle.
·
Mind the wind and current when maneuvering near people in the water or
near any other object.
·
Use neutral to control boat speed, Idle is sometimes too fast.
Returning to the Slip
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Have a helper ready to jump on the dock and help control the boat with
one of the dock lines.
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Protect the boat -- put bumpers down.
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Be mindful of the wind and how it will blow the boat.
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Go slowly. The boat is heavy and hard to stop.
Storing – Think of the Next RC Team
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Three dock lines secure the boat to the floating dock: One each on the
port and starboard sides of the bow and one on the starboard side of the
transom.
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Connect the yellow shore power cable into the shore power plug which is
on the starboard side of the cockpit.
This keeps the battery charged especially during rainy weather
when the bilge bump is working.
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Plug the Ollie into the powerstrip in the cabin.
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Check that switches to the VHF radio and blower are in the labeled off
position.
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Roll up flags and return to the cabin – left side.
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Deflate and store the inflatable marks in the cabin.
Mice will eat holes in them if left on the Skiffs.
The anchors can punch holes in the marks so keep them separated
from each other.
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Leave the cabin as neat as possible.
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Return key to its proper place Report
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Report to the
Vice-Commodore on any incidents and issues the boat committee or the
next user of the boat should be aware of (vice-commodore@potomacriversailing.org or
nabeel.alsalam@gmail.com or
703 786-1967 or in person).
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