Mercury Marine 899197001 User Manual

GENERAL INFORMATION

There is another less common hazardous result from allowing your

boat to launch off a wave or wake. If the bow of your boat pitches

down far enough while airborne, upon water contact it may

penetrate under the water surface and submarine for an instant.

This will bring the boat to a nearly instantaneous stop and can send

the occupants flying forward. The boat may also steer sharply to

one side.

Impact With Underwater Hazards

Reduce speed and proceed with caution whenever you drive a

boat in shallow water areas, or in areas where you suspect

underwater obstacles may exist which could be struck by the

outboard or the boat bottom. The most important thing you can do

to help reduce injury or impact damage from striking a floating or

underwater object is to control the boat speed. Under these

conditions, boat speed should be kept to a minimum planing speed

of 24 to 40 km/h (15 to 25 MPH).

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WARNING

To avoid serious injury or death from all or part of an outboard

coming into the boat after striking a floating or underwater

obstacle maintain a top speed no greater than minimum planing

speed.

Striking a floating or underwater object could result in an infinite

number of situations. Some of these situations could result in the

following:

• Part of the outboard or the entire outboard could break loose

and fly into the boat.