Everglades 285 CC - Fishing; Man Overboard

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Operation
the boat through the transom door or over the
stern gunnels can usually be corrected by closing
the door and turning the boat into the waves. If
the bilge is ooding because of a hole in the hull or
a defective hose, you may be able to plug it with
rags, close the thru-hull valve or assist the pumps
by bailing with buckets. Put a mayday call in to
the Coast Guard or nearby boats and distribute
life jackets as soon as you discover your boat is
in trouble.
If the boat becomes swamped and capsizes, you
and your passengers should stay with the boat as
long as you can. It is much easier for the Coast
Guard, aircraft or other boats to spot, than people
in the water. If your boat is equipped with an
EPIRB, make sure it is activated. When activated,
EPIRBs will send distress code homing beacons
that allow Coast Guard aircraft to identify your
boat and nd you quickly.
2.10 Fishing
Fishing can be very exciting and distracting for the
operator when the action gets intense. You must
always make sure the helm is properly manned
and is never left unattended while trolling. Al-
ways be conscious of the fact that your primary
responsibility is the safe operation of your boat
and the safety of your passengers and other boats
in the area.
If you are shing in an area that is crowded with
other shing boats, it may be dicult to follow
the rules of the road. This situation can become
especially dicult when most boats are trolling.
Being courteous and exercising good common
sense is essential. Avoid trying to assert your
right-of-way and concentrate on staying clear and
preventing tangled or cut lines and other unpleas-
ant encounters with other boats. Also keep in
mind that shing line wrapped around a propeller
shaft can damage seals in the engine lower unit.
2.11 Man Overboard
If someone falls overboard, you must be pre-
pared to react quickly, particularly when you are
oshore. The following procedures will help you
in recovering a person that has fallen overboard.
• Immediately stop the boat and sound a man
overboard alarm and have all passengers point
to the person in the water.
• Circle around quickly and throw a cushion or
life jacket to the person, if possible, and an-
other to use as a marker.
• Keep the person on the driver side of the boat
so you can keep him in sight at all times.
• Make sure to approach the person from the
downwind side and maneuver the boat so the
propellers are well clear of the person in the
water.
• Turn o the engines when the person is along-
side and use a ring buoy with a line attached, a
paddle or boat hook to assist him to the boat.
Make sure you don’t hit him with the ring buoy
or the boat.
• Pull the person to the boat and assist him on
board.
• Check the person for injuries and administer
rst aid if necessary. If the injuries are seri-
ous, call for help. Refer to the Safety chapter
for more information on rst aid and request-
ing emergency medical assistance.
WARNING
MOVING PROPELLERS ARE DANGEROUS. THEY CAN
CAUSE DEATH, LOSS OF LIMBS OR OTHER SEVERE INJURY.
DO NOT USE THE SWIM PLATFORM OR SWIM LADDER WHILE
THE ENGINES ARE RUNNING. STOP THE ENGINES IF DIVERS
OR SWIMMERS ARE ATTEMPTING TO BOARD. ALWAYS
PROPERLY STORE THE LADDER BEFORE STARTING THE
ENGINES.