Everglades 335 CC - Fishing; Upper Helm Station Operation

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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.
2.11 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.
2.12 Upper Helm Station Operation
Your boat could be equipped with an optional
upper helm station. Upper stations are normally
equipped with full engine controls, trim tab con-
trols, compass, engine alarms, stop and start
buttons, emergency stop switch and tachometers.
This allows for complete operation of the boat from
the upper station.
Operation of the Upper Station Controls
The engines should be started at the lower helm.
Monitor the gauges to make sure all systems are
normal and the engines have been allowed to
warm up slightly before proceeding to the upper
station helm. The ignition or restart switches
on the upper station are only used to restart an
engine in the event it should stall. The shift con-
trols must be in neutral for the start switches to
be functional.
Electronic engine controls are equipped with a
station transfer button that allows the operator to
transfer control from one station to another with
the push of a button. Always make sure that you
activate the controls as soon as you reach the
upper helm station.
Refer to the Control Systems chapter and the
electronic engine control owner’s manual for more
information on the control system operation and
selecting the controls on boats with dual stations.
The following is a list of safety precautions
for upper station operation:
• Do not operate the boat from the upper station
in rough sea conditions. The boat’s motions
are exaggerated in the upper station and this
motion may become excessive in rough seas.
• Be careful when using the trim tabs from the
upper station. The reaction of the trim tabs will
be exaggerated in the upper station. Use small
tab corrections and wait ten (10) seconds for
the tabs to react. Keep making small correc-
tions until the hull is at the desired attitude.
• Do not overload the upper station. Most up-
per stations are designed to hold the weight
of only two average-sized people. Weight in
the upper station raises the boat’s center of
gravity. Too much weight in the upper station
could make the boat unstable.
• Do not operate the boat in tight quarters,
such as marinas, from the upper station. The
operator is isolated from the boat while in the
upper station and will not be able to assist in
docking procedures.
• Always pay close attention to your grip and
footing on upper station ladders. Your ability
to achieve a good grip and proper footing is
reduced in wet or rough weather. Therefore,
the upper station should be avoided in these
conditions.