BOAT HANDLING
Setting off
Plan your day’s cruising
Use your navigation guide and maps to plan your day’s cruising.
Most show kilometre points to enable you to calculate the
distances and have a table giving you cruising times between
the main ports. Cruising at no more than 6km/hr you should aim
for around 4 to 5 hours cruising each day.
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Start the engines!
Before leaving your mooring:
check that the throttle lever is in neutral and that the
button for engaging the propeller is not out.
if your boat has dual steering positions, ensure that the
one you want to use is the one selected.
For boats equipped with
a sliding roof, make sure
that the roof is latched
either in the open or the
closed position.
start the engine.
make sure that all the gauges on the dashboard function
normally and that the cooling water is flowing properly
from the rear exhaust.
make sure that all loose items on the deck cannot be blown
off or knocked off by low branches. Bicycles must be
attached firmly to the railings by their anti-theft devices.
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make sure that everyone is safely on board.
allocate a position on the deck to each crew member.
ask your crew to cast off and bring the lines back on board.
Getting under-way
Leaving the quay
Firstly observe the wind and current conditions. See if the
strongest of the two comes from the front or the rear of the boat.
If the boat is moored facing the wind or the current, cast off
the bow line first, then push the bow towards the middle of
the river. Engage forward gear.
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