2005 Four Winns Vista 378 Owners Manual

378
When all your  pre-departure checks have  been com-
pleted and the engine has warmed up, you will be ready
to leave the dock. Take into account the amount of wind,
tide current, and other forces that may affect your ma-
neuvering as you leave the dock. Idle speeds work best
when maneuvering to and from the dock. Do not forget
to release the mooring lines.
Once the boat  has slowed and motor is  idling, place
the shift  in REVERSE. Gradually increasing  reverse
power with the throttle will allow you to stop the boat in
a very short distance.
NOTE: A boat will not respond to  steering in reverse
nearly as well as it does when going forward, so do not
expect to  accomplish tight  turning maneuvers when
backing up.
A.   Leaving the Dock
You are ready  to leave the dock  after the engine has
warmed up. Check all gauges for appropriate readings
before casting off.  If oil pressure is abnormally  low or
engine temperature is abnormally high, stop the engine
immediately. Check voltmeter to  be sure the charging
system is working properly. Check for fuel, oil, and ex-
haust leaks. Correct the cause of any abnormal condi-
tion before getting underway.
Remember that all boats steer by the stern (the feeling
is much like steering your automobile in reverse). This
means that the stern of your boat will swing in the di-
rection opposite to your turn. For example, when you
turn the helm wheel to the left,  the stern of your boat
will swing in the direction opposite to your turn. This is
especially important to keep in mind when docking, op-
erating in close quarters with other boats, or when ap-
proaching a swimmer or downed skier in the water.
Always look behind you and to both sides of the boat
before slowing down. Tell your passengers your inten-
tions to allow them time to make adjustments to their
balance or positions.
Make  sure  passengers  do not  obstruct  the
operator’s vision when casting off or while un-
derway.
After making sure your boat is ready, check wind, tide,
current and  other forces  that  will affect  the way  you
maneuver your boat away from the dock. Throw moor-
ing lines off to your  boat. Shift your boat’s engine into
forward or reverse depending on whether you want  to
move the  bow or  the stern away  from the  dock first.
Run your engine  at a slow speed  as you move  away
from the dock. If you move the bow out first, watch that
the stern of the boat does not swing into the dock or a
piling.
Slowly pull back on throttles, glance back and see if a
large following wave is approaching the transom. If so
give the engines a little throttle as the wave arrives to
keep wave from rolling over the transom.
Once you have spent enough time practicing maneu-
vers and have a feel for how the boat handles, you will
be ready to run in open waters.
S - 6
ACCELERATION
Once away from the dock, devote some time to learn-
ing how to maneuver. Practice docking using an imagi-
nary dock. Practice stopping and reversing.
Before accelerating to bring you boat on plane,
be sure that  the area in front  of your boat is
clear. The bow  will rise out of  the water mo-
mentarily before  you plane and may  tempo-
rarily obstruct your vision.
B.   Stopping
Boats have  no brakes.  Stopping  is accomplished  by
backing down on the throttle. Practice stopping maneu-
vers and  learn early how  your boat reacts.  From for-
ward motion, pull the throttle back towards NEUTRAL.
Depending on your speed, the distance the boat travels
until it comes to a complete stop will vary. The ability to
measure the distance will only be acquired through ex-
perience.
If you have never had your boat on plane before, choose
a calm day  for your first on plane  experience. Never
boat beyond your ability and experience.
Before bringing your boat “on plane”, check the entire
area to make sure you have a clear, safe path. As you
throttle up to accelerate, your boat will increase its angle
of trim, causing the bow to ride high. From a maximum
angle, the boat will level out to its planing attitude with
continued acceleration. This maximum angle is known
378
Vista™ Owner’s Manual
Section S
Page 4
Product Specification
CategoriesFour Winns Manuals, Four Winns Vista Manuals, Outboard Marine Corporation Manuals
Tags
Model Year2005
Download File
Please Enter the Security Characters Shown Below. Letters are Case Sensitive. Your download link will appear upon completing this step.
- 201 pages
Document TypeOwner's Manual
LanguageEnglish
Product BrandBoats and Cruisers, Four Winns. For support contact your dealer at http://www.fourwinns.com/locate-dealer.aspx
Document File TypePDF
Publisherfourwinns.com
Wikipedia's PageOutboard Marine Corporation
CopyrightAttribution Non-commercial
(0 votes, average: 0 out of 5)

Submit your review (optional)
(will not be displayed)
* Required Field

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*
*
Website