We all know the temptation to get behind the wheel of our jet powered 'bullet' and plant the foot. It's an all to common feeling of anticipation that gets the adrenalin flowing. But throwing caution to the wind may cause a sudden lack of concentration and unfortunately, often leads to a boating mishap. In the extreme case, you may cause serious personal injury and even death.
There are a number of safety points to consider when operating a jet boat as opposed to a propeller driven craft. Read them well and enjoy a safe return from a day's outing.
READ YOUR MANUAL
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Your manual is a valuable source of information for the safe operation of your jet boat |
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Maintenance schedules provide an easy reference to keep your boat on the water |
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Dealer contact details can help provide advice from professionals who know your boat |
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Your manual can alert you to your boat's characteristics which differ from a normal propeller driven craft. |
HANDLING CHARACTERISTICS
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Be aware of the different handling characteristics of your jet, such as: |
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Loss of steering at low throttle |
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High manoeuvrability at high speeds |
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Steering in reverse being opposite to a normal propeller driven craft. |
EXHAUST EMISSIONS
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Be aware of exhaust emissions and the effect of Carbon monoxide (CM) poisoning |
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Jet drives, like other internal combustion engines, contain CM in the exhaust |
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Symptoms of CM poisoning include headache, dizziness, drowsiness and nausea |
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Do not confuse CM poisoning with seasickness or intoxication |
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The consequences of CM poisoning due to poor ventilation while engines are running can be unconsciousness, brain damage or death |
USE OF YOUR LANYARD STOP SWITCH
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Observe the safety recommendations in your manual. The lanyard switch will stop the engine in the event the driver moves too far away from the helm, or when the driver falls overboard |
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Instruct your passengers on the unlikely event that the switch is inadvertently activated. Sudden loss of power can throw occupants overboard, or cause loss of control in heavy currents or when docking |
WATCH FOR PEOPLE IN THE WATER
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Remember, a person in the water will find it difficult to avoid your jet boat if they are in your path |
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Drive slowly & exercise extreme caution if you believe there are people in the water |
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Stop your engine whenever a person is in the water near your boat |
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Avoid shallow water whenever there are people around as debris expelled from the jet unit can cause serious harm |
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Stay clear of the jet intake and never place an object in the intake grill while the engine is running. |
WAVE JUMPING
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Extreme caution should be exercised when jumping waves at speed in your jet boat |
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Your boat can change direction during the jump & veer violently causing injury to you passengers |
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If your boat comes down at an angle so as to cause the bow to 'submarine' your boat may take on a large volume of water |
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In such a case, your boat will come to a near instantaneous stop throwing passengers around and causing injury |
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Ensure you boat is equipped with safety grab handles and your passengers are aware of the risk |
EMERGENCY STOPPING
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Your jet boat has emergency stopping capability unique to jet propelled boats |
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If you drop the reverse bucket at speed and apply throttle, your jet boat will quickly reduce speed |
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Occupants may be thrown forward or even thrown from the boat |
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Emergency stopping may cause the bow of the boat to submerge, taking on large amounts of water |
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If performing this manoeuvre, gradually increase throttle in reverse to avoid submersion |
STARTING YOUR JET BOAT
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Avoid serious injury from sudden unexpected acceleration when starting your jet boat |
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Take extreme care, alert your passengers, watch for other boats or people nearby |
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Ensure there is an approved personal floatation device (PFD) for each passenger & that they are easily accessed |
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Do not overload your boat. Maximum rated capacity of your boat refers to the maximum number of people. Be aware. |
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When considering the weight of your boat in the water, take into account passenger's gear, inc. esky's, food, drinks |
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Know the laws of your waterway. Keep up-to-date with new laws and regulations affecting the use of your jet boat |
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Ensure all passengers are seated while the boat is underway |
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Do not operate your jet boat while under the influence of alcohol or drugs |
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Ensure at least one other person in the boat knows the basics of operating your jet boat in the event of driver disability |
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Stop your engine when passengers are embarking or disembarking or are near the stern of the boat |
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Maintain a proper lookout at all times. Do not allow the driver's forward view to be obstructed |
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Never drive your boat directly behind water skiers as you can quickly overrun a fallen skier causing serious injury |
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Do not drive your jet boat over ski ropes. They can be sucked into your water intake and cause your engine to stop |
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Avoid shallow water conditions. A minimum depth of water of 0.9m should be maintained, especially on start up |
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Loose material through your water intake can cause engine overheat, loss of steering or jet pump damage |
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Fill fuel tanks outdoors away from heat, sparks, mobile phones and open flames. Always stop you engine when refuelling |
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Do not completely fill your fuel tank but leave about 10% unfilled. Fuel expands and can leak into your jet boat if overfilled |
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Operate your bilge blower for at least 5 minutes before starting your engine so as to remove explosive fumes from your engine compartment |
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Your jet boat has very different handling characteristics when compared to a propeller driven craft |
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You should become familiar with your boats operating ability in open water at both high & low speeds |
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You do not have the dangerous risks associated with an external propeller however the jet stream & water intake can cause injury |
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Be aware that if your engine fails at speed you will have no steering; steering depends on jet thrust |
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If you require towing, ensure the towing boat maintains idle speed only, otherwise water may be forced into your engine |
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When waiting for skiers, do not use neutral or reverse, turn the engine off. Avoid ropes being sucked into the water intake |
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Avoid weed areas or traverse weed areas at high speed. If unavoidable, keep you jet boat on the plane until clear. |
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When beaching your jet boat, idle in forward to the beach. When close, turn off your engine without shifting to neutral |
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Avoid using neutral or reverse in shallow water as you may dislodge debris on the riverbed which may enter the water intake |
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If the water intake
becomes fouled such that you cannot reach planing speed, the
following manoeuvre may assist: a) Run your jet boat forward at maximum attainable non-planing speed and turn left |
b) Turn the engine off while in forward. This allows water to flush backward through the jet and across the intake
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When in neutral the drive impeller continues to rotate and your boat may continue to move. Adjust lever to suit |
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Always flush your engine after using your jet boat in salt water or polluted water. When flushing maintain idle speed only |
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Always carry spare fuses, battery jumper leads, baling bucket, and all safety items specified by your local authority |
© 2011 GVHull