Operating the boat

How to be the captain . . .

1. If the boat is hoisted, turn the hoist switch to lower it, and lower the hoist until the boat is floated. Then let the hoist lower some more, to allow for the boat settling under the weight of the riders. The hoist switch has been moved inside the pump room (so it can be locked up), but you can stand outside the pump room and reach in to operate it, so you can watch the boat going up and down. The hoist switch should be turned toward the boat to lower it, away from the boat to raise it.
2. We usually back the boat out by hand, and only use the motor once we are clear of the boat slip. And vice-versa, for returning: approach boat slip very slowly, turn off motor, guide boat into slip by hand.
3. The throttle/gear assembly has these controls:
   1. Ignition switch (key); turn to the right to start motor. If you push in while turning, this will ‛choke’ the carb; use sparingly.
   2. Fast idle lever (above the ignition switch); lift when starting, to provide a little more fuel when the engine is cold. Then, lower after the engine has started and warmed up.
   3. Throttle/gear shift. Push forward to engage forward gear, and to accelerate. Pull backwards, to engage reverse gear.
   4. Engine tilt (rocker switch); use to tilt the engine up in shallow water. Keep engine vertical for normal operation.
4. The boat has a tendency to pull to the right at high speed.
5. With one or two riders, the boat will cruise at about 26 mph, max.
6. When backing away from the boat slip, turn wheel to the right (back out into deeper water).
7. The bimini top can be left up, when returning the boat to the lift. Just be sure you don't lift the boat too high. There's plenty of room overhead, as long as you don't over-lift the boat. 
8. When returning the boat to the lift, center the boat over the bunks, being sure that the front of the boat is several inches from the pump-room wall. Lift by turning the lift switch to the left (away from the boat); raise the boat until the pontoons are mostly out of the water. 
9. When the boat is on the lift, there is a lot of weight at the stern (several hundred pounds of motor). If you need to go to the stern of the boat (aft of the lift bar) while it is on the lift, get someone else (who is not a midget!) to stand at the bow of the boat while doing so. Otherwise, you can overweight the stern, and the boat may tip up at the bow, and slide off the lift.
10. We try to keep the boat fuel tank full, using the two red 5 gal. fuel cans. The best place to buy fuel is 20Penny store, at SE corner of intersection of US-441 and US-76 in Clayton. They sell gasoline without ethanol, which is what should be used for boats. (Ethanol causes problems for outboards.)
11. The water-slide ladder can also be used on the pontoon boat, for swimming stops; attachment loops are in front, centered. Needless to say, but I will say it anyway: don’t drive the boat with the ladder in place!