Rules for safe boating

MeriKoivula’s rules for safe boating.

Before going out on the water, you should always know who the captain of the boat is. In a boat, responsibility for the operation lies with one person at a time, namely the captain. All watercraft, including rowboats, must have a captain.

Anyone who is at least 18 years old, capable and skilled in boating and who has the attitude of a responsible boatman can be the captain of a boat. The captain of a boat does not need to have a boatman’s license; the boat captain is appointed in the rental agreement by the person renting the boat.

Finnish Water Traffic Act 2020 – Liability of the Captain

The new Water Traffic Act strongly emphasizes the responsibility of the captain of a watercraft. The captain is responsible, among other things, for the operation, safety, equipment and use of the watercraft. The captain is also responsible for ensuring that the use of the watercraft does not cause danger, damage or nuisance to anyone, including the environment.

The captain’s responsibility when going to sea.

Save the marine rescue emergency number in your phone: 0294 1000 and MeriKoivula number: 0440872875
Go to sea sober.
Check boating conditions. It is not a good idea to go boating in bad weather, rather postpone your trip until the next day.
Check that the boat is in good and safe condition.
Check the fuel level in the tank and make sure you have a spare canister with you. At the end of the trip, make sure the tank is filled from the canister and the canister is taken to the boathouse.
Make sure that everyone on board has a life jacket of the appropriate size. In addition, the boat must have a water scoop (Tuna has an automatic bilge pump), oars, and an anchor with a rope.
Download the maps sent by MeriKoivula to your phone and make sure your phone battery is charged. Use GoogleMaps satellite view to see shallow areas in unmapped areas.
Instruct other boaters on how to operate safely on the boat. Life jackets or other flotation devices must be worn or readily available. Remember that in an emergency, only wearing a life jacket will help, even if the regulations do not require it.
Make sure that boating does not harm or disturb other people or the environment.
Review the rules of water traffic.

Water traffic regulations

The rules of giving way are an important part of safe navigation at sea, especially in the often narrow conditions of an archipelago. They help you to anticipate the movements of other vessels and avoid dangerous situations, especially in busy, stony and narrow waterways of Finnish Archipelago. When navigating on the water, there is no right of way, but rather an obligation to give way. Familiarize yourself with the rules of giving way before setting off.

A passing boat must give the boat being passed sufficient space.

You can pass on the side that you consider safer. The rule of passing on the left of the road does not yet apply. When passing, it is good to consider the effect of the waves created on the other boat. Often, the boat being passed has to change course, turn its bow against the wave. A side wave can rock the boat strongly.

The boats meet with their bows facing each other.

When two motorboats approach each other from opposite directions, both must keep to the right. In general, you should keep to the right edge of the fairway. This will allow you to meet smoothly and safely.

When direction of travel of boats is crossing

When motorboats cross paths, the one coming from the left is obliged to give way. On the water, the same right-hand rule applies as on the road. If possible, the one coming from the left should give way to the boat coming from behind on the right. To give way, you can, for example, change the speed and course of the boat.

Meeting of a motorboat and a sailboat

A motorboat must give way to a sailboat (also a ship). When a sailboat passes a motorboat, the sailboat is obliged to give way so that the motorboat can turn its bow against the wave. A sailboat with a motor is considered a motorboat and has no special rights over other boats.

Operating the outboard motor

Lower the engine propeller into the water
The fuel cock on the right side of the engine must be open, i.e. in the down position.
Open the vent on the fuel tank cap (Items 5,7,9,11) to allow fuel to flow out of the tank.
Turn the throttle to the START position.
Check whether the Lanyard kill switch (red switch with cord) is in place and in the RUN position. Attach the safety lanyard to your wrist or life jacket so the engine will immediately shut off if you fall overboard.
Verify that the motor is in the N (neutral)
Open the choke located next to the gear lever by pulling it towards you.
Pull the starter rope firmly until the engine catches.
Let the engine run for a few seconds and close the choke.
If the engine stalls, restart the engine by pulling the starter rope but without opening the choke.
Turn on the gas a little and check if cooling water is flowing out of the left side of the engine.
When starting a warm engine, turn the throttle to the RE-START position. The engine will start at a slightly higher rpm than before, this is normal and you just need to turn the rpm down to the correct level.
Forward: Turn the throttle to a low speed, then firmly push the shift lever forward to the F
Reverse: Turn the throttle back to low, let the engine idle, and pull the shift lever backward to the R
Shallow Water Drive: If navigating shallow areas, you can tilt the motor upward and lock it in a shallow-water drive position to keep the propeller from striking the bottom.
When mooring, reduce the revs, move the gear lever to position N and stop the engine by pressing the button on the end of the hand rudder. Raise the engine to the upper position, i.e. the propeller is out of the water.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

The purpose of a lanyard stop switch is to turn off the engine when the operator moves far enough away from the operator’s position (as in accidental ejection from the operator’s position) to activate the switch.

The lanyard stop switch stops the engine whenever the operator moves far enough away from the operator’s position to activate the switch. This occurs if:

The operator accidentally falls overboard, or
The operator moves within the boat away from the operator’s position. Falling overboard and accidental ejections are more likely to occur in certain types of boats such as:
Low‑sided inflatables
Bass boats
High performance boats
Light, sensitive‑handling fishing boats operated by a hand tiller Falling overboard and accidental ejections are also likely to occur as a result of poor operating practices such as:
Sitting on the back of the seat or gunwale at planing speeds
Standing at planing speeds
Sitting on elevated fishing boat decks
Riding in forward seating (such as in a bow rider) at planing speeds in rough water
Operating at planing speeds in shallow or obstacle filled waters
Releasing a steering wheel or tiller handle that is pulling in one direction
Drinking alcohol or consuming drugs
Performing high‑speed boat maneuvers Accidental or unintended activation of the switch during normal operation is also a possibility. This could cause any, or all, of the following potentially hazardous situations:
Occupants could be thrown forward due to unexpected loss of forward motion ‑ a particular concern for passengers in the front of the boat who could be ejected over the bow and possibly struck by the boat.
Loss of power and directional control in heavy seas, strong current, or high winds.
Loss of control when docking.

To avoid accidental switch activation, the operator should always be aware of their position in relation to the lanyard stop switch and should:

Never move away from the operating position while the boat is in motion.
Never move away from the operating position while the boat is stationary without first disconnecting the lanyard from their person

Keep the Lanyard Stop Switch and Lanyard Cord in Good Operating Condition

Before each use, check to ensure that the lanyard stop switch works properly. Start the engine and stop it by pulling the lanyard cord. If the engine does not stop, have the switch repaired before operating the boat.

Before each use, visually inspect the lanyard cord to ensure it is in good working condition and that there are no breaks, cuts, or wear to the cord. Check that the clips on the ends of the cord are in good condition. If you have a damaged or worn Lanyard Cord, please inform MeriKoivula by texting 0440872875.