Preparation for Shoving Off
When getting ready to begin your cruise each day, take a few minutes to
make sure all systems are up and functioning properly. Your first check
should be to take a quick look around the engine room looking for any oi
l or water leaks that were not there either during the Check-Out or from
the prior
day’s
activities.
If you do find something has changed, try to find where the oil or water
has been coming into the bilge.
Assuming there is little or no change, now is the time to run the engine
room blowers for a few minutes before engine start-up.
ENGINE START
First item of business to make sure there is power to the Micro
Commander controls. In the panel find three switches marked Engine
Control and make sure all three are switched to the ON position. The
top switch is for the Micro Commander Controls, then one each for the
Port and starboard Engine.
Be sure the Micro Commander controls are in the Neutral Position at
both stations. Turn each ignition key to the Start position and the
engines should start without much delay. Do Not crank engines for
longer than 5-8 seconds. If the engine does not start within that time,
allow about 30 seconds for the starter motor to cool down. If you find
that the engine is cranking slowly, you should stop and go to the panel
and run the engine start batteries in parallel. (Location of this switch is
found just above the main electrical panel. You must depress the red
button to activate).
Once the engines have started, you may find it wise to warm up each
engine by slowly increasing the RPMs. This can be done by pressing
and holding the CONTROL button on the front of the Port Micro
