buster X User guide

BUSTER X
www.buster.fi
OMISTAJAN KÄSIKIRJA
ÄGARENS HANDBOK
BOOTSEIGNER-HANDBUCH
OWNER’S HANDBOOK
MANUEL DU PROPRIÉTAIRE
HANDLEIDING voor de EIGENAAR
НАСТОЛЬНАЯ КНИГА ВЛАДЕЛЬЦА
FI
SE
DE
EN
FR
NL
RU

ENGLISH
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Inha Works Ltd.
Saarikyläntie 21
FI 63700 Ähtäri
Finland
tel. [phone]
Your Buster dealer:
OWNER’S HANDBOOK
BUSTER X
Version 1-2008

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PREFACE
Dear Buster owner!
We thank you for choosing a Finnish Buster®boat and hope you
will have many enjoyable experiences on board.
This handbook aims to help you use your boat safely and with
peace of mind. It includes details of the boat itself, the equipment
and systems installed in it, and information about how to operate
and maintain it. Before you start using your boat, we urge you
to first familiarise yourself with it by reading this handbook thor-
oughly.
Naturally, the Owner’s Handbook is not a prime source for sea-
manship skills or of information on boating safety. If the Buster is
your first boat, or you have changed to a type of boat with which
you are unfamiliar, for the sake of your comfort and safety please
acquire sufficient handling and operating experience before you
take on the responsibility of command. The seller of the boat, a
boat club, or national motorboat and yachting associations will
gladly tell you about local boating schools or recommend compe-
tent teachers.
Before taking out your boat, ensure that its design category is
appropriate for the prevailing wind and sea conditions and that
you and your crew are capable of handling it in the existing con-
ditions. The wind conditions and sea swells in which design cat-
egory C can be used include gales and heavy winds, with which
there is an exceptional risk of high waves and gusts. Only a com-
petent and fit crew can satisfactorily handle such dangerous con-
ditions, and can do so only in a well-maintained boat.
This Owner’s Handbook is not a detailed guide to maintenance or
fault diagnosis. If a problem occurs, please contact your nearest
Buster dealer. If repairs are needed, use only those enterprises

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recommended by a Buster dealership. Alterations that affect the
safety characteristics of a Buster boat can be carried out only
with the written approval of the manufacturer, who cannot be held
responsible for changes to the boat that it has not approved.
In some countries driving a boat requires a licence or some other
authorisation to drive a boat. Country-specific regulations may
also be in force.
Always maintain your boat in good condition and bear in mind the
consequences of wear resulting from ageing, rough treatment
and improper use. Any boat, no matter how strong, can be sig-
nificantly damaged by improper use. Inappropriate boating habits
are unsafe and are out of keeping with good seamanship. Always
adapt the speed and course of your boat in relation to the condi-
tions at sea.
If your boat is equipped with a life-raft, read its operating instruc-
tions thoroughly. The boat should have on-board safety equip-
ment (life-jackets, safety harnesses, etc.) appropriate to the boat
type, weather conditions, etc. In some countries such equipment
is mandatory. The crew must be familiar with the operation of all
safety equipment and emergency manoeuvres (rescuing a man
overboard, towing, etc.). Rescue exercises are regularly organ-
ised by boating schools and clubs.
Every person on board must use an appropriate flotation aid
(such as a life-jacket or vest) while on deck. Note that in some
countries the law requires flotation aids to be used at all times
while on board.
STORE THIS HANDBOOK IN A SAFE PLACE AND HAND IT
OVER TO THE NEXT OWNER WHEN YOU RELINQUISH THE
BOAT.

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Contents
1 General..................................................................................................8
2 Definitions..............................................................................................8
3 Warranty................................................................................................9
4 Before launching ...................................................................................9
4.1 Registration ..................................................................................9
4.2 Insurance .....................................................................................9
4.3 Training ......................................................................................10
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Boat characteristics and operation...........................................................10
5.1 General ......................................................................................10
5.2 Basic information about the Buster X.........................................10
5.3 Recommended maximum number ofpeople on board ...............12
5.4 Loading ......................................................................................14
5.5 Engine and propeller ..................................................................14
5.6 Preventing water getting on board, and stability ........................15
5.6.1 Hull and deck openings...............................................15
5.6.2 Bilge pumps and drainage...........................................17
5.6.3 Stability and buoyancy ................................................18
5.7 Prevention of fire and explosions ...............................................18
5.7.1 Engines and fuel systems ...........................................18
5.7.2 Fire extinguishing and fire prevention .........................20
5.8 Electrical system ........................................................................21
5.9 Control characteristics................................................................25
5.9.1 Driving at high speeds.................................................25
5.9.2 Dead-man’s grip .........................................................27
5.9.3 Visibility from the steering position..............................27
5.10 Good seamanship – other recommendations and instructions... 28
5.10.1 How to avoid falling overboard and procedures for
getting back on board..................................................28
5.10.2 Securing loose equipment...........................................28
5.10.3 Respect for the environment .......................................28
5.10.4 Anchoring, mooring and towing...................................30
5.10.5 Trailer towing...............................................................32
5.10.6 Navigation ...................................................................33
6 Service, repairs and winter storage.....................................................34

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Boat model:
Hull identification number:
Engine make and model:
Engine serial number:
I Owner
First name:
Surname:
Residence:
Sypplying year:
II Owner
First name:
Surname:
Residence:
Sypplying year:
III Owner
First name:
Surname:
Residence:
Sypplying year:
IV Owner
First name:
Surname:
Residence:
Sypplying year:

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BEFORE DEPARTURE
Read this Owner’s Handbook thoroughly, and before departure
always check:
• Prevailing weather conditions and the weather forecast
Assess the wind conditions, the state of the sea, and visibility. Is
your boat’s design class, size, and on-board equipment, to-
gether with the skills of the helmsman and crew sufficient for
the waterways which you intend to use?
• Load capacity
Do not overload the boat. Distribute the load evenly, and place
heavy objects as low as possible because placing them too
high will reduce the boat’s stability.
• Passengers
Ensure life-jackets or vests are available for everyone on board.
Before departure, agree what duties each person will be re-
sponsible for during the trip.
• Fuel
Check there is enough fuel on board, including sufficient reserve
to cope with bad weather and any unforeseen circumstances.
• Engine and equipment
Check that the steering, electrical devices and battery all
function properly and are in good condition. Carry out the re-
quired daily engine inspection procedures in accordance with
the engine manufacturer’s instruction manual. Also, check the
seaworthiness of the boat: ensure there are no fuel or water
leaks, that there is adequate safety equipment on board, etc.
Check that the level of bilge water is minimal.

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• Ventilation
Ensure the fuel space is ventilated to minimise the risk of fire.
• On-board equipment is well secured
Make sure all articles are properly stowed to remain in place
in the event of heavy seas and high winds.
• Sea charts
If you are not fully acquainted with the route, be sure to take
charts that cover a sufficiently large area.
• Manoeuvring during departure
The crew should agree on who is to be responsible for cast-
ing off each rope, etc. During departure and arrival ensure
that mooring or other lines do not get entangled in the propel-
ler.
For further instructions concerning the engine, see the manufac-
turer’s instruction manual.

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1 General
This Owner’s Handbook will help to familiarise you with the char-
acteristics of your new boat. Instruction manuals for equipment
fitted to the boat are also included and are frequently referred to.
You can, of course, complement this handbook by acquiring the
instruction books for other equipment. Space for your own notes
has been provided at the back of this handbook.
2 Definitions
Warnings and specific remarks in this handbook are defined as
follows:
DANGER! Indicates grave danger highly likely to lead to death
or permanent injury if appropriate precautionary
measures are not taken.
WARNING! Indicates danger which may lead to injury or death if
appropriate precautionary measures are not taken.
ATTENTION! Is a reminder to operate in a safe manner or to bear
in mind dangerous methods of operation that may
lead to injury, or damage to the boat or some part of
it.
This handbook adopts units of measurement in accordance with
the SI system. In some cases other units have been included in
parenthesis. An exception to this is wind speed, which is desig-
nated in the Beaufort scale as in the EU Directive on recreational
craft.

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3 Warranty
In accordance with the enclosed warranty conditions, a guaran-
tee is provided for the boat and any equipment that has been
installed in the boatyard. For post-production installations con-
cerning the engine, trim tabs, compass, possible navigation
equipment and other devices, the manufacturer of the equipment
in question is directly responsible for any warranty concerns. For
the various equipment/devices, separate warranty cards together
with contact information for their suppliers are enclosed. For other
matters of warranty we request that you contact the Buster dealer
indicated on the cover of this handbook.
4 Before launching
4.1 Registration
In many countries, it is mandatory for even small boats to be
registered. Check with the local authorities in your country of resi-
dence for the statutory regulations concerning boat registration.
A minimum age and possibly a separate boating licence is nor-
mally required for driving a registered boat
4.2 Insurance
Boat insurance may compensate for damage which has occurred
on the water, during transportation or dry docking. Check sepa-
rately the insurer’s liability regarding hoisting the boat. Insurance
can also indirectly affect safety on the water, because in the event
of serious injuries it allows the essential focus to be on saving
lives. Insurance companies will provide more detailed information
on various insurance alternatives.