Boat/Motor-Classic Pontoon Troubleshooting Guide

Boat Operation Guide -- Classic Pontoon   (trouble-shooting below)

1) Outfit proper size life jackets for ALL people and at least 1 throw-able (seat cushion). Go to woodshed on west side of the lodge/boat ramp to collect more life jackets as needed. (All children 10 yrs and younger must wear a flotation vest according to MN law whenever boat is underway.) There are likely plenty of vests already underneath seats – you are responsible for counting the number and making sure you have enough for your group. Sheriff’s Department Water Safety Patrol has stopped boats on our side of the lake to issue tickets for safety violations. (Ask at lodge to view current MN Boating Guide for full summary of laws and rules.)

2) Make sure your motorized boat has at least 1 oar, 1 anchor tied to bow of boat, 4 mooring lines –(2 starboard {rt} and 2 port {left} both fore & aft).

3) Check fuel. (This boat is equipped with a 6.6 gallon red plastic tank near the back and should be filled to 6 gallon mark if you are renting by the week – most guests do not use entire tank during their stay, but check it periodically – we’ll check, too – and if you think you’ll need more, we’ll fill and charge you whatever additional gallons you use.)

4) Fuel cap should be vented or cracked, and both ends of fuel lines should be secured to tank & motor. Squeeze the primer bulb on the fuel line to make sure it is firm & full of fuel. If not, see a CWC employee.

5) Before starting, double check motor is not buried in lake weeds or mud. To raise or lower motor, find the throttle/shift lever above the ignition switch, and use your right thumb to lower/raise the engine. Once you are ready to start engine, the entire propeller MUST be submerged underwater or it will damage motor. You many need to push out from dock and paddle a little ways out in order to submerge propeller in relatively weed-free area. (If there are weeds on propeller, someone may have to reach out and pull them off – OF COURSE you need to make sure motor is OFF and raised enough out of water to reach.)

6) To Start:

• Make sure the shift/throttle lever is in neutral position, and that the “Neutral Warm-Up” idle lever is completely down. (Is motor lowered into water?)
• Turn ignition switch. If engine is firing on its own, slightly raise the “Neutral Warm-Up” idle throttle lever above the ignition key to increase rpm’s and let engine warm up for 2 minutes at medium idle speed. If engine does not immediately catch, you may need to choke it, which means you will need to PUSH IN ignition switch while turning it on. (You may need to repeatedly push/pull key to engage the electronic choke. If after 3 attempts  this does not work to engage engine, you may have flooded engine. Hence, wait five minutes and try again, or see troubleshooting guide at end of these instructions. (Note: If air temperature is above 80 deg. F , choking the engine will not be necessary.)

7) With engine running, make sure water is “peeing” from starboard rear of engine. If not, switch engine off immediately, and find a CWC employee to help you.

8) Before engaging transmission, make sure the 2 mooring lines are untied from dock and engine path is free of weeds. If not; you may have to push or row the boat away from the dock until a clear path is available before engaging motor. Throttle must be at the lowest position before attempting the reverse or forward gears! Squeeze red part of throttle/shift handle and pull backward for reverse or push forward to proceed ahead.

9) Slowly back boat away from dock and turn to engage forward motion as soon as possible. (Propellers are not designed to go quickly in reverse and easily tangle in weeds.)

10) When motor is clear of weeds, lower the motor completely before engaging full throttle.

11) Enjoy the lake!

12) When returning to dock, make sure motor will not be dragging through the mud and weeds, slowly edge up to one side of dock or other and tie (moor) 2 lines from boat to dock.  Note: Please do not moor your boat to the top of either T – dock to let people fish and to prevent damage to the boat from quickly arising winds or storms.

Trouble shooting

1) Engine won’t start
----Check both fuel connections, fuel primer should be hard
---- Make sure red lanyard cord is attached to the red button (kill switch)
----A manual choke button is located on the front of the engine and may be pulled out until motor is started
----If you smell gas or see it in the water behind the motor, the engine is flooded. Push in choke, turn throttle to lowest idle, & continue to engage ignition key until excess fuel has been evacuated from carbeurator. (Extreme cases may have to let motor set for 10 minutes before reattempting to start)

2) Engine sputters
----Make sure choke is pushed in
----Make sure fuel lines are connected

3) Engine runs at full throttle but boat doesn’t move
----Is anchor in water?
----Stop engine, lift, and check for weeds.

A whistle is located at the end of the red lanyard cord for emergencies. Our neighbors around the lake have been gracious in supporting stranded guests. 

We recommend someone in your group bring a cell phone (put in ziplock in case of accidental submersion?) and if in trouble, call the resort @ (218) 652-3111 or Ryan @ (218) 252-7769 for help.

NOTE: This boat & motor is intended for fishing and touring the lake. It is NOT designed to pull/tow tubes, skis, knee boards, etc. and is, in fact, a safety hazard as this motor is an outboard (ropes can tangle in propeller). Contact local boat rental companies if you’d like to rent a recreational boat with enough ‘oomph’ to outfit your group for tow-ables. (Please remember we do not allow jet skis onto the property, thanks.)