<br /> You asked. <br />First, order the shp manual for your motor. You'd be money ahead of the average boater from that point-onward.<br />Take a 'safe-boating' coarse,and then take her out and get used to all aspects of the way your boat responds to the helm,waves, currents ect.Here is one from my state (Florida), but safety is safety,and most of what you'll find here,pretain to boaters everywhere.<br /> http://www.boatsafe.com/nauticalknowhow/safetips.htm <br /><br />On the lower unit inspection, there is a post here,that should address many of your know-how questions;<br /> http://www.iboats.com/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=17;t=011919
