Horseshoe buoy and throw line mount?

[BlowMeAway]

This question really goes out to the anal retentive and those that are master line and knot makers. I bought a new horseshoe buoy and brilliant floating line to replace the nonexistent safety gear, previously mounted on the stern rail. The image below shows the present hob-nob birds nest my crew came up with. If I had to actually throw that thing to a fallen sailor, it might take me more time than warranted, to figure out the bailing, lift the preserver off the mount, and chuck it to an OB human. Please, anyone, show me the way. The present mount is shown behind the dude driving my boat on a windless return to slip on Cayuga Lake.

Thanks in advance...it's actually pretty important to me. Please don't suggest the life sling. I'm on a relatively calm lake and have already spent about as much in accessories as the boat is worth.

Wayne

 

[justsomeguy]

I suggest practicing. That should show any issues your present system might have.

 

[BlowMeAway]

I suggest practicing. That should show any issues your present system might have.

Yeah, but I can't find any crew members to splash in water that's 55-60 degrees F one foot below the surface. We have practiced rescue the hat a couple times. I still have my hat.

 

[justsomeguy]

You don't really need crew in the water to practice deploying the gear.

 

[Joe]

I would install single cord with plastic clip to secure the float to its mount. Stuff the line into a cloth bag with a flap closure and a hole in the bottom so it can be tied to the boat. Don't coil the line, rather stuff it in from boat end at bottom to horse shoe end on top. A coiled line would require you to uncoil and flake before deploying the float. The other way allows you to quickly pull the loosely stacked line out of the bag ready to go.

 

[Head Sail]

Get rid of the line completely. Most horseshoe bouy's don't have one. A life sling does. The person in the water would rather have the bouy that watch you fiddle with the line.

 

[agprice22]

Throwable flotation devices do not need lines attached. If the line tangles, the float gets pulled away from the overboard person. Likewise, you are assuming with a line that you can pull the person to the boat and aboard. This may not be true. Especially in the cold water you mention! Which I happen to sail on as well. Right up til June, the water in Seneca made my feet ache in less than 3 minutes. Your man overboard will need more time than that as you sail a figure 8. You need to be able to manuever to do a man overboard drill. You cannot manuever without releasing the line, or you may over run your line.
Look up the ASA drill. It will show you what to practice.

 

[BlowMeAway]

Got it folks, especially @agprice 22. No need for line. Just chuck the floater and orient the the boat for retrieval. This I can do. I'll practice this weekend with a couple of unsuspecting crew who are great swimmers and only care about 55.degrees F for a few minutes. Winds are supposed to be dead calm to 5 knots on Sunday...most likely a motored retrieval once the sails are doused.

 

[agprice22]

No! Never put a person in the water unnecessarily. Especially near a moving sailboat! Throw a Mae West overboard, and sail a figure 8 or loop to retrieve it with your boat hook.
Here are the steps for the most direct return drill:
1. Person falls overboard (throw a life preserver)
2. First person who see the MOB yells Man Overboard! And points at the MOB.
3. Skipper informs the crew: we have a MOB.
4. Skipper instructs the crew to sail a beam reach away from the MOB.
5. Skipper sails the boat for about 15 seconds on the beam reach away from the MOB
6. Skipper instructs the crew to jibe the boat.
7. After the jibe, the skipper sails the boat toward the MOB on a close reach.
8. you can furl the headsail as you will send the pointer to the bow to direct the skipper toward the MOB. Having a sail with the pointer is dangerous.
9. As the boat comes up to the MOB, another crew has the boathook. Hook the STRAP of the life preserver. You will be tempted to hook the collar, but it will slip off the hook!
10. At this point, if the MOB cannot grab a rope while the skipper points into the wind, someone would have to go into the water to rescue.
11. You may need to tie a line alongside the boat to act as a step for the MOB to climb aboard.

You should read the ASA instructions on the drill. It will instruct you in several drills and sailing patterns for the MOB drill.

 

[DaveJ]

Where I sail (Ontario Canada) the lifebuoy requires a 50' floating line attached, see the section below on 'Personal Lifesaving Appliances'. Check your State/Provincial requirements for boating safety.

1. • One (1) lifejacket or PFD for each person on board
   • One (1) reboarding device (See Note 1)
   • One (1) buoyant heaving line at least 15 m (49’3") long
   • One (1) lifebuoy attached to a buoyant line at least 15 m (49’3") long
   Cheers

 

[RoyS]

Suggestion. Throw floatation device at person in water (no line attached), immediately throw boat into heave to position by coming about without changing head sail. You should find yourself virtually stopped within about a boat length of person in water now paddling toward your stern ladder. Practice heaving to regularly by using the maneuver to stop for lunch until it comes naturally, ready for use in an emergency.

 

[Gunni]

You want a throwable in the water immediately to help locate the MOB. Your tethered heaving line or lifesling comes into play once you are back to the MOB. I recommend the Quick Stop developed by the Navy Sailing team because they practice MOB extensively and know what works in all conditions, and crew configurations. Essentially it starts as a Heave-to maneuver that you spin through, run back down to the MOB, then tack up to the windward side of the MOB where your 'slick' makes recovery easier. If you don't have 3 Navy Mids be prepared to deploy a halyard hoist. Here is a great video demo at the USNA hosted Safety-at-Sea training:

 

[njlarry]

Thanks for sharing the video Gunni.
What would change if they were on a run or were under power?

 

[Gunni]

On a run, you round-up and beat back up to the windward side of the MOB, luff sails. Under power you motor to the MOB windward and bring the drive to neutral. On my boat I shut down because the engine controls easily catch on crew clothing and the boat goes back into gear.
I am not a fan of ANY gybing maneuver in this kind of excited situation.

 

[Scott T-Bird]

I am not a fan of ANY gybing maneuver in this kind of excited situation.

I agree. With the focus on the person in the water, a swinging boom could put another in the water ... potentially unconscious.

 

[uncledom]

I noticed that even though it was planned and rehearsed it took 3 minutes to retrieve the MOB. Thats quite a bit of time in the water and shows how important practicing is.

 

[Gunni]

I noticed that even though it was planned and rehearsed it took 3 minutes to retrieve the MOB. Thats quite a bit of time in the water and shows how important practicing is.

AND, how important it is to get something buoyant to the MOB, even if it is that expensive custom seat cushion you just bought at boat show!

 

[Parsons]

For those of you with Life Slings, please make sure it is well secured to your boat if you depend on it. My new-to-me boat had the Life Sling bag securely attached to the stern rail, but the end of the retrieval line in the bottom of the bag. Previous owners probably sailed for 16+ years with it unconnected, and unaware. Thank goodness no one's life depended on it!

 

[agprice22]

Oops. I did forget to throw the flotation! There are many maneuvers to get to the MOB. Quick stop is fine, but you should be prepared for a situation where you will have to sail back. The ASA does several drills, and tacking and gybing feature in them, so if you cannot gybe while your MOB floats helplessly downwind... Oh well, at least everyone ON THE BOAT stayed safe!
And, DaveJ, that is a good idea to have a boarding device. Even a conscious and able MOB can have trouble reboarding the boat.

 

[agprice22]

Let's not be alarmed about tacking and gybing on a MOB drill. ASA teaches it. If you have a boom SWINGING through the cockpit when gybing, practice til you do NOT. ASA teaches gybing in a way that keeps itfrom happening. Not that it cannot happen, but We gybed a 44 foot Beneteau in 15 - 20 knot winds in MOB drills with the student skipper calmly giving commands to the crew and never came close to swinging a boom. In this case, only my wife and I were on the boat, so we took turns being skipper and crew. The instructor made us do everything slowly and with clear commands each step of the way. If two people, one of whom had no sailing experience can do it...
We did several methods. Sailing back to the MOB put the boat right on the MOB every time. There are many possible reasons for needing to sail back. You can sail a figure 8 and never need to gybe, but we preferred gybing after lessons.