Interesting thread. We had tethered the kids when they were topside, but I recently told my wife it would be better not to in the event of a sinking. Now you have me re-rethinking that. I guess MOB is more likely than a sinking and much more sudden, too. BTW, since this pic was taken my wife and I have invested in auto-inflators and wear them whenever underway.
Most definitely MOB is more likely threat than sinking. Here is a real story
Some years ago we were on vacation with our 2 daughters. In one of the ports we met a group of people also traveling. The next day we decided to stay put because it was more boisterous than we wanted to experience. One of the other couples who had 2 young children decided to go. The kids were one and four years old. They have 3 to 4 foot waves and winds from astern. Head sail poled out and autopilot on. The mother decides to take the youngest down and put him down for a nap. Dad and 4 year old are in cockpit. Child has life jacket on dad does not. No harnesses. Boat pitches and 4 year old catapults over the side. Dad in a panic goes over after him.
Mom comes up the steps just in time to see dad going over the side. Boat is moving at a very fast clip. Mom cuts dingy loose to try to get something in the water and have a target to aim for. She issues mayday and no has to go up on deck to wrestle the spinnaker pole down before she can turn around. By the time she gets it down and sail rolled she is a long way away and can see nothing. She fires up engine and just about blows it apart running it near redline trying to get back.
In meantime dad has reached child in the water but one child's life jacket isn't going to work for both of them. He starts trying to swim for shore towing child figuring it is his only chance.
On shore a number of boaters have heard the mayday and have jumped aboard their boats and are on full plain before they have even cleared the breakwater. They fly past mom on the sail boat and go into search mode looking for dad and child. Amazingly they find them and are able to get them aboard one of the fishing boats. Mom now has to turn the boat around and spend the next hour bringing the boat in by herself. Child 2 is stashed away in aft cabin through this whole thing. She even has to dock it alone.
They all made is so there is a happy ending but the moral(s) of this story. Wear a life jacket, wear a harness, stay on the boat. Stuff happens - and one wave making a boat lurch could have destroyed a family.
