Lifesling?

uncledom · Dec 26, 2014

There are better items out there now like the Man Overboard Modules (MOM), just put the cushion on deck to be legal. If you're single handing, the boat should be prepped for bad weather and your jacket and tether should be on and clipped before you cast off. I know few people do this but that would be the right way.

Tom J · Dec 26, 2014

I believe you can't have too many safety devices on board. Even if you are single handing, you might have to pick up a stray sailor out of the water some day.

centerline · Dec 26, 2014

the lifesling is more than you really need... until you really need it.
if you sail on relatively calm waters without any crew, it is very unlikely you will never have a use for it.
EDIT; it is very unlikely you will never have a use for it... especially if you sail on relatively calm waters without any crew.

I have both a lifesling and a horseshoe.... i keep the lifesling in my garage but the horseshoe is ready for deployment...

in my opinion....assuming we are using safe boating practices with lifejackets and tethers when necessary, it makes no difference if we sail in the bay, the river or the ocean, a PLB or an EPIRB is more important than a lifesling..... yet look how many of us sail without an emergency locating beacon....

when we decide to do some offshore sailing, we will have the lifesling back onboard, and hopefully an EPIRB...

shemandr · Dec 26, 2014

Bad Obsession said:
... I spend the majority of my time single handed... I couldn't self deploy it....I do carry Jacklines and a Harness....but I never get them on early enough. I always say that I will rig if I am going out in bad weather but it always seems to build on me...
What are your thoughts?
If you single hand, at any time you are uncomfortable, you waited too long to shorten sail or find a safe anchorage.

Tom J · Dec 26, 2014

centerline said:
the lifesling is more than you really need... until you really need it.
if you sail on relatively calm waters without any crew, it is very unlikely you will never have a use for it.
EDIT; it is very unlikely you will never have a use for it... especially if you sail on relatively calm waters without any crew.

I have both a lifesling and a horseshoe.... i keep the lifesling in my garage but the horseshoe is ready for deployment...

in my opinion....assuming we are using safe boating practices with lifejackets and tethers when necessary, it makes no difference if we sail in the bay, the river or the ocean, a PLB or an EPIRB is more important than a lifesling..... yet look how many of us sail without an emergency locating beacon....

when we decide to do some offshore sailing, we will have the lifesling back onboard, and hopefully an EPIRB...

We carry a horseshoe and a Lifesling in the cockpit. Also a Personal Locator Beacon in the cabin. This is for coastal cruising. It's like insurance. hopefully you will never need it.
We carry the horseshoe to throw immediately in case of MOB. The Lifesling would then be deployed and towed around to the MOB, and used to hoist them aboard. Incidentally, the bitter end of the Lifesling should always be tied off (to cleat, etc.), ready for deployment. We know from experience that a fully clothed MOB weighs a ton, and can be a bear to get on board. And there would absolutely be no time to tie off the bitter end of the Lifesling.

Joe · Dec 26, 2014

You don't need to rig jacklines to use your harness. I can't remember the last time I rigged them... I clip on to various points on the boat. You can install folding or fixed padeyes at strategic points. You can use the double tether system.

My point is that owning a harness and tether... and not wearing and using them...no matter what the weather... is just plain stupid. As a single hander, staying attached to your boat should be the highest priority.

uncledom · Dec 27, 2014

Joe said:
You don't need to rig jacklines to use your harness. I can't remember the last time I rigged them... I clip on to various points on the boat. You can install folding or fixed padeyes at strategic points. You can use the double tether system. My point is that owning a harness and tether... and not wearing and using them...no matter what the weather... is just plain stupid. As a single hander, staying attached to your boat should be the highest priority.

If your not in the boat...all is lost.

DougM · Dec 27, 2014

An alternative would be an inflatable PFD with a built in harness. Keep the tether attached to the harness and hook up before you think you might need to, particularly if you are alone on the boat. If you are not knocked unconscious going overboard, you at least have a chance of getting back aboard.

thinwater · Dec 27, 2014

"Lifesling?
I have the Lifesling off of my old boat. On my last trip I put it out on the stern rail and used a bungee cord to attach the bottom of the sling. It worked okay but I need to eventually re-do the canvas.

I began to think of the need for such a thing. I spend the majority of my time single handed. I couldn't self deploy it. The regulations in my area call for a throwable PFD and they don't even require it to have a rope attached to it. Is having the Lifesling overkill?"

The purpose of a throwable is to provide floatation until you get back, and to make the MOB more visible (floating higher). If it had a rope on it you would likely tow it away before they could grasp it.

The purpose of the life sling is to pull the person over to the boat on a recovery pass, making pickup easier. Also, the girl in this picture could never pull me up the side, but she can winch me up. Try pulling a limp body on-deck, just for practice.

weinie · Dec 27, 2014

I've never had to use mine, but I would throw it first over the horseshoe buoy next to it.

I like the idea that one can just "circle around" the MOB and eventually the rope will reach the person. I can just imagine that in an actual MOB situation with a green crew that all the MOB recovery techniques will just go out the window. Trying to do a figure eight or whatever your method is, while keeping an eye on the victim and handling (or rolling in) the sails at the same time in a panic situation could really test a helmsman's skills.

The "bag" of the life sling keeps the polypropelene line out of the sun and always soft and not twisted up compared to the line I used to keep on the horseshoe buoy which has to be coiled some way.

Now I have the LS but keep the HS without a line.

WayneH · Dec 27, 2014

Even with a Life Sling, you need a six part gun tackle to hoist the body onboard. Well, maybe not a six part but every extra turning lightens the load on the retriever. And if the retriever does not have upper body strength, they will need every turning they can get.

Plus you really need to practice retrieving. Where do you hang the gun tackle while the boom is inboard? Where do you run the tail?

But for Bad Obsession. Here's an idea. Because a sling won't do YOU any good, why not drag a 100' line with a float on the end? Then if you violate the rules and fall off the boat, you have 10 SECONDS or less to self-rescue at 6 knots.

thinwater · Dec 27, 2014

WayneH said:
Even with a Life Sling, you need a six part gun tackle to hoist the body onboard. Well, maybe not a six part but every extra turning lightens the load on the retriever. And if the retriever does not have upper body strength, they will need every turning they can get.

Plus you really need to practice retrieving. Where do you hang the gun tackle while the boom is inboard? Where do you run the tail?

But for Bad Obsession. Here's an idea. Because a sling won't do YOU any good, why not drag a 100' line with a float on the end? Then if you violate the rules and fall off the boat, you have 10 SECONDS or less to self-rescue at 6 knots.

a. We use Lewmar 42 2-speed winches. The victim in my illustration weighed 50% more than the rescuer. No tackle is needed with most winches.

b. We simply clip the line to the boom end with a snatch block. By using a spinnaker sheet (not in use while retrieving!) the run to the winch is already worked out.

(trying it out with kayak first)

c. Having a lifeline gate handy helps.

d. If the boom was unavailable, a halyard would work, using the halyard winch. But in our case the boom gives better control, the gate is there, it keeps everyone in the cockpit, and provides more options (the victim can use the sugar scoops and ladder).

e. The snatch block (mountain rescue pulley) lives in a cockpit bag, and is also used for rigging twings and preventers. I can rig this in 20 seconds.

And as you can see, we tested it all on a calm day. Later we tried it on a bumpy day with a well-padded victim; no problems, just less comfortable.

weinie · Dec 27, 2014

If you have a non-rigid boom vang, it makes a great block and tackle system in a pinch to haul someone onboard.

centerline · Dec 27, 2014

Bad Obsession said:
I have the Lifesling off of my old boat.

I need to eventually re-do the canvas.

you can buy new storage bags for them... the original white, or the blue sunbrella type material, which lasts much longer.
both types have the same original printing on them and look nice on the rail...

centerline · Dec 27, 2014

weinie said:
I've never had to use mine, but I would throw it first over the horseshoe buoy next to it.

I like the idea that one can just "circle around" the MOB and eventually the rope will reach the person. I can just imagine that in an actual MOB situation with a green crew that all the MOB recovery techniques will just go out the window. Trying to do a figure eight or whatever your method is, while keeping an eye on the victim and handling (or rolling in) the sails at the same time in a panic situation could really test a helmsman's skills.

The "bag" of the life sling keeps the polypropelene line out of the sun and always soft and not twisted up compared to the line I used to keep on the horseshoe buoy which has to be coiled some way.

Now I have the LS but keep the HS without a line.

there are very few of us that actually practice our MOB skills... practicing is fun and a great learning situation... there really is no reason not to practice it.

an actual MOB drill is not as much fun, and all the learning we do is realized in hindsight. this can be a grave way to learn what we should have done (pardon the pun)...

throwing the lifesling first is a waste of precious time in getting a floatie to the person in the water.

when you are underway and someone goes over, almost always by the time you shift into action you are a boat length away from the person.... by the time you get the horseshoe, which is just hanging there, thrown to the victim, you are nearly two boat lengths away.... for those who have never seriously practiced MOB drills, its usually much farther. MOB is ALWAYS an event that catches us by surprise..

the horseshoe can be thrown quicker, farther with better accuracy.

you just cant get the lifesling from its bag and get things ready to throw in that amount of time.

and for most of us and our sailing styles, the lifesling wont even be needed.

but in the event that the seas are rough and we cant get the boat safely up to the person, then we would deploy the lifesling (or a throw-bag) and circle the victim so they can be pulled to the boat from a safer direction....

they will probably be able to climb the ladder, but if not they can be hoisted with the lifesling, but only after another 8-10 minutes of rigging by those who have never practiced it.

in addition to the extra time needed for deploying the lifesling, there is the fact that we need to be highly maneuverable in this situation, and with a line dragging from the stern, we have a chance of fouling to prop or rudder.... we dont need that worry, and it could be catastrophic.... (even though the line floats, the currents and prop/rudder wash can pull it down under the boat)

the lifesling is a great tool to be used when needed but no one should waste the time to throw it in first in a MOB situation...

and then.... if the person as they went over was injured and they need help.... then someone else has to go in the water.....it only compounds things.
So, practice, practice, practice.... it will never be perfect but it will make for a much safer situation if you ever need it...

capta · Dec 27, 2014

I cannot think of any reason at all to have a Lifesling, man overboard pole or any other safety item which requires 2 people or more, aboard a boat you are singlehanding. When I sailed alone, I tried very hard to teach my cat to toss the throwable cushion overboard when I was in the water, but sad to say, she never did catch on.
Of course, it has always been against the boat's rules for anybody to fall over the side, so it just doesn't come up.

Tally Ho · Dec 27, 2014

WayneH said:
why not drag a 100' line with a float on the end? Then if you violate the rules and fall off the boat, you have 10 SECONDS or less to self-rescue at 6 knots.

I often drag a line when sailing alone, for this very reason. Tested it with my boys on-board in case I could not self-rescue, but it certainly is possible. Much harder to drag my a$$ through the water at 6 knots vs 3, but it can be done. Just don't forget that you are dragging it behind you. I fouled my prop one night coming back to the marina when I forgot to retrieve the drag line before firing up the engine. Have since moved to a floating rope instead of an old halyard.

Greg

Chief RA · Dec 27, 2014

If your going to drag stuff why not just drop your dingy back? Would beat the crap out of holding onto a fender! Now you can pull yourself in! Chief