Man Overboard

[Tom J]

Every MOB situation will be different, depending on time of day, weather, currents, etc. It's very difficult to plan ahead for every contingency, but as sailors we are used to dealing with unexpected circumstances quickly. In our situation, we were in a power boat, so obviouslly, we had to use the engines. Fortunately, it was a twin-engine. After my wife succeeded in pulling the skipper to the swim platform, we were drifting down on a day-marker (Tampa Bay), so I had my wife hold him to the port side, and I used the starboard engine to manuever to mid-channel. The weather was a stiff breeze and chillly, after a recent cold front. The water was rough, and when I moved to position up-wind of the MOB, I was concerned that the swim platform would come down on top of him if we drifted straight down onto him. I manuevered to drift by him about 10' away. The boat was new to the skipper. We were helping him deliver it to our marina, and all his safety gear was still on his old boat. As a result, all we had to throw to him was a dock line left in the cockpit. I'm sure he planned on a quiet, quick run down the ICW. As I'm sure someone has said before, we hope for the best, but we should plan for the worst.

 

[kenomac]

I think it is a mistake to attempt to drill into people's minds that using an engine during a MOB rescue is strictly verboten. After all, how do power boaters rescue their MOB victims? Doesn't anybody ever fall off of a power boat and need rescue? Once the victim is in the life sling you can shut it down; you do not have to pass so close to suck the victim into the propeller if circling with the life sling. How many attempts (passes) would the average sail boater have to make under sail to recover a MOB victim? I'd say more than one, likely. So, I disagree with your admonishment!

I believe this is a sailboat owners forum. That said...My method of rescue is practiced and it works... It's not some sort of theory as is your's. Read the directions on your lifesling, watch the Lifesling video on youtube and get out and practice... You'll never know ahead of time when someone or some animal will go overboard, it happens in a heartbeat.

 

[kenomac]

If the victim is unconscious or unable to help himself, and you've already brought the boat upwind and it rests in irons or hove to, the lifesling is deployed and the sling rests near the victim... Well at this point there may no alternative but to shackle yourself onto the Lifesling floating rescue line and become a Coast Guard rescue swimmer in order to get the sling around the victim. First making absolute sure you have on a lifejacket & harness, you are securely attached to the vessel, the motor is turned off and that there is no way possible for the boat to begin sailing itself away from you.

 

[Kings Gambit]

Perhaps we need some new theory.

I believe this is a sailboat owners forum.

Calder (2001 Cruising Guide) has estimated that today's sail boaters, at least the coastal cruising variety, spend 50% of their under-way time motoring, usually motor-sailing with the main up. So, what can happen while motoring is as relevant to this discussion in this forum as what might happen under sail alone. If Calder's estimate is even nearly true (which it is in my cruising venue of Southern California applied to my sailing activity) then as a sailor you have a 50% chance of being forced to rescue a MOB victim using your engine (as compared to using sail only) -- so maybe we need some new "theory" here of how to go about it. Perhaps you should get out and practice what I have suggested under "Faster is Better" (post #11) above. Look at it as "hypothesis testing."

 

[Kings Gambit]

Put that aside. What I'd like to discuss is once we are next to the victim (assume he's a big dude in the 200 lbs range) how do we get him back on board? One way is to put a line with a loop in it and winch him on board but assume he's injured and can't help himself.

If the victim is along side, wearing a life jacket and is conscious, but cannot help himself due to injury, you still have to get him connected to some kind of hoist, and then hoist him in. As I said in post #11, I always have a block and fall stopped off at the stern rail down low. The block is hung from the back stay up high where it splits into the split back stay arrangement typical of boats with step down transoms. I went this way b/c the end of the boom is not high enough over the life lines to actually get somebody into the boat easily. If he is all the way hoisted to the end of the boom (i.e., your tackle is two-blocked), probably at least half of his body is still hanging below the life lines. If the hoist is attached to the back stay, you can "drag" him up the inclined transom. Moreover, there is a drop-down swim ladder there plus hand holds. So if I get the victim along side close enough, I can step down at the transom, even get partially in the water standing on my swim ladder, and hook him up. If he's wearing the life sling already, then I just snap on the safety hook from the block and fall. If not, then I have to get it on him or another type of harness (of which I have two aboard), and then snap in. Due to the height of the block, I can get him over the cockpit combing and mostly into the cockpit just by hoisting. If the victim is unconscious when he hits the water and is not wearing a life jacket, and assuming I find him, I think the thing to do is to go for him in a dinghy if you have one aboard that's ready to deploy and there is some one else aboard who can handle the boat. Obviously, we're also calling a May Day in such an instance. You may have to attempt resuscitation while in the dinghy, if you get him in it.

 

[Don Guillette]

Re: Perhaps we need some new theory.

We've got a lot of good info from this discussion. 100% of the sailors worldwide know what a messy situation MOB can be BUT I'll bet 60% could not get the boat back to the person in a reasonable amount of time. Some couldn't get the boat back at all. Most folks would have trouble sailing up to a mooring. The reason is they never practiced. So what are they to do?

The answer is, in my personal opinion, they have to use everything that's at their disposal and that includes the engine. I know the engine and a MOB don't mix but if that's all you've got because you're short on sail trim experience you've got to use it.

Most of the time it's just myself and my wife. She's not a sailor and does not like to drive so if I go over I'm screwed. I'm very careful and wear an auto inflatable vest but stuff happens. I've showed her how to start the engine and how to cut the jib loose but I'm not sure she'd remember especialy in a stressful situation. So, like I said I'm screwed and am going to be in the water for a while. It's scary just thinking about it!!

If someone else on my boat goes over, as skipper I'm in charge and the only one giving orders. I'm totally concentrating on the job at hand, which includeds running the engine if I have to. During the MOB I mentioned at Newport Sailing School no one was in charge and it was a total cluster- something - or - other, if you get my meaning. Chinese fire drills were better organized!!

 

[Squidd]

I'm pretty sure I would use the motor to position boat in MOB situation... have rounded up many a water skier this way and not run over too many of them.. and the Lifesling looks to be the same as a ski rope to circle round..

Not sure wifey could start it though (pull start OB) so may have to practice heaving to and dropping jib to circle round with her...

 

[kenomac]

Don and Kings Gambit,

Watch this important lifesling video which will answer all your questions:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsK-8us_o8s&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Then, get out and practice a MOB rescue with your first mate or spouse. My wife was reluctant to take command until I told her I wouldn't go sailing with her again until she learned how to execute a proper rescue. Now after practicing the technique, she has new confidence and takes control of the helm 50 percent of the time... even while docking.

The man and dog overboard such as I experienced, changed my boating life forever. The dog was over in a spit second, the knucklehead who jumped in without a lifevest was over the side after him within 2 seconds... 18 knot winds, full sails, boat doing 8 knots... There's no time to theorize or come up with a plan after the fact. The rescue needs to be well rehearsed, lives or possibly your life will depend on the crew's ability to carry out the plan.

I really hate to sound like I'm preaching, but always insist that everyone on board wear a lifevest, and set the example by wearing one yourself. The elderly and feeble will sink like a stone without one. Have you ever noticed... As the Coast Guard boat approaches you to board your vessel, the guy behind the machine gun is wearing a lifevest? That says a lot.

Be safe and practice.

 

[jorgefife]

MOB Pole

I'm glad you mentioned the custom made pole...

I plan on fabricating mine as well and considered the need for stationary weight.. Just need to work out the floatation/ballast ratio..

Squidd,
I am curious as to what you will use for the fabrication of the pole: please keep us informed as I would like to make one also!

 

[Squidd]

Will do, should have a proto type by next week, just need to find some open water to test it on (vertical floatation) most of the water round here has a foot or better ice on it...

 

[tasdevil]

If someone goes overboard it will likely be in bad weather and if the victim is incapacitated in any way - then you have a big problem.
Our dinghy broke loose in a storm last year, maybe 40 knot wind and 15 ft waves ;but that meant up to 30 ft movement between us and what we were trying to recover. It couldn't be done and we lost the dinghy. MOB drills and instruction are invariably done in normal conditions, which are totally misleading. If you're serious about MOB , get out there with a number of dummies when it's dark and dirty.

 

[Don Guillette]

Kenomac: Thank you for the video.

In my situation, sailing with my wife, as I said I'm screwed and am going to be in the water for a while, assuming I can help myself. Like Clint Eatwood said "a man's (or a woman) got to know his limitations". I know my wifes limitations and handling the dropping sails and rigging the setup is not possible, even on her best day ---- I hope she doesn't read this!! I could rig it but she couldn't.

I have the "poor's mans" version of the life sling. I have 100' of floating line and I drilled a hole in a soft ball to aid in getting the distance I need to get it out far enough to circle the MOB. Ive also got the soft vang set up stored with it so I'm ready to go should I need it.

The Life Sling system works fine and dandy if the MOB can help themselves but the premise of this discussion is how do we get the poor soul on the boat if they are injured and can't help themselves?

I've told this story before. It was during the Redondo Beach to Long Beach race. We were on the down wind leg on a beautiful light wind day. The skippers girl friend was driving. I was standing on the cockpit seat watching the comotion on the foredeck. She started sailing "by the lee" and I moved the tiller for her with my foot to get back on course. A few minutes later she did it again but befor I could do anything I saw a brown boom flash right in front of my eyes. Had I not stepped backwards for some unknown reason the boom wwould have cold conked me and I didn't have a life jacket on --- the first thing I did when I got off that boat was go to West Marine and buy an auto inflator!!

They would have got back to me pretty quickly but how in god's name would they have gotten me back on the boat??

 

[thinwater]

Two thoughts:

a. Practice hoisting and keep all required hardware in the cockpit. One person should be able to rig it in the dark in seconds. Not hard, but you have to take a few hours to prove the concept. As we did, have a child rig it ad hoist an adult to prove the system is robust.
http://sail-delmarva.blogspot.com/2011/07/mob-drills-lifesling-and-climbing.html

b. Once in practice and once for real (sailor tipped dingy) what we were able to easily see was the victim waving not their hands, but the horseshoe or PFD. MUCH more visible. Another good reason to throw something that floats, even if the victim has a PFD.

 

[Indysailor]

On an inland lake populated in the Summer by pontoon boats full of college students, we find there is ample opportunity to practice without having to risk losing a fender or a throwable cushion. So, once we see something (a beer can usually) we pass it then try to sail back to it.
My wife usually gets back more efficiently than I do, but that's why we practice.