Had my first experience recovering a MOB last Weds. night during our usual race on Raritan Bay.
Hunter 25.5
Crew of 4
Winds 8-10 knots
Seas less then 1 ft.
Visibility excellent
1.5 hr before dusk
We were kicking butt up the first windward leg, rounded the mark in first, put up the spinnaker and was moving at about 5 knots. A couple of hundred yards after the mark, the bowman (wearing a PFD) was trying to free something up to lower the jib and went over the side. We were 20 degrees from dead down wind on port tack.
Sheet trimmer became the spotter
Helmsman headed up to a beam reach collapsing spinnaker into the foretriangle.
Tactician/navigator pulled down chute to windward
Guy trimmer dropped halyard
We then gybed to starboard tack, was able to head right to MOB under main and jib.
Brought him along the leeward side then went head to wind
He swam to aft swim ladder where he was recovered
All in all, just took a couple of minutes.
We actually got the chute back up and lost just one position.
It actually was perfect conditions to do this. In a big sea I'd be worried about using the ladder. Cranking him up on a halyard/lifesling would be next best option I think.
Hunter 25.5
Crew of 4
Winds 8-10 knots
Seas less then 1 ft.
Visibility excellent
1.5 hr before dusk
We were kicking butt up the first windward leg, rounded the mark in first, put up the spinnaker and was moving at about 5 knots. A couple of hundred yards after the mark, the bowman (wearing a PFD) was trying to free something up to lower the jib and went over the side. We were 20 degrees from dead down wind on port tack.
Sheet trimmer became the spotter
Helmsman headed up to a beam reach collapsing spinnaker into the foretriangle.
Tactician/navigator pulled down chute to windward
Guy trimmer dropped halyard
We then gybed to starboard tack, was able to head right to MOB under main and jib.
Brought him along the leeward side then went head to wind
He swam to aft swim ladder where he was recovered
All in all, just took a couple of minutes.
We actually got the chute back up and lost just one position.
It actually was perfect conditions to do this. In a big sea I'd be worried about using the ladder. Cranking him up on a halyard/lifesling would be next best option I think.
