Self rescue when sailing alone?

[Ray Bowles]

On the shared forum for all sailors there is a posting called "Lifesling". It brought up my question. What do you do for self rescue when sailing alone?

I used to trail a 100' water ski rope that floated with a 1/2 gallon milk jug on the end. Then one day with my grandson I tried to pull myself back to the boat at about 3 to 4 knots. No way!and I'm not a big person so I thought I could do this. My inflated life vest actually made it harder.

I always wear my inflatable life vest and I now tie that floating line with the milk jug to a 13" small car inner tube. This tube will pop through my stern rail so I can comfortably swim to shore as my 23 San Juan sails into the sunset, probable faster than she ever sailed with me aboard.
What do you do?
Ray

 

[Stu Jackson]

The basic answer is: You're dead.

Most of the answers to "how do I learn to singlehand a boat?" include "Buy an autopilot."

Given that, think about the consequences if you do go over.

Draggin' a string behind the boat has been proven to NOT work.

Stay on the boat.

What's so hard?

Yes, I know, stuff happens.

Be careful out there.

 

[Bad Obsession]

Jacklines and a harness. Even then there are some issues that can happen where it would be hard to get back onto the boat.

 

[centerline]

The basic answer is: You're dead.

Most of the answers to "how do I learn to singlehand a boat?" include "Buy an autopilot."

Given that, think about the consequences if you do go over.

Draggin' a string behind the boat has been proven to NOT work.

Stay on the boat.

What's so hard?

Yes, I know, stuff happens.

Be careful out there.

+1...

when singlehanded sailing in a bay or waterway where there are numerous other boats going by occasionally, if you fall overboard, its reasonable to assume there is a chance you may be noticed and helped out....eventually.
but when sailing on the deep blue sea away from other boats, and you fall overboard, its reasonable for you to assume you just used your very last chance to stay connected to the boat and that you wont be coming back.... the life vest your wearing will only prolong the agony.

this is also true for the skippers of boats that have guests on board that dont know how to sail.... if they dont know how to turn the boat, your on your own...

i know a few guys that sail singlehanded, when their wives are with them... she is just along for the ride and doesnt want to know how the boat works....

as a sailor singlehanding his boat, the question should never be "what do i do if i fall over board?".... but "how do i insure that I never fall overboard?"....

this is a case where you NEED to be proactive in preventing the event, rather than planning how you are going to react after it happens...

 

[Joe]

Single handing, always stay connected to the boat. Wear a harness and tether. As I said in another thread... you don't need to rig jacklines.... but you need to establish critical attachment points in case you must go forward for some reason. I use my windward shrouds and a sliding padeye on the foredeck that also serves as foreguy attachment point for spin pole, and tack point for a rarely used staysail.

When I sail my Nacra 5.2 (17' beach cat) single handed in the ocean... I always tie the mainsheet and traveler line together through my harness. The theory, and it actually works, is if you fall off the boat you can yank the mainsheet to either luff or capsize the boat... depending on the point of sail.... all dinghy and beach cat sailors can right their vessels quite rapidly if(when) they capsize.

Another technique is to NEVER cleat the mainsheet... nor lock the tiller... if both are released the boat will probably head up... and stop.. which may give you enough time to grab on to something.... but mainly it help prevent capsizing.

A larger, sloop rigged sailboat would be much more complicated to rig a line that would stop the boat if you fell off.

So... rather than take a chance... it makes more sense to just stay attached.

 

[Brian M H23]

I'm surprised autopilots aren't sold with a "key-fob", that if it loses connection, the boat just heads up into the wind, until somebody pushes the "RESET" button on the box. It could be accompanied by a horn of some sort. And maybe computer actuated explosive bolts on the sheets. Hey, this could be fun

 

[Kermit]

The fob actually sounds like a good idea, Brian. I bet Philwsailz and others would be able to figure it out. I'm not an electronics guy but dang. That sounds like it really could work.

 

[Jackdaw]

You fall off soloing you will never get back on. Accept that fact and plan/sail accordingly.

Carry your cell phone in a waterproof case. 90% of sailing is within cell range. Last year a very well known french solo sailor fell off her figaro II while peeing off the transom. Boat sailed away. She called her mom in Paris. She was rescued 45 minutes later.

I never sail without my iPhone in a liifeproof case zipped into the front pocket of my sailing shorts.

Raymarine makes a wireless MOB system called life tag. It sounds an alarm and also can generate an MOB function on an attached seatalk plotter. I once told a raymarine product manager to create a solo-sail profile that would instruct an attached autopilot to steer head to wind. He thought it a great idea but was worried about liability.

I guessed he didn't sail. I told him in that situation liability was going to be the LAST thing on my mind.

http://raymarine.com/view/?id=157

 

[WayneH]

How about this? On the boat end of your 100' rope you have some slack caused by some device like a light string or toothpick. This slack line goes to the autopilot attachment via another light string (breakable).

When you grab the end of the line, the first attachment breaks. This lets the second attachment disengage the autopilot. Your boat heads up into the wind and you should be able to self-rescue. A friend of mine uses something like this on his boat. I would have paid more attention but at the time none of my boats had autopilots and would round up if unattended.

SHOULD is still the operative word. How do you get back into your boat? Where's the ladder? I've used the motormount before but I knew what the backing plate was made from. Let's talk hypothermia. In the current water temperature, how long can I function? Function, not survive. Galveston Bay in the summer time, your time is nearly measured in days. That same bay in the winter and you're talking minutes.

So Rule #1 is Stay in the boat.

When you violate Rule #1, your odds of long term survive decrease abruptly.

Great discussion by the way.

 

[thinwater]

Not falling off is simpler.

If your boat were hanging from a crane, 1000' off the deck, you would move carefully enough not to fall off. It's that simple.

 

[RichH]

Autopilot with waterproof remote control (in your pocket) + lanyard attached to pull down boarding ladder.

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

this is one of those questions that make me wonder about the rarity of common sense.

As others have said, a jack line and harness prevents falling overboard.

If you are worried about falling overboard, see above.

 

[Ward H]

Not falling off is simpler.

If your boat were hanging from a crane, 1000' off the deck, you would move carefully enough not to fall off. It's that simple.

Good way to look at it. I'll keep this in mind when on the boat.

 

[Bill Roosa]

Lets face the reality that you are probably not going to fall overboard in anything but storm conditions. How do you get the boat to round up and then not take off down wind in a storm?
also, if you do fall overboard how likely is it that you are even going to be concious? not much of a chance to self recover if you are knocked out.
Exactly like reefing, if you put it on when you think about it you will be fine, if you wait till you "should have done it" you are asking for trouble.

 

[CaptDon01]

I'm rigged so I don't have to leave the cockpit, and I'm normally standing in the companionway with my life preserver on,(gotten away from self inflating ones while off shore), on autopilot, with my wireless autopilot remote around my neck.

Don

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

I'm rigged so I don't have to leave the cockpit, and I'm normally standing in the companionway with my life preserver on,(gotten away from self inflating ones while off shore), on autopilot, with my wireless autopilot remote around my neck.

Don

Is that remote 'waterproof'?

 

[centerline]

I'm surprised autopilots aren't sold with a "key-fob", that if it loses connection, the boat just heads up into the wind, until somebody pushes the "RESET" button on the box. It could be accompanied by a horn of some sort. And maybe computer actuated explosive bolts on the sheets. Hey, this could be fun

they can be purchased and wired in for about $20.... wired into the batt feed to the autopilot.
like for the newer boats and jetskies.... they have universal ones that can be installed anywhere.

but i suppose a fob that was wired in so when its tripped, it would pull the helm hard over, would be better option.
or maybe a proximity sensor transmitter that you carry in your pocket... as long as its withing range of the main unit, it continues to function correctly, but once it gets out of range, it trips a function that turns the helm.....

into the wind would be a good idea, but unless the autopilot has extra features attached that a lot of us dont have, the autopilot doesnt know where the wind is and doesnt care...

but still, if the helm is left unattended without power to the autopilot, the boat will eventually fall off or round up.... its a chance better than the one you would have if the autopilot keeps the boat steadily on course.

 

[shemandr]

So, you could fall off your boat, watch it sail away (better than when you were driving), turn around when the Fob says to, and come back to run you over? That's pretty much the definition of a bad day. But still better than a day in the office.

 

[centerline]

So, you could fall off your boat, watch it sail away (better than when you were driving), turn around when the Fob says to, and come back to run you over? That's pretty much the definition of a bad day. But still better than a day in the office.

not really sure about this but if i thought something like this was likely to happen, i think i might stay at the office that day....

 

[Brian D]

The many comments that I have read about not getting back on your boat is hogwash. It is your boat. You have to get back on, your life depends on it. You are the one responsible for figuring out how to get back on. When? Now! Take you boat to an anchor spot and jump off. This is the best time to setup any kind of device to get back on be it ladder on the stern or the side of the boat, or what. The more you practice the better prepared you will be.

Go out with an experienced sailor and try your techniques. Jump overboard while the other sailor is standing by. Try and get yourself on board. IT IS A MUST!

My boat? I have done this already because it ALMOST happened to me. However, I fell into the cabin and not overboard. I have a swim step and an outboard. Getting the outboard down is easy and so is climbing aboard. Being on the stern there is at least some kind of protection.

For autopilots, install a cut-off switch on the stern so when you get back to the stern you can kill the autopilot. There is also a good chance you can kick the rudder enough to get the boat to head up some. Unless you have a full keel boat then that is just not possible.

Regardless, you MUST find a way to get back on board. "No way" is not an option.