We have a Buoy - Horse Shoe type Collar mounted on our stern rail of our Seaward 23 sailboat. My question concerns, how to attached/stow to the Line that I have attached to the collar. I haven't been able to find a bag or other container to keep the line in so it will be ready when I need to throw it in a Man Overboard situation. Any sugestions.
Throwable PFD
- Thread starter bigpapaporsche
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I think it is important to have a throwable that is not attached to the boat. If one is travelling at 5 or 6 knots, an attached throwable can quickly become out of reach for the MOB. First priority is to keep the MOB afloat. I would recommend keeping the horseshoe untethered and add a Life Sling. The Life Sling is now recongnized as a throwable by the USCG, but I think one must have an unattached throwable - even if it is a seat cushion.
Most MOB drill I have seen (on You Tube) alway has a line attached to the PDF. I have seen a lot of boats however without a line attached, but this relies on an accurate throw to the victim, not going to happen. You should first throw the PDF, then circle back to the victim dragging the line to the victim. He can then pull the line/PDF to him. Since the victim may be me, I want the line attached!
Check out the lifesling. You can sew or find a nylon or sunbrella bag that will protect the polypropylene line. Poly floats and will be easy for the MOB to find plus it is less likely to foul your prop. If you can put a grommet in the bottom of the bag all the better. Put the bitter end of the line into the bag first, run some out the bottom grommet or back up the side and out the top. Then flake the rest of the line into the bag with the end tied to the PFD going in last for less drag or chance of fouling when you end up throwing it. Tie the bitter end off to your pushpit. Keep the bag cinched until you need it to protect the line from UV. Protect the ends not in the bag from UV as well. You could splice short pieces of nylon rope to the ends or just buy some tubular nylon webbing and open it up as a sleeve over the line.
At six knots you travel one nautical mile in ten minutes or 602 feet per minute. So if someone falls overboard they will be well out of throwing range in ten seconds. So they need to be able to minimally swim to get to a pfd or be wearing one.
Also if you are sailing at six kts. the water will be rather rough and swimming will not be fun.
Also if you are sailing at six kts. the water will be rather rough and swimming will not be fun.
Uh.... Higgs... when you throw the tethered device, it's hopeful that the skipper stops the boat and starts circling the mob.
Besides a tethered device to aid retrieval of a mob, I believe the coast guard requires a throwable PFD that is unattaced... such as a flotation cushion, life ring etc.
So I agree that the first response should likely be the untethered PFD and or a marker pole... but you need the tethered lifesling, horeshoe... etc. to get them back in the boat.
I thought the ring Buoy was for the crewman to hold on to while you turned around to go back for him and should'nt be attached to the boat. It should maybe have a small sea anchor attached to keep it from drifting away from the victim and keep him from drifting too much while you get turned around. You can also attach an inflatable man overboard pole like scuba divers use.
Have both, a throwable and tow-able. Horseshoe and lifesling. In the panic of the moment don't expect crew to be able to figure out and properly deploy a lifesling. Especially if the helm is the MOB. Just instruct them to grab the horseshoe and toss it in the water. This provides a marker of the MOB location (critical, it is easy to lose track of the MOB). Deck crew can then compose themselves and work with the helmsman to return and circulate the lifesling.
Do no tether the horseshoe. You may want to attach an auto-deploying light to the horseshoe for locating at night.
Do no tether the horseshoe. You may want to attach an auto-deploying light to the horseshoe for locating at night.
If you have reasonable rules regarding wearable PFDs. Oars the MOB pole is ich more important than a loose throwable. One advantage of having little kids is that I now wear a PFD whenever we are underway to set a proper example. My wife and I wear manual inflatables, the little kids wear traditional vests and our oldest wears an auto-inflate.
I believe that the textbook solution is MOB pole attached to a horseshoe PDF attached to a sea anchor. The sea anchor is critical to keep the PFD and pole from rapidly drifting away from the MOB. mine is a 6" diameter rubberized cloth "bucket" with a cloth strap. We stow it in between the PDF carrier and the PDF. to deploy just lift the end of the pole and let go, pole slides down the backstay till the cloth flag "wrapper" either unsnaps or it just slides out, pole deploys the PDF and PDF deploys the sea anchor. the higher priced poles (mine is a DIY copy) have a water activated battery in the base and a strobe above the flag.
I'm not in disagreement with you....... I simply bring up the point that you assumed that his horshoe bouy was the only throwable on the boat.... and therefore should not be tethered.
If he has other throwable PFD's in the cockpit then it would make sense to use the tethered horshoe bouy as his retrieval device.
In any event, the boat should be stopped as soon as the MOB alarm is sounded, along with a marker/floatation device... eye contact maintained , then the MOB pattern initiated.
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