MOB - How Prepared Are We?

[Talbot]

Originally Posted by imagine2frolic

We carry a 10ft. ladder for boarding when med tied. I am going to have to fix a quick install to drop the ladder off the sides. In some nasty weather I can see the ladder that drops off the port stern to get back onto the boat could be a weapon of severe injury trying to board there..........i2f

Make sure that it fits so that there is space between the ladder and the side of the vessel, such that the person using the ladder has the centre of the instep on the ladder rather than their toes.

actually if you can get it a bit further away than that, it works really well when the boat is dried out, and minimises the dirt from shoes scratching the ship's sides.

My ladder projected about 30 inches below the water line, and when dried out, the lowest step was 3 of 4 inches above the beach - perfect!

[S&S]

The MOB may be sore, but the rescuers needn't be. Try this: lifesling to snatchblock at boom end, to a snatchblock at the padeye for the mains runners, to an Arco 50 2 speed. A kid can lift me in low gear. I wouldn't recommend trying to hand haul someone on board (unless you have a crew of gorillas)

I guess that you could use the genoa or stays'l car to get the lead right for the winch if you don't have a convenient padeye. N.B. the selftailer doesn't work well with the poly line.

[Maren]

Originally Posted by S&S

We practice drills, but haven't had to do a "live" pick up. Sorry for the confusion, but it's theory until you have to do it "for real".

I think the best motivation to wear a harness and teather is to do a MOB drill in just slightly more rough that mild conditions. It really is sight to see the boat going away from you and not all that enjoyable of one either while watching folks fumble about. You're left thinking: "Man, this in good weather and daylight. This could really be bad in worse conditions."

... And then you get pulled up over the side. Inevitably this involves some bumps and you clinging to whatever you can get a hand or foot over somtimes scrapes or cuts are included. It's not very graceful. And I'm not overweight either.

As for the ladder, I've tried using them off a dive boat with only 3-4 seas. Granted I had some gear on but not fins, weight belt or any hand held items. I think it's a bit more than water soaked clothes but both are challenging. The ladder is a fairly unforgiving thing as is swim platform.

[Cheechako]

I will say that having done the drills with real people and occassionally with a fender thrown over, it is absolutely imperitive that one person's sole job is to watch the person in the water. If you want to know what your odds are, just throw a fender over in moderate seas and then tell your better half :"that's me, now go get me" and watch the problems... Oh.... better make it an old fender....

[Curmudgeon]

Yes, I have the tethers with two hooks: one a 3 feet and one 6 ft. I use both. Sometimes leaving the boat is simply not an option.

[captmick39]

Originally Posted by Cheechako

I will say that having done the drills with real people and occassionally with a fender thrown over, it is absolutely imperitive that one person's sole job is to watch the person in the water. If you want to know what your odds are, just throw a fender over in moderate seas and then tell your better half :"that's me, now go get me" and watch the problems... Oh.... better make it an old fender....

An OLD, Moldy Fender that won't hold air when pumped up, etc.
Just remember, when she gets those turns dead nuts right, cuts the throttle, shifts to neutral, grabs the boat hook & dashes off to the nasty "old" bumper...You're going to be buying dinner that night...best money You'll ever spend. Moderate Seas are 4-6 around here, offshore, & the wife can give that boat hook a double spin on the fender line (like spagetti under a skilled fork spinning in the spoon) Flip it up and BODY SLAM that bad boy on the foredeck. She'll look back at You and say..."You said 'that's YOU, right? Well Your Happyazz is back on OUR Boat!" 34yr veteran RN...she don't play.

Moral to Your bumper/fender story is....
Be careful what You wish for.
-Mick
PS: She's also so adept w/that 14' extending boathook for 3 reasons....
a red healer named "Smooch";
a Black Cocker Spaniel Named "MURPHY"(<no kidding)
a Boston Bull Terrier named "Lacey", & finally, my mutt,
a JRT Named "snoopy".

SHE (& me) flat out LOVE these dogs, they wear their LJ's Whenever on decks, ALL have a "grab handle (like the old cases of beer)" right on top of the flotation device, when swimming, Hooking that "handle" then hoisting back on board is a cinch when the pooch gives up trying to "do it themselves on the ride north out of the water & over the lifelines.

Before ANYBODY says...hey, way cool, There's MY MOB "victim"...& grabs the family canine...they su*ck at "victim" status...they're swimming after You before they hit the water; we have lifeline netting...doesn't matter, they go Where that tennis ball goes. The opening gates are FLOWN to and "out of". Snatching a dog on the fly is way more challenging than a person....they don't have thumbs they also don't WANT Your help...'till they realize they have no "say" in the matter.

Had a skipperke 2 decades ago...2nd coolest dog ever...came w/me everywhere to all the yards & marinas...used to hop right in the water & swim around for HOURS. She would have been the worse MOB ever! I'd have to BEG her to come out just to go home!

[jackdale]

Originally Posted by captmick39

What do You see as the advantages of tethers that outweighs jacklines?

I use BOTH jacklines and tethers. Normally I have two tethers attached to each of the two jacklines (in the case of the forward tethers they are 3 and 6 foot foot tandem tethers), four tethers are attached to u-bolts in the cockpit (two at the companionway), one attached at the mast, and one at the bow.

As you move about, you clip on to the next tether BEFORE releasing the one used previously. You are always hooked in.

The rule is that before you step into the cockpit, you are tethered.

Jack

[captmick39]

Originally Posted by jackdale

I use BOTH jacklines and tethers. Normally I have two tethers attached to each of the two jacklines (in the case of the forward tethers they are 3 and 6 foot foot tandem tethers), four tethers are attached to u-bolts in the cockpit (two at the companionway), one attached at the mast, and one at the bow.

As you move about, you clip on to the next tether BEFORE releasing the one used previously. You are always hooked in.

The rule is that before you step into the cockpit, you are tethered.

Jack

Jack,
took Your "tethers" idea & added steroids...just different nomenclature:

As our Pad Eyes are secured thru the cabintop, like a "runner" around cockpit combings and used 1x7 5/16" Swaged running twist(flexible) S/S wire rope between all the eyes;
Downside, You get knocked down(not the boat, the jacklined human), You can slide sometimes as far as 20', then "wham"...You AIN'T going an inch further. Learned the trick from a master rigger who'd set up multiple boats for circumnavigating as a "kid". It isn't beautiful, they are all double swaged (rates out at about 13k lbs of stress load...sideways) just taut enough to have no slack...not so taut as to create sideloading on cabin top. Exactly the same setup high steel workers use, learned later fm. 1 of them. Nobody's ever "tripped" over 1 yet. They lay flat & w/rigging tape over swages don't mark or chafe awlgrip...just there when You need 'em.

Tethers...got it.

[Portobello]

Some great thought and suggestions here. I suppose if one person changes the way they prepare for the MOB possibility after reading the posts and are saved that would be great. Gotta love the Cruisers Forum!

[Talbot]

Conditions will definitely affect the way you deal with emergencies.

Get in the habit of doing "What-ifs" in your head dependent on those specific conditions. You will find that this can provide an interesting and brain stimulating few minutes, which will also mean that you are far better prepared should something bad actually happen.

[captmick39]

Originally Posted by Talbot

Conditions will definitely affect the way you deal with emergencies.

Get in the habit of doing "What-ifs" in your head dependent on those specific conditions. You will find that this can provide an interesting and brain stimulating few minutes, which will also mean that you are far better prepared should something bad actually happen.

Amen! to both of the last 2 postings(&posters)
As a long time single handing sailor & racer/member of a delivery crew, have always desired some form of device to "SHORTEN" Jacklines, so that as weather deteriorated the attached party could adjust accordingly, & visa versa w/improvement that would neither slip, damage the fibers of the webbing(that You are banking Your LIFE ON) yet not be so cumbersome as to get easily fouled on deck fittings/gear/tackle AND be easily adjustable with GLOVES ON. (& of course it CAN'T Slide or fail under max load conditions)

Sort of like the lock on the spooling dog leashes, or seat belt adjusters. No such gizmo exists currently to my knowledge & Engineers/Inventors out there, I'm Your guy to TRY/Test Your invention, for it would be a big seller, possibly even directly(& exclusively) to a specific safety equipment manufacturer. Not being able to Get PAST Your lifelines is the ideal design purpose for jacklines; rather than a "tow rope" having You "skiing" beside or behind the hull.

MOB's (shy of cruise ships & those who WANTED to get wet) Could become a thing of the past; probably not, as seat belts are ignored in vehicles that practically put them on You now. The next time You slip on a wet deck, heel at an unexpected time, get caught in that freak squall, grab that rail...think.

Think "what if". Then get short enough jacklines to simply not go past those lifelines.

[Eleven]

Just spotted on MSN News Uk

Thirty people have been rescued from the sea after a boat race was hit by a windstorm, the coastguard said.
Bad weather hit the sailing regatta off Plockton, on the west coast of Scotland.
Coastguard, lifeboat and helicopter teams were scrambled to assist the competitors at around 6.45pm.
All were later accounted for and none required medical assistance, Stornoway Coastguard said.
Around 15 boats in Plockton's annual regatta were hit by what the coastguard described as a squall - a short violent storm with high winds.
Crews on the race's own two rescue boats were able to pull competitors out of the water and were later helped by coastguard teams from Portree, Kyle and Broadford.
RNLI lifeboats from Kyle and Portree were launched and the Stornoway Coastguard Helicopter was scrambled. Ambulance crews also attended the scene.
The regatta organiser said all competitors were accounted for. All had been wearing lifejackets.
Martin Collins of Stornoway Coastguard said: "Bad weather can turn a pleasant sail into a dangerous situation at any time.
"The race organisers had taken the precaution of making sure all participants were wearing lifejackets, accompanying the fleet with two rescue boats and raised the alarm straight away. Because of these safety precautions this unpleasant incident didn't end in tragedy."

Congratulations to the organisers.

[redcobra]

A ladder on the stern and the mizzen halyard work well together. Finally found a use for that tiny mizzen

[GordMay]

More than 60 people, mainly women and children, are now feared to have drowned after a ferry capsized near the Pacific Island state of Tonga.

The ferry mv “Princess Ashika” sank in Ha'apai (Tonga) waters late on August 5. The ferry had been travelling from Nuku'alofa to outlying northern islands of Tonga

As of August 7, 2009: 4.45pm local (UTC/GMT +12 hours)
Two people have been confirmed dead, while 53 survivors have been picked up since the ferry sunk about 46 nautical miles (86km) north west of Nuku’alofa, late on Wednesday evening.

A total of 119 people are now believed to have been on board the ship, leaving 64 unaccounted for.

➥ Maritime New Zealand's latest and past media releases - Maritime New Zealand

➥ BBC NEWS | Asia-Pacific | Sixty lost in Tonga ferry sinking

[Connemara]

Connemara (Mirage 27) has a boarding ladder on the (reversed) transom. I have the line that keeps it in place rigged so i can be opened both from the boat and from the water.

In principle, I fall out, the boat rounds up, I swim to the stern, detach the line, pull down the ladder (trying to avoid being hit on the head as it comes down) and climb back aboard.

Probably not so easy in real life. As many people have pointed out, the boat is likely to be bouncing and the ladder is gonna be difficult to climb in wet clothes and a PFD.

So I try not to fall out. Success, so far.

Connemara