MOB Procedures

[hellosailor]

Sonofason-
If you want a cheap but more realistic dummy, consider using 2-liter soda bottles refilled with water, dropped into the legs of a pair or pants with a suitable top attached, or a coverall. You'll have a "wet bag of clothes" in a body shape, suitably awkward and low-riding in the water, cheap and hard to damage.
Mark-
Isn't man overboard the reason for gambling in the Navy? "MAN OVERBOARD" Response: Hell, he owes me fifty bucks, keep an eye on him!
Honest, I know folks who say always owe someone money, it gives them a reason to make sure you are safe.<G>

Among the many recovery methods published far and wide is the use of the mainsail. After you have the MOB alongside, let the mainsail drop into the water, halyard still attached. Float the MOB over the "bight" of the mainsail, and now use the main halyard to raise it from the water. As it rolls back up, it will carry the MOB over the rail with it. (Easiest if you release the lifelines first, which is another reason to lash their ends rather than go all stainless fittings.)

If you are dealing with a concious MOB or one that has a harness or other "lift point" attached, consider rigging a multi-part block and tackle to raise them. We keep one rigged for that purpose with two two-part blocks, that can be snapped under the boom and swung out the side so the boom is used as a hoist. The tackle stays below deck with other emergency gear, wrapped so it won't foul.

[GordMay]

Some good MOB articles:

Crew Overboard Search Options:
http://www.ussailing.org/safety/Studies/2001_bc2.htm

CREW OVERBOARD RECOVERY - By a single-handed crew
http://www.ussailing.org/safety/Studies/2001_bc3.htm

Testing Crew Overboard Maneuvers - BoatUS Foundation Findings 41
http://www.boatus.com/foundation/Findings/findings41/

Suddenly Alone, Totally in Control ~ By Elaine Lembo (Cruising World, Nov. 2001)
http://www.cruisingworld.com/article...=396&catID=568

[jean1146]

Everytime we would go out I would throw a life jacket overboard and retrieve it.I voted not as often as I should wich is plain negligence .when we get our Cat I plan to get back on track thanks to this Forum.JC.

[Pura Vida]

Not as often as I should. I use the hat overboard method as mentioned by Chris. So far I only have lost one hat and that was because I was racing, an open warning to all rail meat without good deck shoes. But, kidding aside, by far the most important issue is staying on the boat in the first place. Falling overboard for a single hander (which I am most of the time) is really, really bad news no matter what brand of rescue stuff you own. Finally one new category to add is 'whenver you begin helming a new boat'. Methods used on performance oriented sailboats are different from what to use with a heavy cruiser or powerboat.

[David_Old_Jersey]

I voted have never practiced - I know I should, but I grew up with boats and have never been much of a Swimmer (didn't stop me becoming PADI "Qualified") and my "Old man" can't swim an inch.............so basically I grew up with the attitude that if you fall in at sea then you are probably f#cked..........which means in practice I have developed a healthy tendency to not to do anything stupid that iincreases the risk of falling overboard. Not a perfect solution, but so far so good!

Still think I should practice the MOB though. Although the plan is to recover the MOB via the inflatable dinghy (my topsides are just too high) by floating the dinghy down on a long line / towing the dinghy around the MOB so that the line comes to them and they can then make their way towards the dinghy. Actually maybe worth pointing out how hard it is to get into an infaltable dinghy with a fully inflated life jacket or bouyancy aid (and I guess this would also apply to a Life raft). I have had a bit of practice over the years - as although not being a swimmer I am not afraid to jump in for a "bit of a paddle" (mo matter how deep the water (6 foot or 600 doesn't matter to me, I still can't standup!) as long as I have a bit of extra bouyancy on me or within 10 metres! then I am happy enough.

But never having been Marina bound means that I am quite used to picking up swinging moorings in all conditions where you do need to judge and adapt your boathandling to the conditions to make the pickup without suddenly needing 12 foot arms! or wrapping anything around the prop. (I don't always get this right!) But. hopefully something that would be useful if I ever have to deal with a MOB situation.

FWIW one "technique" I have read about and like is that IF you have a spare crew member free that they get the job of only pointing at the MOB with their arm and never taking their eyes off them - even if it means them having to move around the boat / deck. The idea being that in practice the helmsman / Skipper will probably at some point take their eyes off the MOB, even if just for a moment and a head sized object is not exactly easy to spot and given currents and sea state can move in relation to the boats position so you are not dealing with just a 180 degree turn.

Hopefully will all stay as theory.

[Connemara]

Thomas...replying to you, but this has surfaced in several posts ... the difficulty of reboarding.

Connemara came equipped (in '82) with a reboarding ladder over the stern, and this is (I think) now required equipment here in Canada.

Is that not the case elsewhere? And if so, why not?

Dosn't solve the problem with an unconsious MOB, of course.

M
Connemara 27

[David_Old_Jersey]

Originally Posted by Connemara

Thomas...replying to you, but this has surfaced in several posts ... the difficulty of reboarding.

Connemara came equipped (in '82) with a reboarding ladder over the stern, and this is (I think) now required equipment here in Canada.

Is that not the case elsewhere? And if so, why not?

Dosn't solve the problem with an unconsious MOB, of course.

M
Connemara 27

Not in the UK and as far as I know not even discussed (and certainly not in Jersey). Agree it is a good idea (no, I don't have one!), but compulsory?? Not really into that sort of thing.

[hellosailor]

A boarding ladder over the stern sometimes is badly located. Either it interferes with the rudder and steering gear, or the backstay.

But even worse, unless you are boarding in dead calm seas, the ends of the boat are busy shooting up and down, and the stern will simply slam down on anyone in the water and kill them.

The best (safest) place for a boarding ladder is midships, where there's less relative motion between the boat and the water line. And that of course makes it problematic for small craft, because you need a stronger, more complex, and more expensive system to rig a ladder and tie it into the lifelines instead of the pushpit railings.

[Tropic Cat]

I disagree. I'm trying to picture what you are explaining HelloSailor and can't do it. Just how would my boarding ladder interfere with my rudders?. The way you outlined this, hulls would have to lift clean out and then slam back on top of someone, yet my hulls stay in the water.

Our stern mounted boarding ladder is easily accessable, with many handholds to steady a person at the stern. In a worst case scenario I could suspend a person between my hulls, head above the water, protecting them from wave action, yet can't envision ever having to do that.

Perhaps this scenario is boat dependent, as Catamarans are a more stable platform


Rick in Florida

[hellosailor]

Rick, I wasn't talking about cats. Sailboats in general, most of them, are monohull lead mines after all.<G>

Dunno where your rudders are, or where your stern ladder is, if it is hanging down in the middle span of the boat someplace...and that's not on a transom of a hull, do you still call that the "stern" on a cat??

[Connemara]

Originally Posted by rickm505

I disagree. I'm trying to picture what you are explaining HelloSailor and can't do it. Just how would my boarding ladder interfere with my rudders?. The way you outlined this, hulls would have to lift clean out and then slam back on top of someone, yet my hulls stay in the water.

Our stern mounted boarding ladder is easily accessable, with many handholds to steady a person at the stern. In a worst case scenario I could suspend a person between my hulls, head above the water, protecting them from wave action, yet can't envision ever having to do that.

Perhaps this scenario is boat dependent, as Catamarans are a more stable platform


Rick in Florida

Don't think cats were being discussed. Connemara is a monohull but the boarding ladder is nowhere near the rudder (well, within a few feet, but not close enough to interfere.)

My sense is that in severe conditions, it's gonna be hard to get someone aboard no matter how you do it.

But yer meant to be pretty much in irons as you do the pickup, which means that the stern is sheltered (from the wind) and as long as the wave action isn't awfully bad, there should be no problem for a conscious and active MOB to grab hold and climb aboard.

No actual experience with this, mind you. Thank God.

M
Connemara 27

[Connemara]

David: Didn't realize the UK was such a hotbed of anarchy (g).

I have no problem with some things being compulsory, especially if they save lives. (Dunno if boarding ladders fit this category.) But, y'know, I'm required to carry flares, have a horn, turn on the steaming lights at night, register my boat, etc etc.

All compulsory. If I got my shorts in a knot over compulsority (if that's a word), I'd never be able to sit down comfortably.

regards

M
Connemara 27

[witchcraft]

When learning to sail, I though my darling hubby had lost his mind when we were required to recover a raggedy j-cloth that had blown overboard. Since then I have come to realize the value of practicing the recovery of lost items overboard. This was an easy to learn a quick stop of the boat, heaving to, coming back to an item and sailing slowly in a pattern. This is something we practice regularily.
That j-cloth was NOT worth recovering in and of itself, learning recovery manuvers is/was entirely and utterly worth the time.
Reboarding devices are required for vessels with a freeboard of more than .5 meter of freeboard. I may have the freeboard measurement off.
Fair Winds
Witchcraft

[David_Old_Jersey]

Originally Posted by Connemara

David: Didn't realize the UK was such a hotbed of anarchy (g).

I have no problem with some things being compulsory, especially if they save lives. (Dunno if boarding ladders fit this category.) But, y'know, I'm required to carry flares, have a horn, turn on the steaming lights at night, register my boat, etc etc.

All compulsory. If I got my shorts in a knot over compulsority (if that's a word), I'd never be able to sit down comfortably.

regards

M
Connemara 27

Actually I do get the impression that the UK Govt is going down the road of everything either being banned or being compulsory (and our little outpost of the Empire tends to follow eventually ), but at the moment as far as I know none of your list is yet compulsory..........good ideas, but not compulsory.

Don't get me started! Back on topic............

[Talbot]

as has been said, there are two seperate actions for recovering a MOB. Getting the boat into the right spot, and then getting them onboard.

The practice of MOB with a float (or hat) tends to make people approach a real MOB far too closely, rather than stopping a little way away and allowing the boat to drift down/MOB to swim towards.

Getting the MOB back onto deck is the biggest part of the problem and rarely exercised. RN recognised this about 30 years ago , and then developed a life-sized and weighted dummy for the practice.

having the boarding ladder at the stern presents two major problems:
1. if the boat is pitching, it is dangerous, with the stern and especially canoe sterned boats slamming down onto unwary heads!
2. if your boat makes a lot of leeway, you have to time the move to the stern very precisely to avoid drifting down away from the MOB (probably accompanied by "shouts of endearment" from the MOB.

I have my boarding ladder (as original fit for all catalacs) at the fwd end of the cockpit on the beam. It means that you drift sideways onto the MOB and have him nicely in place for recovery. On a halfboat, you will roll a lot, but that can be used to advantage to assist the MOB back onboard.


What is essential is that the ladder projects well underwater (mine is abt 2.5ft below waterlevel) and that you have some means of preventing water flow from ripping the ladder away from the boat as you manoeuvre into position once the ladder has been put into position.

I know my system works fine, I have had to rescue somebody from another boat when I was singlehanded, and in a 35 kt blow.