Man Overboard!

[Catigale]

I went swimming off Catigale in Tashmoo (MV, Cape Cod) and reboarded a couple of ways....

Side ladder over gunwale - had to kick myself up from the water, arm pulled up two stair steps, then got a knee onto bottom step. From there, worked a foot up to lower step.

From stern - used motor trim button, foot on skeg, and then lifted myself up with motor until I could step to transom. Motor lifted my 200# dough-a** no problem (Mercury 50 HP BF)


In rough sea, would not be fun.

[John McDonough]

its a good thing for me that It could never happen to me..

a few years back I invited a fellow worker to Sail across lake Erie with me. He had sailed 15 years on the Chesapeak bay.
when we were about 5 miles offshore in Erie he stood up, grabbed one of the foam seats and jumped overboard. Undeer full Sail I had to turn around and resuce him. (pick him up). I asked him what he was thinking. he informed me that he wanted to test my MOB retreval skills, to insure I was a competent sailor and could resuce him in case he fell overboard. (expalins why he brought 2 bottles of booze)

As he was drying off, he told me to jump in and he would practise his MOB retreval skills in a Macgregor Sailboat. I didnt want to get my hair wet so I just threw in a bumper and told hjm to go get me.

When Sailing Solo always throw your longest line overboard with a floation device attached . if your fall overboard, you have something to grab.

[GaryMayo]

Some of us would succumb to being pulled through the water by our own sailboats, or would not be able to hold on long.

If you cannot climb a rope at a gym, you have no better chance of climbing up a rope on a moving sailboat.

When Sailing Solo always throw your longest line overboard with a flotation device attached . if your fall overboard, you have something to grab.

[Catigale]

If your boat is making even 3 knots, the tether will end up being your dead chum line, indeed.

[Ixneigh]

Yes I do have the ladder plus a ladder off the stern quarter that I use while boarding from a dinghy.
The boat will be moving around so much in conditions that might cause a mob that climbing up the stern ladder may be impossible. The outboard propeller will be trying to pummel you as well.
If you fall off with the boat under autopilot shell be dragging you at three of four knots.
Fortunately you will slow the boat and may even make her stall unlike my old 32 that would happily tow a 12 foot dinghy full of water at hull speed without blinking.

How about this idea?
A six foot long by five foot wide very heavy netting can be attached to the top edge if the hull right under the rubrail.
Once it is released it unrolls and the free edge drops into the water where one could reach it and climb up.
You could also attach a halyard to the two free corners to cocoon someone and pull them up with not as much force on the rigging as a life sling because part of the weight is supported by the edge of the netting tacked to the rail.

This would be unsightly but might work.
A smaller price of netting might be good for a singlehanded like me.

[K9Kampers]

Fortunately you will slow the boat and may even make her stall...

Not likely. While sailing, we take turns jumping off the stern and dragging on the dinghy towline - boat under sail does not slow down at all!

[John McDonough]

Fortunately you will slow the boat and may even make her stall...

Not likely. While sailing, we take turns jumping off the stern and dragging on the dinghy towline - boat under sail does not slow down at all!

in lighter winds, dragging the raft wih anyone in it, or swimmers hangeing onto the rope, made sailing very frustarating and did slow the boat.

As far as solo sailers trying to pull themselves back to the boat on a drag line behind the boat for safety, I would suggest all Solo Sailers get themselves in shape and pracatice climbing the rope.
Of Course if you should fall off your boat and your not in good enough shape survive, a quick ending might be a good thing.

[Ixneigh]

For passage making, jacklines and a short harness tether should help a lot. Most of my close calls were in calmer conditions or even at anchor. We tend to let our guard down.
I have found that unless someone is steering, dragging someone under sail slows the boat considerably and makes her fall off to leeward and possibly jibe. Don't know with an auto pilot. My wheel lock can't compensate for the huge change in dynamics that dragging someone causes.
There is a small line that can be trailed from a cleat on the bow if one was really concerned. If you grab that you will absolutely pull the front if this boat around. You would be like tossing a sea anchor over the side.
A hundred feet of polypropylene with a big loop in the end should provide plenty of time to recover your senses and grab it. I do not tow this because I don't like the drag while out day sailing. I might consider it but would probably set up jacklines instead.

Ixneigh

[K9Kampers]

How about this idea?
A six foot long by five foot wide very heavy netting can be attached to the top edge if the hull right under the rubrail.
Once it is released it unrolls and the free edge drops into the water where one could reach it and climb up.
You could also attach a halyard to the two free corners to cocoon someone and pull them up with not as much force on the rigging as a life sling because part of the weight is supported by the edge of the netting tacked to the rail.