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Sumner's point about spreading the MOB knowledge to your regular crew is sage, wise advice. I know for a fact that panic would ensue aboard my boat if I went overboard, and to be frank, it simply never occurred to me that I might be the one. Am I worried? No, I wear a PFD, I can swim, and I generally am in San Deigo bay which means I'm as likely to be picked up by two other boats as I am by my own if I were to go over. The admiral is exceptional on the helm but still definitely a novice and is still shying away from the engine, preferring to sail as she knows how to do.

We're going to make a MOB pole as Catigale suggested and do a retrieval drill without my help the next few times we go out until even my kids can get the boat safely around.

Props to Ruth for still sailing after all that!

pokerrick1 wrote:

mastreb wrote: Not funny part: It was my boat.

I would have loved to have been there to watch the changing expressions on your face after you asked him "how'd it go today"?

Rick

Me: "Dude, what happened to your hand?"
Him: "Oh, yeah, so funny story..."

He had permission to use the boat whenever, but a few days went by before the tale was told Had he not hurt his hand, it might not have come out at all. The Columbia would likely have sailed itself up to some rocks, banged against them for a while until the CG or BoatUS came out and got it, and I would have gotten a call that night. It was built in '68 so it had like 3/4 thick glass everywhere. Basically indestructible (but easy to sink, which is another funny story).

Here's the MOB procedure I have laminated and keep it in the cockpit. I try to go over this, along with pointing out the various labled control points on the cockpit. If I've missed something, chime in.

I also recently added labels to most of the control points in the cockpit. I use these for novice sailors to help me with the sailing chores and also in a pre-flight MOB procedure.

Ok, nice list.

Why don't you have a line on your seat cusion/float ring?

I like the idea of labels - what did you use?

dlandersson wrote:I like the idea of labels - what did you use?

Brother Labelmaker with 1/2 inch black on white tape cartridge. Looks almost like the labels are painted on the bulkhead because the white of the tape matches the white of the fiberglass.

Time is most critical as you are first shocked someone went overboard. We always carry at least 2 -coast guard approved 18 inch squire that we use as seat or back chusions.
If someone goes overboard, it is like shock to most people and so easy to throw them one or two of these life saving seats.
A water proof strobe light attached would be good.
Remember that once a person goes overboard that you have less than a min. to come about and find them during day light and less than 15 seconds at night.
The anitial shock of knowing someone went overboard may take 30 seconds or more for them to relize what happened.
Just have a couple of the throw away's at all times in cockpit, takes 2 seconds for you to relize what to do when you see them in the cocpit.
Dave

jschrade wrote:I don't want to take over the other thread, so started this one.

Honestly, I am quite surprised at the responses in the other thread.

Unless you are in calm water with no current and little breeze, a heave-to is a terrible idea. The boat actually makes way in a heave-to and the MOB may or may not be able to reach the boat. Note that PFD's are not very conducive to effective swimming.

The most important element in a MOB is to NEVER lose sight of the MOB this is predominantly how MOBs die at sea - it's simple lose sight and they are dead. There is no one-way to do a MOB as Catigale stated it depends on your circumstances. The motor gives control independent of the wind and does this whether connected or not connected to the steering linkage. Put the motor in the water and start it - if you don't need it then nothing is lost.

My suggestion is to toss a floatation device in the water, call out man-overboard and see how well you do in recovering it. It will likely illuminating.

Jim

If you remember the unfortunate story of the poor girl who had to be rescued in Honduras when her father was murdered back in Dec/10...a rescue ship arrived but it was too shallow and wavey for it to get near so she had to motor it of the bay to meet them. The first thing that got me right away was even though the poor woman, (24 years old), had been on the boat for an entire month she knew almost nothing about the boat's systems including the radio or how to even start the engine?
I can't fathom how you could bring anyone on board without some form of minimal briefing? We have a binder near the companionway door with simplified explanations of how to work emergency equipment, the radio, (1 button DSC is fantastic), and other info.
Since my 80 year old mother likes to come along, the bigger the waves the more she likes it, we've had to plan on what to do if she went over because there's no way she would get back on board via the stern ladder. My son & I have practiced rigging the boom as a crane by quickly attaching the bottom of the main sheet block to the both the main and spinaker halyards then using the boom to raise someone up.
Being prepared is not being paranoid, it will actually increase your pleasure, removing some stress for you and your guests.

Their is some very good discussions going on in this thread, and some good idea's as well.
But, IMHO.....They M U S T be practiced. I had a heck of a time during my ASA course doing MOB proficently each time. I required additional practice to get it all done properly....all sails, no motor, stopped at right place.


Fair winds...

Rich

I feel that it is just as important that the Admiral be competent in this maneuver.

~Rich

Lieu Daze wrote: My son & I have practiced rigging the boom as a crane by quickly attaching the bottom of the main sheet block to the both the main and spinaker halyards then using the boom to raise someone up.

The "Elevator method", described in "The Annapolis Book of Seamanship", is to rig a line to the forwrd cleat, droop it in the water and bring the other end up to your winch. Then the person, if able, puts their feet on the line in the water, holds on to the deck, or a stanchion, and you winch the line up till they can pull themselves over the deck. Not sure this would work for an 80 year old, but could be an option for someone who is overweight, and/or fatigued.

Also in the same reference, is the "lifesling". It's a buoyant yoke tied with a long line to a rear cleat. Procedure is to toss out the lifesling, come to a quickstop, circle the MOB until they grap it and then drop the sails for retrival.

Two things:

1, welcome to the forum

2, exelent post. Spot on. If you are on big water you need such a poll. Our man overboard could be our Malteze and he will be taught this summer to swim to this poll by giving him treats.

Our poll is about ten foot tall, eight out of the water, with an emergency colored flag on top. It will be upgraded with two led marker lights. Thanks for that idea.

I had decided to place on the mast of the MOB position marker at water level plus one foot, a portable marine radio in a water proof bag. The radio will be turned on, volume up, as it is tossed over the side.
Our MOB poll came with our latest boat, Sugar Bee, but will have the upgrades before the boat splashes in two weeks. Have the radio, just need the LEDs.

Metromate wrote:A MOB pole is the best way to mark the location of the 'lost soul'........providing of course that the event is recognized immediately or at least while the person is still in sight. The pole gives the captain and the swimmer a common target. Add a light if out much at night.
Does not need to be big - maybe 8 ft long with a fluorescent streamer or flag. Buy one or make one and then practice deployment/recovery with the least experienced person doing the drivin' - one never knows who is to go for the swim!

Do not put all your faith in a GPS system to mark your position at any given moment. Have an iPhone? It has an app that shows you where your phone is. Try it several times over the next few hours. Each time you use. It, it will show you a different place the system thinks your phone is. Given, this is cell based, and not a true GPS satellite system, but satellites get it wrong sometimes also . Sometimes whole cities are miles off. Two weeks ago, on a trip to Denver, our GPS system pointed us to a corn field where it promised us there was a walmart. The walmart was seven miles away. We looked for it again, in the walmart parking lot, and it was miles off.

Use the GPS as a tool, but not as your sole tool. As a sole tool, the toss the cushens idea my be far better. Low tech always wins out over high tech with batteries made in china used past the experation date.

Do you know the state department (and a few dozen other agencies) determines the focus points of civilian GPS systems? In the event of national concerns, the reliability of a GPS signal may be incorrectly sent to civilian GPS devices to give the military the upper hand in any conflict they may see happening, either real, or exercise. Google it.

Two people on sailboat.

Helmsman sees other crew member fall and hit head on deck, get knocked out cold, and rolls off sailboat landing face down in the water. Sailboat is heading on straight course of five miles an hour in moderate winds.

What do you do?

Hit MOB button on your GPS?

Toss out cushions?

Dial 911 on your cell phone?

Turn the boat around as quickly to return to area?

Or do you grab the MOB position marker with portable marine radio attached and toss it in the water, with yourself along with it?

Your crew member is face down in the water, and non responsive.

What do you do?

On a sailboat, you need to plan out every possible emergency that could happen, and a rescue plan to cover the emergency, imagined or real. The actions you take could mean the difference between a rescue and a recovery.

I've used the life sling before in practice runs. Even on a32 foot sailboat it wasn't easy. The boat also had mast winches.
Reboarding a power sailor of either model but ESP. The M.
I don't think the lifesling would be very effective. It might even roll the boat on her side. The average person weighs 160 pounds but some much more. It would take expert handling to manage in anything but good weather.

I guess I would release the sails and jump in tied to a safety line attached to the boat.
Reboarding the boat in any sea at all would be nearly impossible as set up from the factory. When the outboard is tilted up it almost blocks access. I do carry a paddle board. Maybe I could launch that Once the person was tethered closer to the boat assuming I could reboard myself. Worst case I tie the person to the board and sail closer to shore.
(scenario assumes remote location with no ready help)

I made a custom step on the rudder of my 22 venture that works well. I could do that even with an injured arm.
Don't know if I could have reboarded my M.

Reboarding the boat in any sea at all would be nearly impossible as set up from the factory

Do you have the swim ladder?