MacGregorSailors.com

I noticed the post on man overboard tracking systems, and it got me wondering how many have actually experienced this emergency? Only one I've heard about involving a Mac was from a new owner who was out with his wife on Puget Sound. They were sailing in a moderate wind, heeled perhaps 30 degrees. They got hit by an unexpected puff, and the boat suddenly lurched to 45 or more degrees of heel, literally launching this poor fellow's wife into the water. He was able to safely retrieve his wife, and the good news was that she was still game to go out sailing with him. He determined that he only had his water ballast half full, and that, plus the strong puff, was enough to launch his wife.

Any other first or second hand stories out there?

A coworker reciently went MOB from a 'buckineer' and in the retrevial process they managed to swamp the boat, the water was still cold and they got a lucky tow from a fisherman who happened by. He wasn't sure how the outcome would have been without the tow.

My MOB story I have already told, but for those who did not see it, here it is.

A fellow and his wife asked if they could go for a ride on Nice Aft. I always like company,so I said yes. All I knew about this pair was that they were staying at the same resort as I, and they kept admiring Nice Aft. It at least demonstrated good taste

I headed out onto the lake and we were sailing nicely in a light wind when the husband started wondering out loud if he could swim faster than the boat. It turns out he was somewhat of an adventurer who jumped off of cliffs wearing a delta wing, bungee jumped, etc. I told him it is possible for a short distance, but that he would eventually get tired. With that, he suddenly stood, removed his PFD, and jumped off of the stern rail seats It was only a matter of seconds before he was being left behind, and now he was treading water in the middle of a large lake with power boat zooming by. I quickly tossed him the horseshoe ring, and commanded him to use it. I told him that the white ring will help him to be seen.

I got the boat turned around and fished him out. He was tired and had difficulty using the swim ladder. I headed straight back to the dock and got him off of my boat. He will never set foot again on anything I command.


Ray

Ray,

I don't think that qualifies as a MOB...

Sounds more like an IOB...

Idiot overboard.



Jim

My story is too long to get all of the details but I will try to get the important parts. My buddy and I wanted to impress these two girls we had just met by taking them out to a sandbar on a sailboat for our first "date". Only thing was that we were still brand new to the Marines and didn't make a whole lot of money. We worked a deal out with the marina on base to let us scrape the bottom of the 27 footer in exchange for letting us take it out for the day. We showed up at 8am and commenced to scraping the bottom of the boat while wearing snorkle gear. Every so often (every five minutes) we would pop out head up and take a swig out of the bottle of rum that we had on the back of the boat. The cold water and being active made it feel like we were much less drunk than we were. After awhile, and before the boat is done, the girls show up. We pack the boat and sail across Kaneohe Bay (world's largest concentration of breeding hammerheads, this will come into play later) to the sand bar. Once were there, my buddy commences to trying his best to talk to these girls while not appearing trashed while I'm stuck finishing the bottom of the boat. I didn't get to talk to them for more than 10 minutes before it was time to leave. On our way back my buddy says he has to pee. Rather than stopping, I tell him to stand on the removable ladder and do his business off of the back. Somehow or another he falls in with the ladder. Being that he is really drunk and petrified of sharks, he drops the ladder and swims like hull. I am laughing my butt off while trying to turn the boat around and telling him to grab the ladder before it sinks. Since he is not listening, I have to sail around him to get the ladder while he is still paddling for dear life. I managed to get the boat next to him (no motor on the boat) and get my arm around his. He panics in his haste to get in the boat and pulls me out along with the ladder. The boat heals over and the sails catch the wind, taking off rather quickly with two girls in the back that don't know how to sail looking at us like we are retarded. After about 15 minutes of trying to yell at them to turn the boat while we paddle like our lives depended on it, we finally caught up with the boat and got in. Fast forward to the dock. We are pulling up and my buddy is suppossed to wave me off if I am coming into fast like he usually does (no motor remember). Well he forgets and I'm pretty tipsy so we come in way to hot and ram into the back of one of the other rental sailboats while the manager is standing right there. He had some choice words for us. My buddy went below to get the sail cover. Before he got back topside, the girls had bolted without even bothering to say goodbye. He looked so dissapointed.

Try to keep it short.

1995 single-handing my CSY 44 from Aruba to Panama. Downwind 30+ kts of wind and big steep seas off Columbia. Headsail furled to about 20%, Main reefed all the way down (no staysail out). Furling line frays apart, headsail unfurls. I go forward on jackline, start hand rolling the sail in. Boat broaches from Port to Starboard tack, sail comes across bow , picks me up off the deck and dumps me in the water. Boat swings back to initial tack, I go under keel; not enough line to get to the surface on that side, ran out of air, current to strong to get back over, so I opened the harness shackle and cut free the boat. Swam behind boat and grabbed trailing line I always have out when sailing alone. Managed to hook across line just before the trailing fender on the end smacked me in the head. Used presseck (sp?) knots to 'Jumar' back to boat and climbed aboard. Cut the sheets from the headsail and let the thing trash itself to death for the rest of the night. Now always run Jack Lines with short leads and check furling lines often and very carefully End of story. MM

Mike's story is scary. I've never been in conditions in our Bay bad enough that demanded clipping-on.
If I was sailing off the NorCal coast, I'd prolly deem it mandatory.
(didn't need to when sailing off SoCal coast, but those were some very mild days in July.)

Most tethers are 6' long. Since the Mac's beam is only 8', most tethers are too long for safety.
I bought one of those dual tethers with both 3' and 6' leads, and a dual "PFD plus harness."

The six-footer can be clipped to a padeye, long enough for convenience in the cockpit.
But I'd never go forward except on the 3-footer. I'll get pictures soon for MacMods.

In the middle of lake erie on a perfect sailing day, a new friend and sailor without notice yelled man overboard and jumped into the water. I had to turn around and go back and retrive this idiot. I was a a little mad. Once I got him back onboard he made a point that I had sucessfully pulled off his rescue. He then asked me to jump in and he would rescue me. I threw the life bouy float into the water and he sucessully retrived it. (i didnt want to mess up my hair)


The point being.. are you capable of sucessfully rescuing one of your crew if they fall overboard. and what if you should fall overboard, can your crew take over the boat and rescue you. I seriously doubt that some of my boating crew could rescue me in an emergency, especially if it was in bad weather and big waves.. (maybe drinkin beer all day or nite)
.
Does your crew know how to turn on the motor and jibe or tack, can they rescue you without cutting you with the propellor.???? Work the centerboard and rudder ropes ??

Everyone should practice thier man overboard drills. Very easy in calm water, but, You are more likely to fall overboard in rought weather..

The Admiral and I practice MOB maneuvers on a regular basis. The last time was in Monterey Bay about 10 nm out of Santa Cruz. Nice day. Winds NW at 20 kts, gusting to 30 with swells about 4-6. Anyway, she got to thinking about how well we would be able to see and return to someone that went overboard. I said that it could be challenging, but if we just do it by the numbers, the boat would come around to within visual pretty smartly. She was at the helm, so over went the fender.

She stood erect and ordered me to keep spotting the fender and prepare to cast off the jib sheet on her command, while she let the boat fall off to a beam reach. I ate another pretzel and said, "Uh dear, that's me in the water." Her eyes shot lightning bolts at me, but she straightened up and said, "Fine then."

She held the wheel and slid forward to the starboard jib winch, uncleated the sheet and took another wrap, bringing the tail with her back to the helm. She then executed a perfect tack to port and cast off the jib sheet blowing the jib.

As she stood high at the helm to be able to see better while peering forward off the starboard bow, she muttered, "I'll be darned, there it is. Right where it should be."

She reached up and uncleated the main sheet and held it in her hand as she judged the distance, waiting for the proper time to head-up. She yelled, "Now!" as she turn the wheel to starboard and eased the main out. She pulled the main in a couple of times to power up the boat a bit and came to a dead stop right by the fender.

She locked the wheel, dropped the main sheet and just about knocked me overboard going for the boat hook. Reaching over the lifeline, she hooked the fender and brought it to the stern and hauled aboard. Those things sure hurt when they hit you in the side of the head.

Anyway, she had executed a classic figure-eight and it was a great confidence builder for her to do it by herself. I sure was proud of her.

Moral of the story is: If you sail with the same crew most of the time, make sure they are competent to do the MOB drill solo. Oh, and when you get home, make sure you know where the extra pillow is for the sofa.

~Rich