man overboard sw of rarotonga

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http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10685552

 

 

Here's hoping it turns out well....

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Dont want to read too much into it at this stage, but this sounded a bit disturbing....

 

"Unsuccessful attempts to rescue him were launched by the two people remaining on board."

 

Just what this means is impossible to tell of course (and don't like to guess) but good luck to them all....

[Murky 1]

Sh*te. An Orion plus the French up there looking for him, he has some good sets of eyes on his side. Hang in there...

[Guest]

Eewww, doesn't sound good. Anyone know the boat?

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There used to be a boat of this name ("Wild Goose") at Mana for many years (presume there still is), lovely looking cruising yacht about the size described, but I have no idea if this is the same vessel ... certainly hope not. probably a fairly common name for a cruising yacht.

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Sad to see they have called off the air search, altho the sailors themselves are still looking for their crewmate.

barring a miracle it doesn't look good for our fellow sailor and countryman I'm afraid.

 

this sport we love is not risk free and that is part of the attraction of course, but not much consolation when it all goes wrong.

 

wonder what happened, things can go wrong pretty quickly on deck for all sorts of reasons.

Regardless of the details in this case makes me want to rethink plan 'b' and 'c' for when it does next time.

 

I have never worn life jackets myself when offshore (just carried in case of extreme conditions), wore harnesses sometimes when conditions justified it, altho most of my off shore experence was before the current era of inflatable life jackets and personal epirbs.

 

Is it farily common for those here to wear inflatable life jackets when offshore in general or just when it is getting a bit dodgy?

What about personal epirbs? people tend to carry those in their wet weather gear as a matter of course these days?

[wheels 543]

I would say he has gone. Very sad. Of course it is the usual of, so easy to comment without knowing facts. So I don't say he should have done or worn or.... But it is a good story to have in the back of ones mind in regards to remembering our own safety. I have heard of cruising policies of "no one is allowed on deck without a life jacket on", through to ones that run around deck with nothing on. It does show a real importance of having a crew that knows some absolute basics. Like dropping sails, starting engine, MOB recovery procedure.

I am open to comment and correction here. But for just Dawn and myself aboard, I have gone through drills with her several times.

MOB procedure for us.

First thing she has to do is hit the MOB alarm on GPS so it marks position.

Then turn throw over the Life sling.

Turn into wind. (just thought of something...hit autopilot button to keep bow into wind)

Drop sails.

Start motor and head back to MOB GPS position.

 

The hard part though, and something we have never considered, is how to get me out of the water if I has injured or unconscious and could not do somyself.

[Guest Rocket]

Even racing our skipper has put an mob sling setup on the back. We wear harnesses with built in pfd offshore - just becomes part of your kit....

[w44vi 17]

getting some one out of the water when victim is tired or has little straight is much harder than people think, well worth trying in the marina, you maybe surprised at how hard it is !

[col j 0]

have pulled a few people out of the water (fell in pissed) took 3 of us once

 

going overboard is not something anyone wants to happen

[Guest]

Righto, 2 things...

1. Why wasn't he clipped on?? On the passages I've done every time you venture out of the pit you are to be clipped in. End of story. Why take the risk??

 

2. MOB drills. Every ones are different but heres mine,in line with RYA's. As soon as you see them go over, shout point and throw as much floating stuff in with them, hit the mark/MOB button on GPS if poss. Point into wind sheeting on everything hard. Keep the helm over and as you tack DON'T release the head sail. As you go thru the wind the head sail back fills slowing all progress and turning you faster. Keep the helm over and you will continue around. This allows you to kill all movement fast, and keeps you drifting at the same rate as the guy in the water. This now gives you a bit extra time to get your motor on, ensure all lines are clear, remember some horse shoes have stuff tied to them. Drop/furl the head sail and motor into the wind, once along side the MOB helm over and allow the wind to heel the boat so the leeward side is lower to the water and easier to get the guy in the water out of it. As to how to get the guy in the boat, thats easy, use a halyard and loop it under there arms, winch em in, sorted. The are differing ways on this, you can also just clip it to their harness point, but differing things work on different boats. This stuff needs to be practiced. Doesn't take much time to try the first part of this ie the turning into wind to see how it works.

 

Dan

[Guest]

I prefer to do man overboard drills without an engine.

[wheels 543]

Yeah you are probably right Squid. I had been thinking engine is possibly easier for Dawn as then she can manouver the boat easier. But then again, now she understands a little more and has a far more positive attitude wanting to learn, it would be a good time to teach her to controll the boat under sail. It sure as heck would make the rescue much faster and time is of the greatest essence in a MOB rescue.

Although, then she doesn't have an excuse before a Jury of why she had to leave me out there.

[Guest]

I prefer to do man overboard drills without an engine.

PLease enlighten us?? Surely there are too many thing that can go wrong, but I have an open mind...

[Guest]

Under sail because it's quicker.

Shorthanded, getting the sails down takes time and attention away from the MOB.

No propellor running to chop up the victim if they go under the yacht.

[Bimini Babe 0]

Came across a good main sheeting system on a recent offshore trip that I'm thinking of repeating on my boat - the lower block is attached to the traveller by way of a snap shackle, which can be undone to quickly to allow main sheet to be used to haul MOB out of water with ease of 4:1 ratio.

[Steve Pope 243]

Good idea Babe, and if used in conjunction with a boom brake, allowing you to control the swing of the boom, otherwise you may get knocked over the side as well.

[Guest]

All the above, plus in a real life situation it is all too common to loose the engine mid rescue (sails down in a hurry, line in the water...)

[idlerboat 116]

....we have jack lines running on both sides of the boat , both fore and aft. When we leave the companion way we clip on.

Its now a habit and realy is no hassle. At night, neither of us would be able to sleep if we knew that the other one was not clipped on. I weigh nealy double what Kerrie weighs, without a "system" she would have no hope. Just getting along side a MOB in a swell is hard enough, let alone grabing them and getting them aboard.

 

PS the dog stays down below unless it a flat calm

[wheels 543]

You're assuming she would want to save you IB.