ab1974 1 Posted June 9, 2011 Share Posted June 9, 2011 Return trip from Sydney Hobart one of our crew went over. Looked really nasty for about 3 seconds - felt like 30. Was twilight and blowing about 20-25knots with a 3-4M lumpy sea. Putting a reef in on a beam reach with the main eased. Needed to put a reef line in (can't remember why it was out in the first place - but a good lesson that I haven't let happen again!). The tallest guy on board was standing on the leeward deck with one hand on the boom and the other feeding the feed line through the reef pennant. He slipped and went over the rail. Had a harness on was teathered to the jack stay. Line went taught and as one of the crew yelled and went to try to grab his line the next wave picked him up a dropped him back on board. Only wet from the waist down. Bl00dy close call. Link to post Share on other sites
Marshy 30 Posted June 9, 2011 Share Posted June 9, 2011 On moving violation one tuesday night i was driving and we rolled out during a Gybe after the mainsail got caught in the Backstay. Bowman was trying to gybe pole and lost balance. He swung with pole in hand over the leeward side of the boat. Then the boat proceeded to drag sideways as he went under boat and out the other side to windward. By the time we got a surrogate bowman to pull the kite down we were a good distance from Scotty. Sailed back upwind and picked him up, then carried on racing. Had someone watching him the whole time while we sorted stuff out.I think the boys first noticed when their rums spilt and you could hear a little girl crying that the water was cold in the middle of summer! Have to say the boys did well coming back and getting me. Worst part was trying to not get run over by the rest of the fleet that were following us at the time.... oh that and the whole tackling the leading edge of the keel on the way under the boat. Was a good return to get you, still scarey how long it takes... And having to get the bottom of the boat re-antifouled after all the blue got rubbed off onto your t-shirt was average to Scotty! Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted June 9, 2011 Share Posted June 9, 2011 Mine was as a wee lad, sailing out to kawau, dad was up on foredeck gybing the kite, and boat rolls (my bad driving), dad is flicked off the fordeck, i say to mum "quick grab that rope and throw to dad" ...mum grabs the sheet which happened to be the same sheet dad was holding onto has he swept past, so next mum is in the air going over the side. Yeah..10yrs old, kite up, and the parent are hanging on to a sheet 10m behind the boat Link to post Share on other sites
Fogg 427 Posted June 9, 2011 Share Posted June 9, 2011 So far (touch wood, fingers crossed etc), I've never lost a person off any of my boats nor been over myself. But I did pick up 4 guys when they abandoned ship due to fire - they were fully kitted up inc boots and it was interesting how hard these fit guys found it to pull themselves up a boarding ladder in a swell when loaded down by sodden clothing. Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted June 10, 2011 Share Posted June 10, 2011 I'm sure we've done this before. On Sure Thing late 90s Brin Wilson race we picked up a guy thrown off Itchy Feet when the boat snapped its rudder and flicked the stern. First we knew was when we spotted the para flares so we got the kite down and headed for the area. We saw the bobbing head and dragged them in with Messy Games beside in case we missed The person had swallowed a bit of water and retched it all up pretty quickly. And on Supergroove we had a big wave knock down in a CC. THe mainsheet hand took a dive through the lifelines but held onto the mainsheet. We rounded up and pulled him in.The person on the rail bent a stanchion. Link to post Share on other sites
splashprincess 17 Posted June 10, 2011 Share Posted June 10, 2011 I was just reminded about my swim last night! A squall hit us with the kite up and we broached big time. I let the mainsheet go completely (and out of my hands as well) then lost my balance and fell between the top and bottom lifelines. Since the boat was on its ear and not going forward I managed to grab the aft quarter staunchion when I surfaced. I hung on until they got the kite back under control and then they dragged me back onboard. Glad that we now have a step through transom as it would now be easier to get back onboard. In hindsight we should have grabbed the stern ladder that was down below and used that to get me back onboard! Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted June 10, 2011 Share Posted June 10, 2011 I have had 3 man overboards as skipper of pelagian, the worst was after finishing a pons rum race. we had crossed the line and had taken the headsail down. the push pit bars are removable to avoid dammage when in close combat. Unfortunatly one of my crew did not realise i had taken them off !!!After neatly coiling the sheet she lent back and fell over the stern. what was really a worry was the fact there were six on board and no one saw her go over. it was only when paul rosser and crew yelled at us we noticed opps now there were five. Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted June 11, 2011 Share Posted June 11, 2011 First of all people should stay onboard..........so lets them drowned Now for real. i had one man overboard two oclock in the morning in hot water 60 miles from the coast 35 knots of wind. Boat full crew most outside because was at the end of reducing the sails. two reefs and down to number 4. The guy who did the change in front with his harness unclip his harness to pull in the sheet on the winch and a wave hit......... Everything went wrong in this change and it already last for thirty minutes and one torn sail. We were reaching average 12 knots speed. To help someone you must put yourself in a position to do so. So i ask the helmsman to keep his route and we went for the long solution. " It likely does not happen when you are under control... it happens when sh*t is hitting the fan so there is a lot to deal with" we throw the boy with lamp checked not more than ten seconds after, had one guy keep the lamp in sight , one to wake up everyone and call or vhf as they were some other boats around.plus mob button on gps. We put the sails down tied them double check no ropes in the water start the engine . I checked everything twice as i was so furious about that, it takes the fear out and made me do the things right. We were back to the boy about 30 minutes later and the swimmer had just catch it, that means the 8 to 10 seconds he took us to throw the buoy equipped with all the gear sea anchor light fluo whistlle etc...was for a guy with full weather gear on 30 minutes swim..........he get rid of boots trousers winch handle and just keep the flotation jacket So 40 minutes later everybody was safe and we put up only the small jib and ....... No panic is the best lifesaver so you should do the fastest possible in the non panic mode. It will be different for everyone and every situation. day or night , conditions , training etc....... More practicing will sure makes it faster in every situation. At night a lamp and cyalume stick in the pocket is a must. We didnot saw him from when he went overboard until 10 meters from the buoy. herve Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted June 11, 2011 Share Posted June 11, 2011 Hello Another time i fell overboard on a elliott 5.9 in the harbour in a f**king... chinese gybe under spinnaker. I was able to touch the boat 4 or five time but could not grab anything. the crew didnot manage to handle the situation for a long time then when they were coming to pick me back. the jib sheet broke. Rescue patrol pick me and put me back on the boat to rescue it... So do only what you can handle put yourself nose in the wind in thirty knts of wind will probably not help your mob but more probably stop any chance to rescue it, give more chances to have more MOB or injuries onboard. In five or ten knots of wind more can be done but things aare probably safer for mob anyway. Only time things should be done urgently is if young children, people uncouncious or who doesnt swim...... One can jump overboard to help but its the second worst thing that could happen. so it shoul be avoided in nearly any cases. Prevention and training is must. At night lamp is needed in every people wetgear. Something called a harness is a great solution . herve copy and paste from a sailing anarchy forum discussion Link to post Share on other sites
Bimini Babe 0 Posted June 11, 2011 Share Posted June 11, 2011 Duh! http://www.yachtingmonthly.com/news/528678/yachtsman-survives-jumping-overboard Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted June 12, 2011 Share Posted June 12, 2011 Last time I went overboard I decided to do it in style. I made it onto the front page of the Dominion Post with not one, but TWO colour photos... one with me in the water and one of me drowned rat style a couple hours later back at RPNYC. Here's the write I did at the time... I left work at midday today. It's now 10.15pm, and I am at home safe, warm, and very very tired. It was the RPNYC business house regatta, and I got to the boat just before 1pm to set the boat up. We were taking the staff and clients from Martin Bosely's restaurant out for the day. We had the Owner GJ on the helm, and myself and Sparkles from the regulaur Flying Circus crew and Jaimie, an experienced Wellington yachtie who sometimes sails with us on Circus who'd been cleaning the bottom of boats and came down asked if we needed an extra pair of experienced hands... We said yes, okay. Good call. Before we left we briefed the restaurant guests on the safety procedures, including the man over board drill (explaining that the chances of that happeing were very very low), got them in life jackets and explained that with keel boats the more they lean over, the less force there is pushing them over further, and the more the keel will try and stand the boat back up again. We talked about an extreme example, which they'd almost certainly never see, where the mast was parrallel to the water and the keel was out of the water. We explained that you hang on, don't panic, and the boat will stand back up after a short while. Another good call explaining that. The race was a pursuit start, and Circus was 3rd to last away 27 minutes after the first boats. The course was a windward lay through on port in 15 - 20 knot northerlies to the top end of Somes Island. Being a business house fund raising regatta it was "no extras" so we were gull winged down to the bottom mark at Falcon Shoal mark, where the shortened course falg was flying... so a beat back up to point Holswell, and then a quick two sail across Evans Bay to the finish, back to the yacht club for some rums and a BBQ. Well, that was the theory. As we were approaching point Holswell I looked out at the harbour mouth. It was 4,15pm but it looked darker than mid night. It was a wall of blackness. I suggested we shortern sail. I then looked ahead and there was a vertical cloud wall above Mount Kaukau... blue sky on one side of it and night time on the other. Just then a wall of white spray several hundred metres high exploded out of Evans Bay moving faster than I have ever seen a front move. Boats in front went from a 20 knot northerly to a 65 knot southerly in 10 seconds. Sails were flapping and ripping. The radio exploded. Race abandoned, get your sails down, take shelter in Kau bay. I raced forward as Sparkles blew the jib halyard. The jib came down quickly. Just as I got the head of it in my hand we got hit. We went from upright bare headed and main flapping to top of the mast in the water in 2 seconds. I was under water with both feet still on the deck. That is not good, I thought. It got worse. Very soon after my feet were not on the deck, they were tangled in the jib and jib sheets and I was completely underwater. I looked up and there was the side of a red hull above me... that'd be the circus I thought. Not wanting to get tangled in the jib and jib sheets I pushed out of it and swum. When I popped up I was 20 - 30 metres behind the boat and she had stood up and her main was half way down but she was leaving the scene quickly in 60+ knots of breeze, spume every where and driving hail. That is not good, I thought. I turned my back on the wind, pulled my hood over my head and slowly began treading water thinking this could be a long swim. Luckily, 4 or 5 minutes later Te Ruru the club safety RIB pulled up next to me and hauled me on board. What followed was a very very scary hour. Two maydays, both from boats who had lost headsails overboard that had then fouled their props. Just before the front hit a container ship, The Asian Lily had steamed past us heading out of the harbour... She came back soon, quickly, after and anchored in the lee of the Mirimar penninsula. On Te Ruru we went in search of Andiamo, a Davidson 55 which had issued a mayday - she had no engine with a fouled prop. We eventually found her, but in 2.5 metre seas and as we found out later from the Pilot boat that also came on station, 78 knot winds, hail and visibility down to 20 metres at times, we could not do much ther than stand by and use our radio to guide the pilot boat in to assist her. Everyone made it in safely - three yachts being towed in. See http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/3441447 ... ew-Zealand And this is the weather data from the Point Jerningham weather station that day Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted June 12, 2011 Share Posted June 12, 2011 some more pics from that day... This one is off the coast near Makara Beach This is almost exactly where we were with the boats in front of us about to get slammed... This is the photo that made the front page of the Dom Post. Taken by Chris Coad Photography's Chris Coad from on board the RPNYC mark boat Te Ruru. That's my head in the water behind the boat. Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted June 12, 2011 Share Posted June 12, 2011 and here's the front page of the Dom Post... and some video of the storm hitting the south coast just before it knocked us flat... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cpj6OLYmm9g This one is from on Te Ruru about 200 metres from where we were when it hit. Pilot boat getting a tow line to Nedax Racing which gets a bit gnarly at the end. Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted June 12, 2011 Share Posted June 12, 2011 I was onboard Balaena Bay in Evans Bay when this storm hit and I snaped this shot. Link to post Share on other sites
Bad Kitty 256 Posted June 12, 2011 Share Posted June 12, 2011 Lovely place that Wellington. Link to post Share on other sites
wheels 543 Posted June 12, 2011 Share Posted June 12, 2011 Well, you very rarely complain about the smog in Wellington. Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted June 12, 2011 Share Posted June 12, 2011 Dave I always forget my password but here's my comment. I have been sailing keelers since 1963 (done 150,000 ocean miles by the late 80's ) and this was the first time I had come adrift from a boat. Just shows no room for complacency not matter how long one has been sailing. I was on the outboard end of the prod sorting a clean up after a fitting failure on the gennaker which we had just taken down. Speed was done to 11 knots just before the Brett. I clipped on to the stay that runs from the outer end of the prod to the top of the seagull striker. The small shackel (very old) that ran from the outer end of the prod broke and the prod and I hit the piss with the boat passing over the top. I was very lucky not to get tangled in the Prod stays to the hull or get hit. Years back we used to have long dan bouys that ran up a tube in the stern. They were about 2.5 m in length with a light on top. Now days we just have very small ones (dan bouys that is). Given the height of the light (about 100mm above the water) and the height of my head above surface, it is not surprising that I did not spot it in the swell of about 1.5 m. From recollection, some of the problem with the longer dan bouys was that in very heavy weather they got layed flat so were no better then the little ones we now use. The crew did a great job. Got the rag down, turned her around and as stated, got back to the bouy. She had travelled about 200m before heading back. No real problems, but I was lucky not to be hit when I went over. Mike Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted June 18, 2011 Share Posted June 18, 2011 my stomach contents have dived over the side from time............. to time....... Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 I had one of the crew push the owner over the side with the kite pole while bringing it in once - I was driving so threw him the main sheet and told him to grab it because I was about to round bottom mark and wasn't coming back...thankfully he did and as it was hot summers day wasn't too upset about it Link to post Share on other sites
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