Jump to content

Man overboard question


Recommended Posts

Every boat I've had I've done a man overboard drill. I even worked briefly teaching at a big sailing school and taught newbies a man overboard drill. Without trying to be arrogant I am pretty confident about putting the boat on the spot.

But with all my other boats a normal adult could reach over the side and grab the mob. But not BP. It's nearly two meters to the water. We have steps on the platform at the stern. But .........

 

 

So what's the accepted wisdom here?

Link to post
Share on other sites

ummm...don't fall overboard  :wave:

 

Otherwise I would be towing something so you  pull them to the platform once close, but if they are out cold its going to be a problem for anyone even if you have available free board :-(

Link to post
Share on other sites

Personally, I would drop a Halyard over the side with a loop in the end the person in the water can either put their foot into or around their waste up under their arms if need be. It would not be comfortable, but drowning would likely ruin your day somewhat also.

I know of another technique, but never tried it to see how easy it would be. It is supposed to be if you cannot lift the person onboard yourself and the person in the water cannot lift themselves out either.
      A spare sail is tied one end to the toe rail (or where you can. You may have other options as well).
The other end a spare halyard is attached. Lower so the middle of the sail droops down into the water. The person can pull themselves in to it and then you haul up the halyard. It rolls them over inside it as you haul it up and eventually they are at Rail height and can be rolled inboard. The only issue I can see with this is wind.

However, if you wanted to make a purpose built system based on this, a canvas cloth with wood each side (picture a field stretcher) and lines from each end (where the stretcher bearers would normally place their hands) coming together to make a bridle. The Halyard can attach to the centre point of the bridle and you haul them out on that. It can be rolled up and stowed away.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Thanks. I was aware of all those but none are an excellent solution . I thinks rats is 100% correct stay on the boat. I honestly think anyone going over has a less than 10% chance, if that...

 

 

VB if you're up for it i am. We need a sucker er volunteer to test it. Could be a fun afternoon outing.

Link to post
Share on other sites

I just remembered the old owner telling me the story of the guy who committed suicide from the boat. There were 3 three aboard. The guy in the water would swim away every time he got the boat alongside. Crew #2 volunteered to dive over and get him but he said "No that would leave me alone on the boat with two crew in the water". Once the guy died they were able to get the body back by directing it to the transom with the boat hook.

 

Might be ok as long as some idiot didn't pick up the gaff instead.

Link to post
Share on other sites

I think the main problem with this is there are so many scenario's and 'what-if's', it is hard to adequately address all situations.

I assume your main issue with the stern is, being the stern it lifts and falls lot in a swell, can clobber anyone underneath it, and is hard to maneuver to in comparison to getting someone along side.

 

All the UK sailing magazines have all those MoB recovery contraptions, they look expensive and highly impractical to use in reality. You would need a handful of spare crew to rig and deploy, all while managing the boat and keeping track of the casualty.

 

I believe the easiest and quickest win is a simple ladder. This obviously only works for conscious casualties, but it means you can get them along side and 'supported' on the boat easily. The simplest option is a rope ladder (with thick wooden rungs). You'd want this set up with hooks / snap clips to go over the lifelines. Very quick to deploy, gives the casuality something to hand onto, can be shifted or put anywhere, and is cheap. Can be stored in a cockpit locker, or even stored on the lifelines. There are some commercial variants, i.e. a rope ladder in a bright yellow storage bag with a velcro lid and deploying look handing down at water level. You can get budget allow and plastic rigid boarding ladders. They are OK, but for a MoB situation a rope ladder is just as good, and easier to store. We have an allow ladder for boarding up the side when on the mooring (can't get to the transom ladder with the pile mooring lines there. We keep it in the dinghy (in the dinghy locker) and just hang it over the lifelines when boarding with loads of gear from the dinghy.

 

Most of these high sided European production boats now have swim platforms that lift up. There is a major risk of not being able to climb back on, i.e. if you forget to lower the swim platform before doing a leak of the bow or cabin top (for a swim). I think its bendytoy have a special loop hanging down so you can deploy the swim platform from the water. Either that, or its one of those 'rope ladder in a bag' kits, with a 'self rescue / self deploy' loop hanging down at water level. One of those could work for you, even though you can get back on board via the swim platform.

Link to post
Share on other sites

I recall boat master tutor Ted Chappell years ago telling us he'd been conned into a coastguard training video for MOB. By the time they did it the second time (light....action... camera, take 2 don't ya know) he was hypothermic. Reckons he was in the piss off Brown's Is for about 50 minutes all up.

He maintains he only survived because he insisted on a wetsuit..

Link to post
Share on other sites

we had the 50-50-50 rule in the States: 50 minutes in 50ºFahrenheit water gives you a 50% chance of survival. 50ºF is 10ºC, so adjust the time and temp values as needed and you can guesstimate the percentage.

 

it's never a pretty picture. rule #1: stay on the boat!

Link to post
Share on other sites

These gadgets are ok but they have to be on deck ready or you’ll loose your mob involved the swells , some years ago I was sailing back from paiha in 15 18 knots on the wind and a lumpy sea , a dinghy came in sight straight ahead , I passed it Eased away from the wind Gybed ,and went to where I saw the dinghy was no where to be seen I rounded up hoved to , and way back I saw a white thing in the swell s it had gone down wind at a fair speed ,I ran down till it was in good sight rounded up Hooked it with the boat hook and grabbed the painter , , hard messy boat handling on my own but all went well , it belonged to a guy who lost it motoring to Auckland and was wrapt to see it again , so the lesson was you can’t take your eye of the mob , they move quick

Link to post
Share on other sites

Our plan is don't go over , be in a boat where you actually have a safe place to be , like shock horror , a proper cockpit where you can get some shelter and have something to brace against , unlike those not fit for purpose clipper RTW boats, and its looking like the Volvo RTW boats as well.

 

 And then have multiple options scaled to whatever the circumstances are should someone go in after all of that.

 Lifesling on the back for extra buoyancy and a 'tether'.

Boarding ladder on the back should the sea conditions allow boarding from the stern.

 2  pull out  rope ladders amidships both sides as an option . at the least they give a person in the water something to wind their arms through while something else is sorted , at the best they'll climb up.

last , halyard onto harness or bowline, its going to hurt , they will get hurt ,but....

Link to post
Share on other sites

its very difficult !!

Its important to remember that a very large mount of people cant climb rope ladders....

They think they can until they try when they are cold...the boat is rolling in a swell and the ladder curves against and under the hull..(meaning they MOB has to lift a larger proportion of their body weight with their arms.)

Fold down rigid ladders with at least three steps under water is a start for MOBs who have the ability.

Chances are the vessel will now be beam on and "Rolling like a Bastard"...

 

If the MOB is not capable of self retrieval it gets much harder. Even on a dedicated rescue boat with a side door only 200 mm above the water line, it is hard to haul a floating MOB on board. (MOB face towards the boat may help as thats the way the body bends, The other way can put a huge strain on the MOBs back if there is a swell)

Rescue slings are a reasonable help but it takes luck and skill to line up a floating object (unconscious MOB) and the sling.

There can be medical benefits for keeping the MOB horizontal, but see above...

They take a long time to set up.

Pulling the MOB into the sling with a boat hook is probably going to be needed.....and you are probably going to hurt them in the process. A sling in calm water with a MOB who has a back or neck injury may make a difference....

Having a crew member in the water, on a winch-able life line , will make it much easier, but runs the very real risk of getting hurt as well. Sadly just leaping over the side to save a mate, without a retrieval line on to often results in two deaths...

 

If the MOB has a harness on then a dedicated "handy billy" running off the boom with a snap hook will assist..either self rescue or assisted. A simple under arm rescue sling a worthwhile addition if no harness. 

Life line wires are a pain....not solid enough to help and difficult to get a MOB through or over.... you may not have a choice or time to feed a MOB along the side of the vessel to an opening...If necessary ...cut them .

 

In summary...You must plan for worst case...if its better then great !

...if you are two up.....your odds of a successful MOB recovery is low ...assume that if you go in you are probably going to die !

If three or more, assume that someone else may have to go into the water on a line to assist the MOB. A handy billy with a snap hook (and simple under arm sling) is probably the fastest most versatile help. 

 

PS..A constant visual of the MOB is the best. but hit the MOB on the chart plotter as well as the  EPIRB and DSC distress button if you can..you make your own luck..

  • Upvote 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

P_20180205_123253.png

 

MOBs best friend..

 

Latest Ambo Chopper (5.5 tons) coming in over our rescue vessel. 

They do direct extraction from in water or straight off our aft deck.

We have to lower our roof antennas so their wheels dont touch them !!

When I am driving its hard not to duck...the rotor force adds 2.5 knots of boat speed to us...

 

P_20180205_142033.png

 

V_20180205_151721 (3).png

Link to post
Share on other sites

From Berrimilla website:

In the log of 20th September, 2005, Pete answered the question
    How many injuries did you get when you went overboard?
I didn’t hit anything when I was catapulted overboard, it was quick and clean one second I was standing on top of the boat’s cabin the next I was in the water. ...  The MOB recovery tackle recovery sling with its sling (not the same as the Seattle sling) has been retrieved from the lazarette and is now set up across the coachroof just fwd of the mainsheet track. It is designed to be snap-shackled onto a strop fitted to the boom (and now in place) or on to the main topping lift or a halyard forward of the shrouds, or to anything strong enough to hold it like the pushpit in a real emergency. It is a 4 part tackle with a jam cleat on the lower block, giving an upward pull, and there is a lazy block at the top which will enable a downward pull, for instance if the whole gizmo is hoisted on a halyard. The tail is set up to be run to a reefing winch on the boom if necessary. If we ever need it, the tackle simply unclips from its stowage and can be clipped wherever needed. Also doubles as a spare mainsheet. I hope we never need to test it for real, but I’m sure it will work.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Tried out the MOB sling to halyard but wife had great difficulty winching my 100 + kilo dad bod from a reasonably calm sea with all gear on.

Tried the mainsheet which is 6:1 but no great success and you would need a boom preventer in place to stop it thrashing about.

Takes 5 minutes to pump and deploy dinghy and crawl aboard.

Agree best not to go overboard in the first place but sh*t happens.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...