Deploying MOB gear

We nearly always have just myself and SWMBO on board. Safety/recovery equipment is as follows:

Horseshoe with inflatable danbouy/light/drogue/whistle attached
Horseshoe with light
20meters of floating yellow line attached to small fender (attach to boat, drive around in circles to get line to victim)
Recovery sling
Tribuckle recovery sling
GPS at wheel with MOB button.

Good so far?

The worry I have is, if I fall in I cannot be sure SWMBO will know how to delpoy various bits of kit. She says she would but I cannot help having my doubts.

When sailing we always wear lifejackets. Unless flat calm.
 
I don't think I need add to the advice given above. But have gone over once myself plus had (not same race) another crew jump off the back - IMHO would suggest:
1. You don't ever rely 100% on an inflating dan buoy. We lost one in a broach over Biscay and watched it sink despite the line being still attached to the boat with the firing pin.
2. If you sail only two handed, and do have a mooring hook like the mooring mate, then make sure it is both long enough and strong enough to use it to clip a line onto someone disabled in the water. From that point onward the person on deck can take time to sort out how to hoist the lost person back aboard. Getting them re-attached to the boat with something that does not rely on the lost person being concious or strong enough to hold by hand, now comes high on my agenda.
Cheers
JOHN
 
If it is not secured I doubt if any way is safe but it depends on the size and weight of vessel and casualty, and you.
If it is secured to the boat preventing forward, backward and tight enough to prevent tipping (like a tight spring) then if the stern is lower than the bow the stern would be easier other wise - either or but if the bow is slightly higher this may take a litle more effort but may help counter any additional weight comming onto the vessell.

If you can not get them into a dinghy or tender and, If help is on its way keeping them in the water (depending on situation)is an option to consider. If they are unconcious you can maintain their airway while they are in the water.

It is always good to have an action plan that works for and within the capabilities of you, your crew, and your boat .
a good idea is to put it into practise, and, should something happen ,which is never what you have trained for, you will at least have a well rehearsed foundation action plan to use and adapt.

As a few have suggested - Have a concious and unconcious action plan as well.
 
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The worry I have is, if I fall in I cannot be sure SWMBO will know how to delpoy various bits of kit. She says she would but I cannot help having my doubts.

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Is that because she sleeps with your insurance policy under her pillow.... /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
The instructors always tell you to Mayday first but with only one on board then keeping sight of MOB is essential. Horseshoe first whilst they might be able to get to it. Danbuoy second. MOB button third in case you need it - I have handheld GPS in cockpit running of 12v lead. Handheld VHF in cockpit is nice.

Recovery techniques all tried in Feb 2007 PBO - worth a read.

First things first - prevention. If weather is up then wear a lifejacket and hook on. At night always hook on regardless of weather.
 
The scary answer may well be that at the end of the day their may not be an "answer" to bringing a MOB back onboard..........no matter what kit is held. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

if the MOB could not use the boarding ladder, my preffered option would be for using the inflatable dinghy, with someone in it to assist.........and with a tube partially deflated to assist. My thinking being that if they are not able to climb a ladder then possibly they may not be able to cope with clipping themselves to any hauling in / up device or block and tackle.

My thinking being that once in the dinghy they get the chance to regain some "puff" for attempting the boarding ladder, plus they end up a lot lighter by having drained there clothing.........and if push comes to shove they could stay in the dinghy and be towed home / until a lifeboat arrived, survival time would be a lot longer even soaking wet in a dinghy than in the water.

It occurs to me that what would be useful would be a one man "liferaft" that was designed to be dropped to a MOB and auto inflated, in order to get the MOB somewhere more comfortable / secure / visible and from which it would be easier for them to climb aboard into the boat itself. Would maybe also give the folk onboard more time to get themselves ready for the pick up?........and designed to be as easy as possible to enter from the water with a lifejacket, even at the cost of not being dry. Maybe even some "kit" onboard (a cheap short range 2 way radio / some flares / a survival blanket?) Just thinking aloud.
 
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So I'd probably use my spinnaker halyard. Halyard winch is at the mast

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Having witnessed the huffing and puffing of my crew trying, and failing to winch my 85 kg up the mast on the spinnaker halyard, I can't see any prospect of it succeeding when I'm loaded with water. So my plan A is to use the spinnaker or jib halyard to hoist this gear 3 m clear of the water.

Manoverboardtackle.jpg


Clipping the snapshackle onto the casualty's harness may present a problem if he is not capable of doing it himself - so this may need modifying after sea trials.

Plan B is to use the storm jib tied by two points to the rail, with the third point to a halyard.

But numerous deaths due to delayed recovery and the evidence from the American trials demonstrates clearly that regular practice is a much more important determinant of success than the gear/gizmos, and could make the difference between life and death.

Mark
 
Perhaps it will be safer to use the dinghy or liferaft simply to put you in close enough contact to attach lifting rope to MOB.

Never tried getting a casualty into a dinghy. I suspect the easiest way to get someone unconscious into a dinghy would be to partially deflate one end and float them on to it and then reflate if you need to.

Perhaps someone could do some tests sometime
 
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It occurs to me that what would be useful would be a one man "liferaft"

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I wonder how many people would consider launching a conventional liferaft in these circumstances - they are after all designed to be climbed into. If a yacht already has a 4 or 6 person liferaft, what's wrong with launching that when a person's life is at stake?

Climbing, or being dragged into a conventional, non-inflatable dinghy strikes me as impossible to achieve without flooding it, and therefore feasible only for those dinghies with adequate bouyancy. The dinghy-sailors among us will remember the trick of tying a loop in the mainsheet, draped over the stern, so as to provide a foothold for lift. The dinghy's painter will of course be in use, suggesting that it would be useful to have a spare length of line in the dinghy.

Edit: sorry, started this before Bergman had posted his more pertinent and succinct contribution.

Mark
 
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Perhaps it will be safer to use the dinghy or liferaft simply to put you in close enough contact to attach lifting rope to MOB.

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That sounds like a good idea ,and something else we have to think about is, If they are concious and panicking dont get too close they may pull you in in the process!

Yes a classic text book example to deflate e.t.c. but it is all dependent on the type and size of dinghy or tender you have, as to whether it will work, the best way to find out is to try it (safely /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif) ,

I will soon be working out the best mob plan for my little boat.

Storm jibs are good - as long as you are not using it at the time! /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif anything larger will prove difficult for various reasons including added water load ...but if its all you 've got in that situation ....?

Q If you slit holes in a sail for water to drain, can that be done, will the sail hold up under load with drain holes cut in?.

Maybe a simple shaped 'net' made from lead rope that will sink under casualty as you pull it up it catches the casualty like a fish in a net, similar to picking up a buoy? this would be less cumbersome to store compared to the roll plastic mat variety you can buy (and probably cheaper as well).

p.s My suggestions re short handed scenario and securing the dinghy in an earlier post was just a suggestion it may not work if at all esp. in a choppy sea when the boat is moving around! blah blah
 
Agree with you 100% on the rigid dinghy front - another accident waiting to happen.

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I wonder how many people would consider launching a conventional liferaft in these circumstances - they are after all designed to be climbed into. If a yacht already has a 4 or 6 person liferaft, what's wrong with launching that when a person's life is at stake?

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I understand what you are saying, it is just that from what I have read that liferafts are very hard to climb into, even when aided - especially with an inflated lifejacket. Indeed from my (sunny day, splashing around for fun!) experiances it is hard enough climbing into a fully inflated dinghy with an inflated lifejacket on - and the tube is lower than a liferaft (albeit no "Boarding ladder").

I am at the "early design stage" (LOL!) - but I was thinking of more of an inflatable raft than a dinghy (maybe even "double sided") which could maybe be towed by the vessel around the Mob who could grab the towline and either haul themself towards the raft, or perhaps more likely slide along to it??

Maybe something like this (but maybe with low sides??) - and being "dual use technology" is more likley to be used / practiced with???

504610276.jpg


Actually quite a few things on the market used as "toys" which might suit.........
 
On the topic of recovering MOB, February 07 issue of PBO has a good coverage of different methods trialled on Sailing Yacht, Mobo & RIB. No one clear favourite really, but some useful ideas and obvious that likely to be a struggle whatever method, particularly if sailing 2 up and really tough if MOB is not able to assist. Use of inflatable was interesting- used as half way house at stern of boat, with partially deflated tube- so using stern as stabiliser when pulling MOB onto dinghy.
 
I shall read up on those.

Apart from 'Dont Fall In ' (yawn /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif)
One should have ones own safety rhib complete with 3 man crew motoring behind, ready to scoop up any 'crew jetsome' from ones yacht .. Easy , problem solved. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif lols
 
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Is that because she sleeps with your insurance policy under her pillow....

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Bu99er! That might be the reason! Never thought that, thanks! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
In the case of retrieving an unconcious being from the water, has anyone considered a leaded line (so it sinks) with some form of slip knot in the end. Slip the loop over a convenient limb (or torso if able) then attach other end to a halyard and winch them aboard. It probably wouldn't be very dignified, but then if they're unconcious what are they going to know of it?
 
Don't understand.

First action is throw danbuoy overboard, this is connected to and takes the drogue and the lifebuoy and the floating light all off by the action of the drogue.you then have a string of grabable items 80ft or so long. Why should you even think to need to throw the lifebuoy?

MOB position is taken care of by the LifeTag alarm. Engine on Drop the spinnaker, the cruising chute and the main and power back to mob position as shown on the chartplotter and look down tide for the casualty, hanging, hopefully onto the life ring with the flag and the light all doing their bit. Get them back on board and admonish them for spilling the skipper's tea.

Ok at night it might be helpful to power up the night vision gear.
 
The Jimmy Green (type) danbuoy is also sold by Marine Super Store (Wetline model) and at £39.95(offshore model) is a bargain.

For some strange reason you can never locate it on their website although it always features in their adverts.

When I ordered mine from them I had to phone and say "your advert in YM/ST mag on such-and-such a date at "that" price.

Good piece of kit which looks bl$$dy enormous mounted on the transom but, hey, that's exactly how you want it to look if you ever need to use it.
 
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If there are 2 on the boat and the strongest goes in the water - how do you get them back in the boat, particularly if they are unconscious or semi conscious.


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That's the nightmare scenario because if the MOB is unconscious the chances are you're looking at a dead body. All you can do is try and make sure their head is above water and shout like hell for the RNLI and HOPE!

It always makes my smile at the way different posters try to add extra bits to a scenario so that the outcome has got to be death.

Lets all remember that most MOB's are recovered safe and well - the statistics prove that!

Scenario 1.

Crew (MOB) goes over board having tripped on the colouring in the deck, he's dressed in a survival/immersion/floatation suit, he's wearing a crewsaver 150N L/Jacket with crotch straps, light, personal flare and spray-hood. The helmsman instantly deploys the dan buoy, starts the engine, the remaining crew get the sails off and they return to the MOB's position.

Result - saved crew!

Scenario 2.

Crew gets whacked on the head by the boom - disappears over the side, wearing a "T" shirt & shorts, it's February, in mid channel and black as yer hat, the vhf is u/s, the dan buoy is tied up so tight (because you don't want it coming adrift) that it can't be deployed, the engine refuses to start, the main sheet is jammed and the roller furling won't work - the only person left aboard doesn't know up from down.

Result - dead crew.

WE can all dream up scenarios that will result in dead crews - but lets look on the positive side and that is MOST MOB's are recovered.

Peter.
 
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The instructors always tell you to Mayday first but with only one on board then keeping sight of MOB is essential. Horseshoe first whilst they might be able to get to it. Danbuoy second. MOB button third in case you need it - I have handheld GPS in cockpit running of 12v lead. Handheld VHF in cockpit is nice.

Recovery techniques all tried in Feb 2007 PBO - worth a read.

First things first - prevention. If weather is up then wear a lifejacket and hook on. At night always hook on regardless of weather.

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That's pretty much the scenario I'm aiming for. We do wear our lifejackets all the time, and will hook on if necessary. We've got a H/H VHF in the companionway ready for use. I've got a handheld GPS, but currently it's down below powering the cockpit GPS repeater, as our fixed GPS at the chart table won't talk to the repeater. (a rare lapse on the part of the previous owner). Need to sort that out.
 
Thanks for lots of good input folks.

I guess the main points are:

1) Don't go overboard in the first place.
2) Think thru' courses of action
3) Have appropriate MOB/safety kit & know how to deploy it.
4) Work out a recovery method suitable for your boat.
5) Practise - both skipper and crew overboard scenarios
6) Revise (2) - (4) in the light of (5)

Oh, and try to achieve all the above without spooking SWMBO so much that she decides to stick to gardening instead... /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif
 
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