Deploying MOB gear

beancounter

beancounter

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Assuming that there are only two of you on the boat, and one goes over the side.

In amongst controlling the boat prior to turning back to pick up the MOB, there are a number of safety aids that can/should be deployed, e.g.

Danbuoy
Lifebuoy
Hitting the red MOB button on the GPS
Mayday call

In what sequence would you use them?

F'rinstance, if you're shorthanded, getting the danbouy over the side quickly would help you to not lose sight of the MOB whilst you do other things - such as dive below to hit the MOB button on the GPS.

On the other hand, if the MOB hasn't got a lifejacket on, getting a flotation aid over the side might be a priority...

What does the team think?

(a post prompted by the fact that Stargazer doesn't have a danbouy, and one is on our LIBS shopping list for the weekend)
 
As you say, depends entirely on circumstances. I don't have a danbouy, so lifebouy would probably be first, then GPS, and the mayday would depend on weather conditions, whether it was daylight or not, water and air temperatures, and whether the MOB was conscious or not. Mind you, where I sail, I would just tell the b*gg*r to stand up and wait for me to come back for them.
 
We've just bought (and modified) a danbuoy, up 'til now we've only had a Lifering and a throwing line, so in open water I'd throw the Dan buoy first, then the lifering, having put the tiller over to bring her to a stop. I'd probably have to wait for the GPS to warm up before reading the manual to find out if the Etrex has a MOB facility ... /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif Seriously, IMHO, pushing buttons doesn't help get the person out of the water: as long as you are close to them and/or can see them, you'd be better off staying on deck doing things. At night, and/or with a delay of some minutes after the incident would be a bit different, perhaps.

Regarding Danbuoys, I'd be interested to hear which you are thinking of. I rejected the big Plastimo one because (a) it's too big for our boat, it wouldn't look out of place on Mirabella V, and (b) it would inevitably get stored with the pole retracted. And I'm not happy with a friction locked telescopic plastic pole that might have to live on the stern for many years before I need it. Some of the others are either little better than toys, or less well-made versions of the Plastimo monster.
 
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Regarding Danbuoys, I'd be interested to hear which you are thinking of.

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Dunno yet.

The ones sold by Jimmy Green look OK, but I'd like to see a number of different ones in the flesh - hopefully possible at LIBS

Thanks for the input.
 
i'm planning lots of double handed sailing next season, for the first time, so I'd be interested to see what people think. On my boat I'd probably hove-to first, then deploy the lifebouy and danbouy at the same time because they are mounted side-by-side and tide together by a short line.

Anything to hand that floats (cockpit cushions) can go overboard too. More to litter the area with any visible floating debris (that won't foul the prop), than offer the victim a float.

Then step back and appraise the situation.

With good sea state and visability I'd probably get the MOB secure alongside and at least a first attempt at getting them aboard before thinking of turning to the VHF. If sea state is rough and visibility poor then hit the distress button first....but what about April in frigid conditions....?

What are peoples plans for getting the person back on board? I have a boarding ladder handy, but rungs don't go far below the water line and I recall from a sea safety course that climbing up a swimming pool ladder in full wet gear was extremely difficult, never mind a boarding ladder that just hooks over the toe rail. So I'd probably use my spinnaker halyard. Halyard winch is at the mast, so I'd always try and come along side the MOB amidships.

Boat is an Elizabethan 29, so long keel and low freeboard.

Cheers,

Mark
 
Depends if you see them go over. If so, in thefollowing order

lifebuoy - nearest to MOB so easiest to reach,
danbuoy - gets you to the right area
MOB marker - same as danbouy for longer term search.
Radio - less important than losing sight of MOB , until you have lost sight!

If you didnt see them go, and cant see them in the water
mob button
radio
180 degree turn to reverse course and track back for the equivalent of last time seen +10%
retain danbuoy and ring until mob sighted. fast pass to deliver ring and buoy then get yourself sorted for recovery

most important next step - get a line to mob and secure it, then you can cut the engine
 
Just had this debate on the MOBO site

The bit to worry about is:

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.

The only way I can think of is by using the dinghy.
 
And if you're single-handed then what? I've been working on that one - tho' not planning to be the MOB - harness a high priority.
 
That sounds good, I've got an Elizabethan 29 as well, and having got the MOB, or Wife as I call her, alongside I'd probably give her a rope to hold then put out the ladder (one of those little plastic folding ones, only used by swimmers so far) and try to help her back aboard by hand, getting the halliard out if that didn't work. Freeboard amidships is not huge, as you say, especially if heeled at all and I don't remember anyone having difficulty climbing the ladder when fit and conscious.

Any other scenarios are so varied that it's difficult to be specific. In 1st aid you are taught a simple mnemonic to get you throught the first stages of panic, i.e. "Airway, Breathing, Circulation". For MOB the tasks and their order as I see it are: Mark the spot, Get back to it, Casualty attached to boat, Casualty inboard. I prefer to concentrate on remembering them, rather than trying to plan for specific methods or using particular bits of kit. Hopefully I'll never have to find out how hard it is in reality.
 
What about a handy billy, say 4:1 purchase, hoisted on a spare halyard and taken to a winch, via say the genoa sheet lead to get the right angle (assuming MOB is alongside midships). Would that give enough purchase to lift 107kg???
 
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And if you're single-handed then what?

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If I went over when single handed, then I probably wouldn't use the Danbouy, lifebouy, GPS or VHF. I'd either freeze, drown, or swim for the shore.
 
I am preparing for a circumnavigation - just me and SWMBO - and, being a professional paranoid, I've given the MOB issue a lot of thought! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

In fact, falling overboard with the only remaining crewmember unable to perform a recovery may well be the highest risk in a short-handed long distance voyage, so my line of defence goes like this:

First , don't fall overboard! /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
Lifejacket and harness worn:
- always at night
- always when weather conditions warrant dressing up or wearing oilskins
- always when alone on deck
Being realistic, I would not expect we will be disciplined to the point of always wearing the stuff by daytime in mild conditions (nobody wants a striped suntan, after all! /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif ).

Second , make sure that the remaining crewmember is alerted when the other has fallen over:
- always wear a MOB-alert device when alone on deck (this will sound a very loud siren and also trigger the MOB function on the chartplotter)

Third , return to the casualty as quickly as feasible (chances are, we will be sailing with twin poled-out sails or with a gennaker, so an immediate heave-to may be not feasible):
- the sequence will depend on specific circumstances, so we have an inflatable danbuoy, with drogue and light, connected to a horse-shoe buoy, to be thrown to the casualty to mark the position and for him to swim to - if he can.
- in an immediate return is feasible, there is no point in launching the danbuoy, so we have another horseshoe with 30m of floating line, to be deployed from the stern and hopefully circled around the casualty.

Fourth , get the MOB back on board, and that's where I have not yet finalised my strategy.... /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif
- we have rigged one webbing ladder on each side (they're a sort of small bag: you pull the handle, and the ladder comes out)
- that's ok if the casualty is conscious, but if I'm the one in the water, at well above 100 Kg including soaked clothing, will my wife be able to pull me up?
Block-and-tackle solutions present a threat of inducing an heart attack, besides being potentially underpowered for the task, so I'm rather thinking along the lines of a sail (storm jib?) or net being attached to the rail on one side and to an halyard on the other.
Still, the problem of getting the casualty inside such a rig remains, so for me it's really back to rule 1: don't fall overboard!
 
Yes something like that is good, I planned to use the main sheet.

Problem is:- how do you attach it to an unconscious person in the water when you are in the boat.
 
You all forgot something remember ........

Dont Panic.... Captain Mannering! .....nobody panic .... /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
If the person in the water is unconscious and you've managed to get them along side you can probably clip or tie halyard or tackle to their life jacket. Either thread one through a strap or the clip-on point at the waist (assuming integral harness).

If subject is unconscious and not wearing a lifejacket then I think it will be difficult to hoist them out. A sling round the chest and under the armpits may work, but there arms will probably come up and it will slip off over their head when you start hoisting. The only option may, as previously suggested, be to launch a dinghy and try to drag them into that. If water is cold, dinghy needs digging out of locker and inflating, and time is running out then a last course of action could be to launch the liferaft and try to drag them into that.

Again, it comes back to making sure life jackets or at least harness are worn.

If your boat is big enough then a hard bottom dinghy available for quick deployment and stored on deck could get you out of a multitude of sins and may be a safety feature worth considering.
 
If you are using any sort of tender or dinghy and you are the only person left on board I think it may be a good Idea to make sure it is secured well and does not move about, if you dont , as you try and haul the casualty into it your centre of gravity may shift and you will fall in and, depending on how cold the water is and how healthy you are you may get into difficulties your self.
 
Our plan was to use the mainsheet, but to also attach the main halyard to the end of the boom so that the boom could be lifted via a sheet winch to provide enough elevation of the MOB to get him up to deck level.
Attaching to an unconscious MOB was always a worry. We always wore harnesses when circumstances dictated - similar to Gian's "rules" above - even if not always hooked on when MOB threat level was low. A mooring hook, such as the Mooringmate, would provide a means of getting a strong line onto the harness.
 
Has anyone squeezed into a wetsuit, jumped in and tried their idea with SWMBO? What were your experiences? I plan to do this in the summer, but at the moment it's all theory.

Thinking more about my plan to use the spinnaker halyard, it may be quite difficult. The halyard winch at the mast is old and has no self-tail, so any winching would have to be done with one hand, while the other tails. Can SWMBO, or me for that matter, winch 100Kg of dead wait on a halyward with one hand? No idea.
 
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