Falling overboard & Safety Harness

[Matrosen]

Re: Getting back on board ...

I have found that I can climb my transom ladder (bottom step 4" under water) by using my knees instead of my feet. I've not tried it from a MOB situation, but I do come out this way with full scuba gear.

 

[ianabc]

Re: Getting back on board ...

To cut safety line ....

Scuba knife in safe sheath strapped to leg...

Rigid blade...one hand removal essential....

 

[William_H]

Re: Getting back on board ...

Re boarding a boat. The most important thing is to do it often to prove it can or can not be done. I think just as important as the step is something up high to grab with hands to pull yourself up. In my case the top of the pushpit (stern rail) is just the right height so that I can reach it from the water but is high enough to help lifting the body. More higher above the rail would help even more in my case or on a larger boat intermediate rungs under the rail and an easy to grip transom top would all help.
As a cheap alternative to folding ladder I have a piece of SS rod bent to make a step lower than the fixed step which can be fitted for less agile people but is not often used. Thanks Capt. Courageous for the warm welcome to your 3exclusive club. Yes i think it is important to try things out. regards ole will

 

[Lee_Shaw]

Re: Safety harness.

If the attachment point is near the neck area isn't there an increased chance of getting it wrapped around the neck in the event of being towed?

Also, may there be circumstances when the line may need to be cut or released but could be inaccessible due to being attached at the nape of the neck - or anywhere at the back of the body?

 

[Guest]

Re: Getting back on board ...

My boat height is not low - compared to other 25ftr's ... but is ok height to pull up from. I have a transom that can provide good hand-hold + the mainsheet horse above that to give an extra height as you climb.


BUT the point is that with the numbing effect of the water on the legs etc. - I found it impossible to get back on board .... even with help - it needed two hefty guys to do it.
One has suggested the knee onto step .... yes this is an excellent way to get onto the step and start. Problem is when the step is like mine .... single foot width fold down job. You can get knee on - how do you then change to a foot - so as to get up the next one - especially when you are numb and having difficulty moving ....
As regards life raft .... having done my Survival course in Plymouth Sound in March .... early 70's for Merchant Navy - I can honestly say that getting into a raft is darn hard !! OK if you are second one in - but first ?? That is why we were always taught to jump onto top of raft as first person in .... so that you could get in and then help the others who then came by water !!
Here's an exercise ........ try getting into a raft with a lifejacket on and inflated. Hah .... now you start to get the picture ... hard isn't it. How do you do it ? Turn around and put back to the raft, person inside then pushes you down under water, as the jacket propels you back to surface they pull to get you higher up out of water and pull you back over the side ... the jacket then not catching everything as its other side. Sounds terrible but it works.
The silly little webbing steps fitted to rafts ......... found them useless ....

Modern survival courses are now run in swimming pools - not exactly best example of how bad it can get ..... nice warm water, little wave / swell action etc. Plymouth Sound in March led to myself and another actually getting start of Hypothermia .... so rescue was a little quicker than planned ! For those that think rafts etc. are the answer and all is simple - think again ... there is no good answer for this - except stay out of the water .......

There is good reason why long-distnace swimmers grease themselves up or wear special thermal suits - even in warm water ... remember when you fall in - you don't have that benefit .....

Sorry to be a doom-merchant here - but fact is fact. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

 

[Anonymous]

Re: Getting back on board ...

[ QUOTE ]
Sorry to be a doom-merchant here - but fact is fact. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

[/ QUOTE ]No, it was a very useful post - thank you. I'll see whether Zodiac make available the opportunity to try their rafts in a pool; when I saw ours inflated at Ocean Safety it didn't strike me as being 'easy' to get into but it seemed a heck of a lot easier than the other rafts that were inflated in the hall at the same time. When you say 'jump in on top of the raft', do you mean onto the top of the canopy, or was that in one of the very old-fashioned open rafts?

 

[danera]

Re: Falling overboard & Safety Harness

Kids lifejacket/harnesses (eg crewsaver supersafe) have the attachment point at the back which makes it easier for them to run around the decks, lean precariously over the side, etc, but means they can't dettach themselves from the line.

As an adult I'm more concerned about my harness working effectivelly on deck as it's there to stop me going over in the first place. With the front attachment point I find it easier to brace myself keeping the strop taut, when reefing at the mast, etc. The main advantage of having the attachment on the back is being able to kiss your b*lls goodbye once you go over!

 

[Guest]

Re: Getting back on board ...

A commercial life-raft is fitted with a double inflated arch ... we were taught to literally jump into the middle of the raft .... the fact that something may be hard under .... is better than 'dieing' in water or on ship that is sinking ...
From a yacht - it should be even better - as the height from yacht deck to raft canopy is near step on !!! In fact you could probably jump into the opening straight into inside !!

What I was illustrating was not so much the boarding method - but the ability to do anything after being immersed in cold water. It is amazing how quick the system slows down and literally you start letting yourself drift off ... a feeling of calm descending so that ignore the danger you are in .... having felt it - I know it is true .... when you get pulled out and sorted - it is frightening how close you come to just giving in ....

If anyone has actual experience of MOB for real and what they did to get person back on .... the problems etc. etc. - here is the ideal thread to put it on ....

I know PBO did MOB along with all mags at some time or another .... but an organised jobbie in summer in the solent is a bit different from the real thing where panic and fright take over from common sense ....

 

[tsmyth]

Re: Getting back on board ...

I recall an incident in which a single hander was sailing a TS16 on an inland lake. He was knocked down and fell overboard. The problem was his foot was caught in the main sheet. The result was that the boat popped back up and sailed away, towing him foot first. Fortunately the safety boat came to hsi rescue.

Ray

 

[fireball]

Re: Getting back on board ...

I did that in a reefed wayfarer in a F7 ... with 2 kids on board too ... the toestrap rope broke at the stern and because it was looped it caught my ancle before continuing to sail.. The kids didn't know what to do - so I was instructing a novice helm from my own bow wave - just managed to get the boat stopped by the time the rescue boat got to me (about 30 seconds!). The toe straps are now in two pieces so if it breaks, you fall out...

I've tried getting back on board a moving RS800, it is not very easy and that has an open transom. Getting the boat stopped is very important when trying to recover a MOB