Horseshoe lifebuoy and Light

[KeithH]

Simple request about lifebuoys on a small sailing boat.

I recently bought a new horseshoe lifebuoy and light to replace an old horseshoe lifebuoy (which did not have a light). Question is: How do you attach the light to the lifebuoy? No instructions with the kit. Do you attach the light to the LB with a short line. If so to what? The rope which goes round the edge of the LB? How long should the line be?

Also do you attach a line to the LB, to enable it to be pulled back to the boat after deploying, or have no line attached - which might make it easier to throw. If so, how long should it be, and should it be line which floats (I think polypropylene floats)

 

[trapezeartist]

I have the light attached to the horseshoe buoy with about 1/2 to 1 metre of polyprop line, but at that length the ability to float doesn't really matter. I don't think the length matters that much either: just as long as it's short enough that once you've found the light you can find the buoy. Mine is tied to one of the little loops on the buoy that secures the grab rope.

There is no long line attaching the horseshoe buoy to the boat. If you did that, you would probably start towing the buoy along before the MOB had managed to grab it. The horseshoe is just an extra aid to buoyancy while the people left on the boat are sorting out their MOB recovery procedure. And the light (and danbuoy) are there to help visibility.

Circumstances will vary, but I would throw the horseshoe and light the instant the MOB went in the water, provided I could respond quickly enough. There's no point in obliging the MOB to swim any distance to get to the buoy, so if I couldn't respond fast enough, I would wait until the boat was turned round and drop the buoy to the MOB on the way back.

 

[Salty John]

According to the Plastimo catalogue there are a couple of options:
The horseshoe lifebuoy with no light and no retrieval line.
The horseshow lifebuoy with light, no retrieval line, light attached to lifebuoy by approx 2m of 4mm line. Attachment is to the peripheral line around the lifebuoy.
The horseshoe lifebuoy with light,as above, and a 40m floating retreival line, looks like 6mm polyprop. The retreival line is mounted on a spool and, it is alleged, this pays out quickly without tangling or fouling. The buoy, light and retreival line are, in this case, all mounted together in an outer soft plastic case - this is marketed as a Rescue Buoy.

Personally, I had the light attached to the buoy with 2m of light line but had no retreival line. I wouldn't be too happy with the retreival line because I would want the buoy to continue following the MOB and not coming up short after 40 meters.

The type of light I had hangs upside down (so not activated) from a quick release clip on the wire lifebuoy frame.

 

[Seajet]

What is essential in my view, and I've read a lot of MOB accounts which back this up, is a drogue attached to the lifebuoy to stop it speeding off downwind in a blow.

I roll up the drougue and place it between the end of one of the horseshoe arms and the stainless holder frame; of course it's tied to the grab-rope of the buoy.

In any significant waves, a dan-buoy, which really ought to have a light or at the very least reflective tape as well as the flag, is pretty essential.

The flag of the dan-buoy should of course be held inside a tube loosely tied to the backstay; not permanently displaying Int. code 'O' I have a Man Overboard...

When doing MOB practice with the otherwise excellent Solent School of Yachting with the proverbial bucket tied to fender, I noticed a certain 'false training' was setting in, especially among the less experienced pupils.

I asked one, "what would you do if I went over the side right now ?"

As he was used to rescuing a bucket, the reply was "well I'd put her on a reach and..."

"I'd much rather you threw me the sodding lifebuoy first! "

 

[KeithH]

Thank you for your answers

Thank you for these thoughtful answers. I will join the light to the horseshoe with a short line. Odd that there is not a specific lug on the buoy to attach a line for the light, though - I wonder why manufacturers don't provide one. Good suggestion on having a drogue attached as well.

Re a line attaching the buoy to the boat - excellent point about not dragging the buoy behind the boat. I suppose that is where the lifebuoys on-shore with fixed lines attached (like the ones in eg marinas) would differ to those on a boat.

 

[rob2]

Whilst it is good that the lifebuoy and light combination shold be available to be thrown to the MOB - both to mark his position and give him buoyancy - the old lifebuoy can usefully be rigged with a long floating line. One advocated recovery method is to tow a floating line in an arc around the MOB so he can catch hold of it and gain the lifebuoy ready to haul him in.

It can't hurt to increase your options in case of emergency.

Rob.

 

[Boomshanka]

I've posted this before on other boards... but it shows what use a lifebouy can be in conditions where it might be used...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8383946.stm

 

[FrancisRutter]

In my experience the light almost always gets water into the dome covering the bulb if it is left out for any length of time. It shouldn't, but it does. Therefore I always put it into the cabin/wheelhouse when I am not at sea.

I can't understand why it does not seem to be possible to make the O ring actually watertight.

Francis Rutter.

 

[Zagato]

What type of drogue would you use, is it something you can buy off the shelf?

 

[Searush]

FWIW, I have 220' of floating climbing rope attached to my horseshoe bouy & carefully coiled. It is draped over the rail & pushed between the bouy & the rail. This makes it easy to lift the bouy & light in one hand & the rope in the other so the lot can be thrown together a reasonable distance (about 10 meters)

Firstly, I am not in the Southern Ocean & the engine is easily started, so I would attempt to throw L/Bouy & light together to casualty & then try to motor in a circle around them so that the trailing rope encircles the casualty. I would not attempt to lower the sails but would release the sheets.

Once they have hold of either the rope or the bouy, it's engine off & heave to while I haul them to the side mounted swimming/boarding ladder. The ladder has 2 rungs below the sea level so can be climbed from in the water.

Of course, it all becomes a lot harder if the casualty is disabled . . .

I have to say that I have never needed to use this technique in anger & niether have I endangered the life of a volunteer to test it.