Jonbuoy MOB recovery module

arto

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It's that time of year again, looking at the boat and thinking about things that might be worth buying.

I've been intrigued for a while by the Jonbuoy device. It looks like a good idea, somewhere comfortable to laze around waiting for the crew to figure out how to pick you up again. But it's not cheap, is it?

If you don't know what I'm talking about, there's a pretty picture here.

Anyone got one?

More to the point, has anyone ever had to use one in anger?

Thanks in advance for your views.
 

StephenSails

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We have tried to sell them, but based on cost most people will not spash the cash. I did for a while try to sell them at rade but they never shifted, I think the problem is that they are not far off the cost of a new liferaft and if you are looking to cover your crew then this would be a better investment as a skipper.

I personally think they are good bits of kit.

Cheers

Stephen
 

Santana379

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All our MOB drills relate to stopping neatly beside a fender tied to a bucket.

Getting some-one back aboard is, I suspect, exceedingly difficult. The Johnbuoy seems to address a couple of the problems very well indeed - it brings you up horizontally, which I understand is far better than vertically when shocked/hypothermic, and the person back on board can reach over and attach a halyard to the top of the Johnbuoy simply.

I suspect a self tailing winch for the halyard would be helpful - I've often wondered how my lightweight wife would get my 16 stone back aboard. We do have a 4x purchase block & tackle which might do the trick if she could untangle it and she or I could attach it to my harness.

I do wonder whether if you're fit enough to climb into the Johnbuoy, you're equally fit enough to climb up a rescue ladder amidships.

If the casualty is unconscious or injured, then inflating the dinghy and getting them into that might be easier than a Johnbuoy – but what then?

I’m going to try to stay on board if at all possible.
 

jimi

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I suspect your best chance of being recovered alive is with an immediate Mayday, it can be cancelled later if by some fluke you manage to get back on board.
 

Sgeir

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I think so. Distress call first (worth keeping a handheld on deck at all times). Francis's skipper/crew weight ratio sounds similar to ours and I dread to think of what would happen if I took a header. The coldness of most UK waters, the possibility of, say, a head injury on the way over, and depowering the boat while keeping an eye on the victim's position all have to be faced up to even before the boat is manaouvred into position.

Even with more than one other person left on board, there would be a time issue for the victim. Keeping a pulley system handy will still take time to set up, even assuming the victim can attach to it. Sea state would also be a major consideration.

As I guess many sailors are in the 40s to 60s age bracket, and being perhaps not quite as fit or as svelte as in their youth, I think many would have difficulty climbing into an inflatable dinghy, let alone back on board. I know I have certainly found it difficult to board a dinghy after swimming - and that was without clothes, boots, oilies etc.

<ul type="square"> lifejacket
harness
handheld VHF in cockpit
distress call
pulley with carabiner clip-on
ladders (or rope netting)
a lot of luck [/list]
I'm told that sea survival courses are very good, but have no experience.
 

Danny_Labrador

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Its very interesting that… there is so much written about MOB procedures and I myself have done the course, it its limited to pickup the little plastic thing with flag on top! Do that and its considered a win.

Magazine articles have covered the get human back on board bit with out any real successful conclusions apart from its very difficult and exhausting.

I searched the WWW about a year ago and found a site that had tested and recommended a procedure using the boom and a winch but I guess its time to set up that would limit this.
 

Vara

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Agree with Jimi,when I was doing sail training with soldiers we used to put a "volunteer" overboard(We were young,life was cheap and I certainly would not recommend doing it now)

Bottom line; it was incredibly difficult to recover a person from the water even given the high fitness and strength levels of the usually five man crew doing the work.FWIW the quickest and most effective way we found of doing it was to rig the mainsheet upside down hold the boom over the casualty with preventer lines fore and aft,clip sheet to casualty and use sheet to get him back on board.
This was with casualty wearing jacket and harness.

All this would be done in calm conditions,in any sort of sea I wouldnt hold out much hope.

Best tool for MOB is a helicopter and a good winchman.
 

Sgeir

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[ QUOTE ]
found a site that had tested and recommended a procedure using the boom and a winch but I guess its time to set up that would limit this.

[/ QUOTE ]
That's what we keep handy - but with lockable "screwgate" karabiners at each end (aluminium screwgate krabs can be purchased in climbing shops). This should save precious time - but try it out singlehanded after you've depowered and sailed/motored to the bucket and fender.

It won't be easy. And if the victim is unconscious or suffering from from severe cold etc....... Hypothermia and loss of body function can set in quickly. Our's is a slight variation of Colin's method, but I believe it gives two advantages:
<ul type="square"> pulley and screwgate krab system is probably quicker
for a single person left on the boat, easier control over the swinging boom (the other method requires two preventers) [/list]

Either way, best to do everything to prevent a splash in the first place. And use the VHF Distress Call.

{EDIT} PS: I've heard people recommend lowering the mainsail or a spare jib over the side, but wonder whether this is really feasible. Anyone tried it?
 

tonyran

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Any MOB around the UK - mayday immediately and you can always cancel later if by a miracle you can get your mob back before the chopper turns up.

My proposed mo in the med would be to use the dinghy for recovery, but I have to say I have never put it to the test.

The difference is the sea temperature. As I understand it few people die from drowning, but the cold is the real killer, even mid summer off the south coast.
 

arto

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I agree that a Mayday is the appropriate response in UK waters.

I guess my biggest concern is sailing two-handed with my wife. If she went over the side, I'm arrogant enough to believe that I'd have a decent chance of (a) sailing the boat back and (b) picking her up. If I went over the side, I'd not be so optimistic, if only because he's small and light and I'm, er, less so.

The Jonbuoy device (or a liferaft for that matter) seems a good way of making the casualty a better target for SAR, and giving them a better environment for surviving in the interim, assuming that they are conscious.

Picking up fenders attached to buckets is all very well, but findiing yourself suddenly single-handed, perhaps at night, in a bit of a blow, is a different story altogether.

What about other safety devices? Do any of you carry lights on lifejackets? Personal EPIRBs?
 

Das_Boot

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If you fall in at night in the North sea in a bit of a blow your best remedy is put your head between your legs and kiss your ass goodbye.
If you sail with this Mantra in your head.....IF ANYONE FALLS IN THEY DIE... You will clip on when going for a pee etc. Forget making plans to survive it wont help make plans not to fall in.
 

Abigail

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Did the sea survival course this weekend and it was really excellent. Even in an ordinary swimming pool (ie not the wave machine one at Poole), lots of excellent food for thought.

Round the UK cold is the issue - both the shock induced fast breathing as you go in (v common cause of drowning!) and the hypothermia. So - yes - don't go over! And if you have to abandon ship do everyhting you can to get straight from your boat into the raft, not via the water.

Having said that, it has certainly given us a lot of cause for thought about how to get each other back on board, including looking at cargo nets and similar things (more porous and thus much lighter than using a sail. We have a job-buoy and rescue sling (on the boat when we bought her) and we're now servicing and checking those all over.

We are also reviewing all our grab bags etc. Eg - I have knee high sea boots. They were extremely heavy to swim in and I would undoubtedly have kicked them off - but keeping feet warm etc a bit deal once in the raft. In fact they're getting a bit tatty now so they can go in grab bag and I'll kick off my boots when in the water. Pip has shorter ones, and they did not get nearly so heavy and difficult.

And we will be doing far more drills - fire drills, MOB, crash stops etc etc. Might wait till August for a real MOB though!

Really recommend the course - and most of all recommend staying out of the water ...
 
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