KIM MOB Rescue Sling

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RonPimm

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Currently south coast of Wales
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We bought a KIM Man Overboard Rescue Sling in July last year (2012) and fixed it to the stern rail where it has been ever since. It has never been used.
As part of a general snugging down of the boat for winter we took various items off and my wife decided to remove the KIM rescue sling to clean its cover and check generally it was ok and ready for use. It took her 20 minutes to remove the sling from the cover. The problem was that the glue that holds the reflective tape to the harness loop had begun to leak out from underneath the tapes and had glued the harness loop to the cover. As a piece of emergency kit it was completely useless. If she had been trying to use it to rescue me I wouldn't be around to type this!
Has any one else had this problem or is this just one faulty example? If you have such a device on your boat check it before next season!
 
RonPimm said:
We bought a KIM Man Overboard Rescue Sling in July last year (2012) and fixed it to the stern rail where it has been ever since. It has never been used.
As part of a general snugging down of the boat for winter we took various items off and my wife decided to remove the KIM rescue sling to clean its cover and check generally it was ok and ready for use. It took her 20 minutes to remove the sling from the cover. The problem was that the glue that holds the reflective tape to the harness loop had begun to leak out from underneath the tapes and had glued the harness loop to the cover. As a piece of emergency kit it was completely useless. If she had been trying to use it to rescue me I wouldn't be around to type this!
Has any one else had this problem or is this just one faulty example? If you have such a device on your boat check it before next season!
Click to expand...
The moral must be check that safety gear is in a useable state. I will do so just before I start sailing next season. Thanks for bringing this issue to attention.
 
Ours is a different make, but from experience check also that any webbing attached to the inboard end of the line (to avoid UV degradation of the line?) is firmly attached to the line.
 
Please don't take this the wrong way folks. We have a system were as every start to the winter we check ALL equipment and rigging on the boat and make sure all is in good working order. Change the filters and oil, fill the fuel tank and add Starbrite Startron fuel treatment as we have found it to be the best and lasts a year in the fuel. We run the engine every month for 1 hour at least under load. In the spring we do it all again. I know the argument of cost but having been at sea for 60 years without a break down I feel the cost is worth it. When you see the amount of times the RNLI go out to a boat or yacht and the trouble is lack of care it really makes me mad.
 
We also have a Kim MOB Rescue sling which we bought a couple of years ago. It was quite expensive compared with other makes, but it had a very good review in a boating magazine a few years ago, but I have to say I haven’t been totally happy with it. I haven’t had a problem with it sticking itself together, possibly because we remove it from the pushpit every time we leave the boat on the mooring. I tried it out doing a mock rescue after my wife leapt in the water to try out her automatic lifejacket while we were at anchor last year. We found that the sling fills up with water adding a lot of extra weight which you don’t want when lifting someone out of the water. Getting all the water out of the sling afterwards was nearly impossible. The other thing I don’t like is the use of buckles on the straps which slip undone after you attach it to the rail. Velcro straps would have been far better.
 
JohnBo said:
The other thing I don’t like is the use of buckles on the straps which slip undone after you attach it to the rail. Velcro straps would have been far better.
Click to expand...

+1 they are hopeless!
Also the top flap once you have wrapped it over the top rail does not reach its velcro strip securely.
The whole mounting system is very poor.
 
Thank you Troubadour for alerting us to the water taken in by the sling - as we have not tested it in the water we hadn't discovered that problem. Also, thanks to you and JohnBo for comments re the buckles. My wife was also unhappy with the fixing arrangements. Her solution was to sew extra webbing onto the straps so that they are now double thickness and don't slip through.
 
AFTER SEEING MANY POSTS ON A FEW SITES ABOUT THESE SORT OF SLINGS SAL AND I DECIDED TO SEE WHAT WE FOUND WORKS BEST. I WILL EXPLAIN OUR MAN OVERBOARD SYSTEM THAT WORKS FOR US BUT PLEASE DON'T THINK IT WOULD WORK FOR EVERYBODY. WE SAIL A COLVIC WATSON 32 WITH JUST THE 2 OF US ABOARD SO WE LOOKED FOR A SYSTEM THAT WOULD WORK FOR US. I AM 67 AND SAL IS 52(SHUSH) WE TOW THE RUBBER DINGHY ALL THE TIME ON A LONG LINE THAT IS ATTACHED TO THE STERN CLEAT WHICH IS RIGHT BY THE DOOR TO THE WHEEL HOUSE.INTH EVENT THAT WE HAVE TO ABNDON THE BOAT IN A HURRY SAL BRINGS THE DINGHY ALONGSIDE THROWS IN THE WATER AND GRAB BAG AND GETS IN. WHILE SHE IS DOING THIS i AM LAUNCHING THE LIFE RAFT. YES WE TRY TO DO BOTH BUT THE REASON FOR THE DINGHY FIRST IS WE CAN BOTH GET IT ALONGSIDE AND US IN WITH ALL WE NEED IN 2 MINS. THE LIFE RAFT LAUNCHES IN ABOUT 7 MINS AND ITS ON THE AFT RAIL. ANOTHER THING WE CARRY RIGGED ALL THE TIME WHEN AT SEA IS A 6 TO 1 HANDY BILLY WHICH IS TAKEN TO THE MAST TOP WITH A SPARE HALYARD AND THE BOTTOM IS HOOKED TO THE RAIL WITH THE FALL IN A BAG. IN THE EVENT WE HAVE TO RECOVER SOMEONE FROM THE WATER WE LAUNCH A LIFE RING WITH A LONG FLOATING LINE WHICH WE PULL TO THE BOAT THEN ATTACH THE SNAP HOOK TO AND THEN RAISE THE PERSON FROM THE WATER. SAL OR I CAN LIFT 300LBS EASY WITH THIS SYSTEM WE EVEN RAISED A 12 STONE MAN IN THE DINGHY TO DECK LEVEL. I MUS IMPRESS UPON YOU ALL THAT THIS ONLY WORKS IF THE PERSON IS CONCIOUS. IN THE EVENT THE PERSON WAS UNCONCIOUS WE WOULD BRING THE BOAT ALONGSIDE THEM AND USE IT TO GET THEM ATTACHED TO THE LINE THEN RAISED ABOARD WE BOTH AGREE THAT WE CAN THROW A PLASTIC LIFE RING AT THE LEAST TWICE THE DISTANCE YOU CAN THROW A LIFE SLING. I WILL SAY THOUGH WE FIND THAT NOT ENOUGH CREWS PRACTICE MAN OVERBOARD DRILLS. HAVING SPOKEN TO MANY CREWS THEY SAY WE HAVE THE GEAR SO WILL BE OK. TAKE MY ADVICE GET A FRIEND IN ANOTHER BOAT TO COME OUT WITH YOU AND HAVE A GO IN A f4 IT MAY SHOCK YOU. FAIR WIMDS AND HAPPY SAFE SAILING FOR 2014 TO YOU ALL
 
RonPimm said:
Thank you Troubadour for alerting us to the water taken in by the sling - as we have not tested it in the water we hadn't discovered that problem. Also, thanks to you and JohnBo for comments re the buckles. My wife was also unhappy with the fixing arrangements. Her solution was to sew extra webbing onto the straps so that they are now double thickness and don't slip through.
Click to expand...

The buckles are a real pain but there is a way of threading them that is absolutely secure. I can't fully describe the method as the sling is on the boat and I can't remember how exactly it's done but so far as I recall, it is just a case of threading the loose end through the buckle one more time than you would expect.
 
Another one who removes the device from the pushpit and stows it inside the boat when the boat isn't being used. (Also lifebuoy with attached light and danbuoy.)
Doesn't take long as I have replaced the buckles with quick-release clips.
 
blackbeard said:
Another one who removes the device from the pushpit and stows it inside the boat when the boat isn't being used. (Also lifebuoy with attached light and danbuoy.)
Doesn't take long as I have replaced the buckles with quick-release clips.
Click to expand...

We also remove everything when not sailing to prevent UV degradation.

We clip on in any weather as we (realistically?) have come to the conclusion that I would have great difficulty in recovering her from the water if she was unconscious and she would have NO CHANCE of recovering me!!!
 
theguerns said:
AFTER SEEING MANY POSTS ...
Click to expand...

Here is your post, translated into "legible". Please try pressing the key to the left of the A before typing...

After seeing many posts on a few sites about these sort of slings sal and i decided to see what we found works best. I will explain our man overboard system that works for us but please don't think it would work for everybody. We sail a colvic watson 32 with just the 2 of us aboard so we looked for a system that would work for us. I am 67 and sal is 52(shush) we tow the rubber dinghy all the time on a long line that is attached to the stern cleat which is right by the door to the wheel house.inth event that we have to abndon the boat in a hurry sal brings the dinghy alongside throws in the water and grab bag and gets in. While she is doing this i am launching the life raft. Yes we try to do both but the reason for the dinghy first is we can both get it alongside and us in with all we need in 2 mins. The life raft launches in about 7 mins and its on the aft rail. Another thing we carry rigged all the time when at sea is a 6 to 1 handy billy which is taken to the mast top with a spare halyard and the bottom is hooked to the rail with the fall in a bag. In the event we have to recover someone from the water we launch a life ring with a long floating line which we pull to the boat then attach the snap hook to and then raise the person from the water. Sal or i can lift 300lbs easy with this system we even raised a 12 stone man in the dinghy to deck level. I mus impress upon you all that this only works if the person is concious. In the event the person was unconcious we would bring the boat alongside them and use it to get them attached to the line then raised aboard we both agree that we can throw a plastic life ring at the least twice the distance you can throw a life sling. I will say though we find that not enough crews practice man overboard drills. Having spoken to many crews they say we have the gear so will be ok. Take my advice get a friend in another boat to come out with you and have a go in a f4 it may shock you. Fair wimds and happy safe sailing for 2014 to you all
 
prv said:
Some paragraphs wouldn't hurt either :)
Click to expand...

Oh, since you insist. I have also added a selection of commas, full stops, quotation marks and spelling.

After seeing many posts on a few sites about these sort of slings, Sal and I decided to see what we found works best. I will explain our man overboard system that works for us, but please don't think it would work for everybody.

We sail a Colvic Watson 32 with just the 2 of us aboard so we looked for a system that would work for us. I am 67 and Sal is 52 (shush). We tow the rubber dinghy all the time on a long line that is attached to the stern cleat, which is right by the door to the wheel house. In the event that we have to abandon the boat in a hurry, Sal brings the dinghy alongside, throws [it] in the water and [takes the] grab bag and gets in. While she is doing this I am launching the life raft. Yes, we try to do both, but the reason for the dinghy first is [that] we can both get it alongside and us in with all we need in 2 mins. The life raft launches in about 7 mins and it's on the aft rail.

Another thing we carry rigged all the time when at sea is a 6 to 1 handy billy, which is taken to the mast top with a spare halyard and the bottom hooked to the rail with the fall in a bag. In the event [that] we have to recover someone from the water, we launch a life ring with a long floating line which we pull to the boat then attach the snap hook to [it] and then raise the person from the water. Sal or I can lift 300lbs easy with this system - we even raised a 12 stone man in the dinghy to deck level.

I must impress upon you all that this only works if the person is conscious. In the event the person was unconscious we would bring the boat alongside them and use it to get them attached to the line then raised aboard. We both agree that we can throw a plastic life ring at the least twice the distance you can throw a life sling. I will say though we find that not enough crews practice man overboard drills. Having spoken to many crews they say "we have the gear so will be ok."

Take my advice: get a friend in another boat to come out with you and have a go in a f4. It may shock you. Fair winds and happy safe sailing for 2014 to you all.
 
Thank you theguerns for you interesting post, I hope you have not been put off continuing posting to this site by a few inconsiderate people who have criticised your post.
Yes in an ideal world it would be good not to write all in capital letters, but i was still able to read your interesting post.
Being dyslexic myself I have had to put up with similar 'cleaver' people criticising my spelling and grammar all my life ( spell check has changed my life) so don't let a few people put you off we are all different in the world, thank god, not all of us are perfect in English
 
Thanksforthe kind comments but I can assure you at my age I have very thick skin. All I try to do on this and other sites is give good advice on the experience I have gained from sailing for 61 years and in all thet time with deliveries all over the world and teaching I have never lost a boat or member of crew overboard. NO I am not boasting I am just proud. HAppy sailing folks.
 
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