Man overboard - could your crew cope?

[srm]

Apologies if this has been mentioned allready and I have missed it, but what about launching the liferaft if you have one ?
Chris

They are not very easy to get in to, but a lot better than climbing the topsides. A positive point is that a crew member could go into the raft and help recover the casualty. There is a way to do this, but its most effective where the casualty has a life jacket on.

Just a thought, hands up all those who have done a sea survival course ? And your regular crew ? If not it might be a very good idea - gives you a chance to see and play with the kit.

Getting back to using the liferaft - this is a serious suggestion for vessels with high topsides and I used to discuss it when preparing candidates for Fishing deck officer oral exams. Larger ferries carry a rescue craft that can be used for the same situation.

 

[Channel Ribs]

Getting back to using the liferaft - this is a serious suggestion for vessels with high topsides and I used to discuss it when preparing candidates for Fishing deck officer oral exams. Larger ferries carry a rescue craft that can be used for the same situation.

If such a product existed how many people would fit an inflatable scramble ramp (like a mini aeroplane slide but for climbing up)?

 

[lw395]

Couple of points.
Harnesses are good, being clipped on is better, but having decent handholds and the awareness to be using them is better still. Also systems that can be operated while holding on, and a state of preparation that avoids wrestling with stuff out of the cockpit.

Recovering a casualty. We seem to being sold the concept of a tackle system that will pluck the wet person vertically from the sea and deposit them in the cockpit. I reckon this is do-able, but not trivial.
How about this?
Recovery sling, webbing to go around chest of casualty with ss rings on. clipped to say 10m of rope of the ideal size to work with self tailing jib winch. With that, it should be possible to haul the casualty to a secure position at the toe rail. (at least then you can pause and get the boat under control, use radio etc). If the sling doubles as a seattle sling for streaming behind the yacht, there will be another 40m or so of much lighter dia floating line attaching the hauling line to the yacht.
A second line under the casualty's knees is then used to bring him horizontal, so that he can be rolled under the lifelines, lower one having been cut. Or if he is capable, a portable ladder can be put in place for him to assist.

I would not be keen on detaching the mainsheet in any breeze, but a second tackle shackled to the boom end will work, but the rope must be big enough to work well in the self tailers imho.

In light/medium weather/flat water use the dinghy if possible. People do go over in light weather!, and in sheltered water too.

 

[BlueSkyNick]

Apologies if this has been mentioned allready and I have missed it, but what about launching the liferaft if you have one ? ( Never done it or heard it done, just throwing an idea about ). Gives the mob something to hold onto, and perhaps climb into giving the crew more time to prepare etc.

Chris

When it's just SWMBO and I aboard, this is the method of choice if i go in. The raft is on the pushpit, very easy to launch by her, for this very reason. I know I would struggle to get into it (Yes we have both practiced on the sea survival course) but I would rather this, than trying to climb on to a swim platform ladder with the stern of the boat going up and down several feet in the waves.

 

[lw395]

If such a product existed how many people would fit an inflatable scramble ramp (like a mini aeroplane slide but for climbing up)?

Rigging this kind of thing, like recovery sails, nets etc, would be beyond swmbo in anything but flat water, I believe. Would I permanently fit that kind of thing? No, to be honest. For a start, you'd need one each side, it would either be vulnerable or in the way, and it does not deal with the whole problem, only the subset of casualties able to help themselves. I can't see it being easier to climb than entering a liferaft.

 

[ChiPete]

I've rigged up a four-to-one lift, one end to the end of the boom then the working end run through a midships fairlead and back to a primary winch. Having read the preceding posts, we're going to do what we've talked about doing all summer and actually try the thing out!

I will be going into the water in wetsuit, boots, oilies and lifejacket. We want to simulate as far as possible the actual conditions and having the LJ inflated is part of that. In particular, where the MOB sling instructions state that the sling must be placed over the head, then under the arms, it's going to be interesting to see how that works with the LJ inflated! The plan is to simulate concious and unconcious recoveries.

Now, my question is - should we make an 'All stations' type broadcast on Ch16 with our position to alert vessels nearby that we don't need assistance before starting the excercise? Of course, as per BoS's post that started this thread, if you see someone appearing to be recovering a MOB, you'll do whatever you can to assist. We want to avoid any stress to other boats and definitely want to avoid any lifeboat launches! I'd also broadcast an 'endex' when we have finished.

Thoughts?

 

[fireball]

Not read all the thread so not sure if this one has been mentioned ...

but MOB - can the crew cope if I went overboard? Yes .... one of the first things we did was fit a DSC VHF with remote command mike in the cockpit - all for £180 ...
ALL crew are instructed to "hit the red button" if there is an emergency....

 

[Stemar]

Not read all the thread so not sure if this one has been mentioned ...

but MOB - can the crew cope if I went overboard? Yes .... one of the first things we did was fit a DSC VHF with remote command mike in the cockpit - all for £180 ...
ALL crew are instructed to "hit the red button" if there is an emergency....

I mostly sail with SWMBO, who is disabled, and would be incapable of getting me back on if it got more serious than climbing back up the boarding ladder. As a result, top of my shopping list for the boat show is a good DSC VHF. I'll live with the unwanted alerts for the added confidence (considerable for SWMBO, less so for me, cos I know how long I can stay alive in the Solent in March, but I'm not about to explain this to her!)

On Jissel, Plan A is, Stay on board. To which end I have jackstays and a 3 point safety line which I attach in such a way as to mean I can't go over the side whenever I leave the cockpit in conditions that are less than completely benign.

Plan B is, Swim round to the boarding ladder and climb back on.

Plan C is, SWMBO stops the boat and presses the red button.

BTW, I had a plan B episode getting from the dinghy to the boat once. The boarding ladder was tied up and getting my knife out would have meant getting wellies and salopette off while swimming. If my son hadn't been there to give me a hand, it might have been a bit more than just embarassing. So no apologies for shouting:

A BOARDING LADDER'S NO FRIGGING USE IF YOU CAN'T GET IT DOWN ON YOUR OWN WHEN YOU'RE IN THE 'OGGIN WEARING OILIES AND A LIFEJACKET!!!

 

[Phoenix of Hamble]

I was once told by an old salt that in a big sea, the only practical way of getting someone back on board was to put the boat beam to sea, and hope to god that a wave washed them over the toe rail....

I rather worryingly think that he was probably right.

 

[Phoenix of Hamble]

If such a product existed how many people would fit an inflatable scramble ramp (like a mini aeroplane slide but for climbing up)?

Bloody brilliant idea Malthouse. Got to be worthy of more consideration from a safety equipment manufacturer surely?

 

[Vara]

I have posted on this before.

In a previous life I used to teach soldiers to sail, and would as part of the process practise MOB recovery, using one of the crew as casualty.

The best way was to reverse mainsheet/use dedicated handy billy, pin boom with a couple of lines, and hoik casualty back on board. Life jacket with lifting becket essential as bowline loop caused great pain!

With a full crew of fit soldiers it was bloody hard work,and took time to set up, refinements such as lifting casualty horizontally took a long time to organise so were discarded.

In my present circumstance, If swmbo went over I would have some chance of getting her back inboard, if I went over she is not physically capable of lifting me using such an arrangement.

Harnesses and LJ's are order of the day, red button on VHF, and liferaft deployed if possible.

Hasler, "die like a gentleman"

 

[Poignard]

I have posted on this before.

In my present circumstance, If swmbo went over I would have some chance of getting her back inboard, if I went over she is not physically capable of lifting me using such an arrangement.

Harnesses and LJ's are order of the day, red button on VHF, and liferaft deployed if possible.

Hasler, "die like a gentleman"

_______________________________________________---

That's exactly how I see it [except we have no liferaft].

Not sure about dying like a gentleman, though. I would try very hard to save my life, or hers, but realistically I don't think there would be much chance. It's a risk you take, like driving or flying or eating shellfish.