Man Overboard Practice

[graham]

Hands up all who have done any MOB practice recoveries this season.

I can smugly hold my hand up as myself and the sons (8 and10) had a go this afternoon.

Aimlessly cruising about in the sunshine at 3.5 knots they were soon bored so I tossed the danbouy in a few times to liven them up a bit.

Boys performed their duties faultlessly ,skipper made a complete arse of the first attempt then improved a bit .

Personally I am in favour of the going off 3 or 4 boat lengths on a beam reach gybing returning on a beam reach and rounding up gently alongside the casualty.I dont come completely head to wind but lie about 40° to the wind with sheets slack so if we miss the boat can be quickly got underway again.The crew are well drilled in not standing on the seats at any time so their heads cannot reach the flogging boom.

A lot of people say they do well by the "crash tack"method which I gather means immediately tacking ,leaving the headsail backed then drifting hove too gently down on the casualty.

All I can say is that it doesnt work on my boat .Every time we would end up too far to windward ,the danbouy would slip past the transom 30 or 40 feet away .Maybe in a seaway the action of the waves would hold the boat back but in quiet water it just didnt work for us.

i know that the gybing method is controversial these days but provided the main is kept hard in no damage will occur and theres no danger of the boat failing to come about.

What methods work for other people?

 

[AIDY]

Plenty of CAP overboard practice for us this year... It's like spotting a needle in a haystack.

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[flaming]

Crash tack, just to stay close to throw dan buoys etc at the MOB. (Don't hit the MOB, especially not with the weighted end of the dan buoy!) Then reach off 10 boat lengths, tack, drop/furl the jib and come back on a close reach with the main flapping and powered by holding onto all the parts of the sheets.

All of the above only if the engine obeys the law of sod and won't start.

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[graham]

Yes that makes a lot of sense ,after the next round of gales pass through we will give that a try.But Why tack when gybing is quicker/more positive?

When at sea our outboard is often stowed in a locker so we allways assume no engine.

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[AndrewB]

The crash tack should be done instantly and puts the yacht into a hove-to position close to the MOB (just upwind if you were beating). The yacht will look after itself like that, and although you'd be lucky to drift exactly down on him, you may well be close enough to chuck him a rope. If you can't reach him, stay there close by until you've regained composure, sorted out a spotter, someone doing a Mayday, reassured the casualty, got the engine on. Then carry on and do the MOB your way if it is going to be done under sail.

You might get lucky with a crash gybe but far more likely it will achieve nothing but panic! Bear off and gybe in a controlled manner is the old method, as you say no longer RYA taught. If it works for you, no problem, but the risk is you may gybe too soon and be back on the casualty too quickly while the crew are still floundering about from the unexpected gybe.

Incidentally, I also taught my boys to do an MOB from about 9 onwards. When one of them had to do it for real, aged 12, he knew how to do it, but only under sail! Luckily he got it right. If the engine is available it's so much easier, so do practice with them using the engine as well.

 

[feef]

I expect that gybing would take you too far downwind. May end up 'beating to windward' to get back to the MOB.

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[clouty]

MOB practice much more realistic in nasty weather when it is harder to stay on the boat

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[Peppermint]

Re: How ever you do it

stay flexible. Don't get bogged down with one method try a variety. Speed is everything in UK waters, exposure is a killer. Tide and wave height create all sorts of difficulties though few people try MOB drill in a swell, for example, or anywhere a bit tricky.

Try it at night if you want a real fright. A dark night in open water and I'd reckon 50 50 chance of a recovery of a lit subject. An unlit object is easily lost in seconds.
Keeping the distance between yacht and Mob short is crucial as is using your ears.

On my YM course the examiner was very pro getting the engine on and getting back to the casualty. Long exposure to spray effect and cold create an on going situation that lasts long after a successful recovery. Thats why even after a quick dunk and recovery it might still be necessary to get the casualty to medical assistance quickly. Symptoms of hyperthermia can take time to show up, so continuing on a passage can lead to a secondary emergency later, as the casualty starts to warm up.

I'm no great fan of RYA courses but the Sea Survival course is great value.

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[graham]

feef ,Its surprising that infact you dont go far downwind ,provided you initially go off on a beam reach helm hard over until you gybe(I leave the main hard in throughout)then another beam reach back before you round up alongside the MOB.

I remember years ago being told to count the seconds as you reached away if you lost sight of the swimmer then you counted the same seconds back and he should not be far away.

Obviously it depends on the boat but definitely works well for my boat.

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[LadyInBed]

Wot! Not confident enough in them for you to jump over the side and be rescued /forums/images/icons/blush.gif

I haven't, but then I do mostly sail on my own.

Oh! does landing a few fish count?

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[graham]

Hello Nigel No not just yet,besides Cardiff Bay water comes with a health warning!/forums/images/icons/frown.gif

I also do a lot on my own and dont worry too much I usually clip on if going up on deck (which isnt often with all lines including mainsail reefing run back to the cockpit).

When you are on your own boat you know how she feels under your feet and can move around blindfolded.I tend to be more concerned on boats I am not familiar with.

 

[Joe_Cole]

I did a kind of MOB practice. I thought that I had seen a wallet floating in the water. It turned out to be a bit of wood?

Does that count?

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[SadandSolo]

Nigel, I too am often alone as I sail. The worry of overboarding has prompted me to devise a solo sailor pick up system. I have a remote controlled autopilot linked to a 121.5 Epirb receiver. If I fall overboard and I activate the epirb the system promptly starts my engine and autopilots back to me. I constructed it myself from a few bits from Maplins and an old meccano set. I tried it once and it was succesful apart from the engine not working properly because I had left it in neutral to maximise speed over the ground. I now always leave it in gear although a sweat comes to my brow when I forget and leave it in reverse.

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[LadyInBed]

What happens when the boat gets back to you?
Runs you over, overshoots, then turns around for another go /forums/images/icons/blush.gif


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[graham]

Be nice if you could connect the system to the cooker so you would have a cup of hot tea as soon as you climb back aboard.

With my luck I would leave a pan of chip oil on the self igniting ring thus setting fire to the boat just as I climbed backover the rail...../forums/images/icons/smile.gif

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[LadyInBed]

Re: move around blindfolded

Would that it were so, a month or so back I tripped over a rope and fell flat on my face along the side deck. Luckily I was tied up in a marina at the time, but what is worse is that I was stone cold sober /forums/images/icons/mad.gif

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[SadandSolo]

Well I suppose it does really because with the starting and running of the engine I shall get water sufficient for a shower hot. The system has a proximity alarm so that within 10metres of the EPIRB sending the engine is cancelled so I retain my legs and other bits.

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[graham]

Thats good,I am attatched to my"other bits" and would like to remain so.../forums/images/icons/shocked.gif

 

[geoffatstanpit]

Re: move around blindfolded

Would that have been the rope that connects your harness to the jackstay?

The only time I've nearly fallen off my boat was when I tripped over the safety line.

Geoff

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[Rob_Webb]

This is a great idea to practice and the only thing I can add to the replies below is that evey boat handles differently and no one answer is necessarily correct for your machine.

Since teaching my partner to sail, about 2-3 times a season I have thrown a fender over the side and shouted 'man overboard' and stood back to see how she handles the boat back to the fender - usually with no assistance from me other than the odd bit of advice. Have tried it on all points of sail but obviously not in foolishly dangerous conditions or hectic waters. Good confidence builder for her and me!

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