Man overboard waypoint

Cruiser2B

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Raymarine Smartcontrol wireless remote - keep it on your person, and stay clipped to your lifeline. If you go over, use the controller to drive your own MOB recovery.
 

KellysEye

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>Is it possible to buy a system that will create a new waypoint and automatically steer the boat to the point I went overboard?

Don't bother with that just clip on with harness and tether in bad weather and at night, it's cheaper and failsafe.

>is to tie a light but strong codline around the tiller end of the autohelm ram, using a timber hitch ( or similar ! ) - I then trail this over the pushpit, and aft about 100' with a small float on the end.

Having been towed behind a yacht for fun you are dragged under water when you reach four knots and have to let go. The answer to the MOB issue is above.
 

prv

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Elbows are good.

NO

They are for getting to the front of a queue.

They are good for holding on in some circumstances, though.

Try stowing the windward halves of two topsails on your own in a force-9 hailstorm at 2am, and you will find limited strength remaining in your hands. Climbing back down the ratlines afterwards, you want to be holding on good and tight for the windward half of each roll, as the whole rig leans towards you.

In that situation, a shroud in the crook of each elbow feels comfortably secure, using the large bicep muscles instead of the smaller, already exhausted, forearm ones that operate your hands.

(In your "jammed furler" scenario, I was imagining putting each arm through a loop of the pulpit, so as to hold on with my arms but still have hands free. Similarly, I have lain on the foredeck with my legs entwined around the babystay and pole downhaul, and sat astride the bow with my feet interlocked around the stem. In summary, there's a lot more to "holding on" than just your hands.)

Pete
 

Sandy

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Raymarine Smartcontrol wireless remote - keep it on your person, and stay clipped to your lifeline. If you go over, use the controller to drive your own MOB recovery.
Who tacks the boat, who controls the speed, who lifts you out of the water?

So you have the misfortune to fall overboard in a F8 in the middle of the night, assuming you don't have a heart attack in the first 30 seconds and can fiddle with a small remote control for long enough to point the boat in the right direction are you going to have the strength to climb aboard. Single handed racers don’t wear a lifejacket for a reason.
 

Cruiser2B

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Who tacks the boat, who controls the speed, who lifts you out of the water?

So you have the misfortune to fall overboard in a F8 in the middle of the night, assuming you don't have a heart attack in the first 30 seconds and can fiddle with a small remote control for long enough to point the boat in the right direction are you going to have the strength to climb aboard. Single handed racers don’t wear a lifejacket for a reason.

The OP wanted a solution to get "otto" to turn around - didn't know I had to come up with all the answers? ;)
I don't advocate single-handing, but understand there are those who do it. He could always rig up a lifting harness to a reachable point at the transom. Or have a boarding ladder that can be pulled down from the waterline. Have to think outside the box.
 

Sandy

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The OP wanted a solution to get "otto" to turn around - didn't know I had to come up with all the answers? ;)
I don't advocate single-handing, but understand there are those who do it. He could always rig up a lifting harness to a reachable point at the transom. Or have a boarding ladder that can be pulled down from the waterline. Have to think outside the box.
No worries :eek:

The biggest problem is how the indivdual in the water is going to physically react, opps over I go, oh $h1t there goes the boat at 5 knots... I can't see a small remote control being usable with frozen hands and blind panic, of course others may know diffrently...
 

Cruiser2B

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If peeps can operate a VHF or PLB with frozen hands, then they can punch the big friendly buttons on the remote. While I can't guarantee my idea will work for every sailor, it offers at least a chance at survival for the sailor with a will to live.
 
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bbg

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NKE makes a system which will tack the boat, set an alarm and set the MOB button if the remote control strays more then 100 meters from the base station (more or less). The displays will then show bearing and distance through the water to the MOB position.

Somewhat embarrassing when you come back to the boat after a visit to the marina office and shower to hear the alarm blaring and realise you took the remote with you and didn't deactivate the system.

But it won't steer the boat back to you.
 
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