MOB - best sequence of steps with one person left aboard

alant said:
Best not complicate things with sailing terms, I'm sure even she could work out "turn left/turn right". ;)
Found that out quite quickly with novices, best to use terms they already use, like "pull the red/green/blue" rope, rather than halliard/sheet. Complicate it with sailortalk later.
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Absolutely agree with that and she's fine with port and starboard so we don't have to get into "my left or your left" and both of us are well used to nervous inexperienced guests (particularly those with children). All levers labelled, all ropes different colours. We want them (mostly) to come back sailing with us again.

However I'm not sure I'd have the presence of mind to shout "Turn left to crash-stop" as I bobbed about in the water.
 
RupertW said:
Absolutely agree with that and she's fine with port and starboard so we don't have to get into "my left or your left" and both of us are well used to nervous inexperienced guests (particularly those with children). All levers labelled, all ropes different colours. We want them (mostly) to come back sailing with us again.

However I'm not sure I'd have the presence of mind to shout "Turn left to crash-stop" as I bobbed about in the water.
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Would she, have the presence of mind, to hear.
Amazing how deaf wives can be when it suits.
 
alant said:
Stop the boat first, how difficult is it to turn a wheel?
Certainly don't need to be an expert.)
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For someone who hasn't sailed before, or much, I suspect it's harder than you think. On my boat, with a tiller, even more so. And it's not just the steering - it's what to do when sails start flapping, boom start slamming across and so on.

What seems like a simple thing to an instructor may not be at all simple to a novice, or to a child.

Then of course there are potential complications, like a tiller pilot or windvane connected.
 
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JumbleDuck said:
For someone who hasn't sailed before, or much, I suspect it's harder than you think. On my boat, with a tiller, even more so. And it's not just the steering - it's what to do when sails start flapping, boom start slamming across and so on.

What seems like a simple thing to an instructor may not be at all simple to a novice, or to a child.

Then of course there are potential complications, like a tiller pilot or windvane connected.
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Someone who hasn't sailed before, should be shown how to, if you are relying on their attempts to save you in the event of MOB. All the complete novices I've had, never found it a problem.

Go back to earlier posts from several people on here & read again their advice.
Better still, try it yourself.
 
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Going back to the original question. Hit the red button and issue a mayday, then look for your casualty. You will need lots and lots of pairs of eyes to find anybody in the water and they will need to be taken to hospital in case of secondary drowning anyway.

Sea state is going to be a major issue in such an event.
 
Sandy said:
Going back to the original question. Hit the red button and issue a mayday, then look for your casualty. You will need lots and lots of pairs of eyes to find anybody in the water and they will need to be taken to hospital in case of secondary drowning anyway.

Sea state is going to be a major issue in such an event.
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Your choice.
 
It is actually RYA procedure, but I can't believe it is suggested by them and others here to go below and fiddle with the radio DSC to call for help, whilst the casualty drifts out of sight, maybe never to be seen alive again. As sole crew you've got to stop the boat super quick. A crash stop, I agree, is the way to go for most boats. Except for when running, you will drift back and stay close to the casualty whilst you put sails away and prepare for recovery, and even then you won't have gone far. It's really a 1 item checklist.

1. Crash stop.

Maybe not in the Solent or similar, but elsewhere you can forget help. You are on your own.
 
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Zing said:
It is actually RYA procedure, but I can't believe it is suggested by them and others here to go below and fiddle with the radio DSC to call for help, whilst the casualty drifts out of sight, maybe never to be seen alive again. As sole crew you've got to stop the boat super quick. A crash stop, I agree, is the way to go for most boats. Except for when running, you will drift back and stay close to the casualty whilst you put sails away and prepare for recovery, and even then you won't have gone far. It's really a 1 item checklist.

1. Crash stop.

Maybe not in the Solent or similar, but elsewhere you can forget help. You are on your own.
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You need a plan, a mic at the helm is good, unless the guy that goes overboard while the other crew member is off watch and asleep. When short handed always clip on.
 
Not one person onboard and some of these details might be a bit wrong but this is my memory of a MOB racing in a force 9.

I was guest crew on a 80 foot maxi boat named Maxima at Cowes week 19 years ago. A serious gale hit the fleet running down to the Needles. Another guest who was part of the Bonham auctioneers family got hit by the boom in a gybe and was catapulted into the sea. The captain was a young Johnny Caulcutt who ( I think ) calmly bore away and gybed around and swept up to the casualty at reasonable speed and then hove too. Needed two attempts to get alongside. The professional crew hooked the casualty with a boat hook and he was dragged aboard. I can not remember if a sling / halyard was used but my memory was three big guys dragging him up. They then carried on racing instantly. Superb piece of seamanship and really showed the difference between professionals and amateurs- it was all very calm and practiced.

Link to story: http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/sailing-sailors-overboard-as-cowes-suffers-gales-1169627.html
 
Zing said:
It is actually RYA procedure, but I can't believe it is suggested by them and others here to go below and fiddle with the radio DSC to call for help, whilst the casualty drifts out of sight, maybe never to be seen alive again. As sole crew you've got to stop the boat super quick. A crash stop, I agree, is the way to go for most boats. Except for when running, you will drift back and stay close to the casualty whilst you put sails away and prepare for recovery, and even then you won't have gone far. It's really a 1 item checklist.

1. Crash stop.

Maybe not in the Solent or similar, but elsewhere you can forget help. You are on your own.
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Well its not 'RYA procedure' but I agree with the very good rest of your post. Crash stop rules! I did it once on a Westerly Fulmar, in the Solent with a spinnaker up. Stopping is quite quick.....

Good advice though to get a Mayday out as soon as practical. I knew one of the Lee helicopter pilots some years ago and he asked me to stress that to students and I always have. His words were 'get the call out coz its depressing picking up dead people'.

Of course, clipping on is a sound plan. During the times my wife and I have sailed together across the Atlantic, it becomes normal when alone on deck.

Todays report too is that all 3 MOB practices using crash stop in a fair swell (Bocayna Straits south of Lanzarote) were very successful.

Hoo Ha. :cool:
 
capnsensible said:
Well its not 'RYA procedure' but I agree with the very good rest of your post. Crash stop rules! I did it once on a Westerly Fulmar, in the Solent with a spinnaker up. Stopping is quite quick.....

Good advice though to get a Mayday out as soon as practical. I knew one of the Lee helicopter pilots some years ago and he asked me to stress that to students and I always have. His words were 'get the call out coz its depressing picking up dead people'.

Of course, clipping on is a sound plan. During the times my wife and I have sailed together across the Atlantic, it becomes normal when alone on deck.

Todays report too is that all 3 MOB practices using crash stop in a fair swell (Bocayna Straits south of Lanzarote) were very successful.

Hoo Ha. :cool:
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It is RYA recommended procedure in Yachtmaster training according to their website, to go and fiddle with the radio. I checked first here:

http://www.rya.org.uk/knowledge-advice/cruising-tips/boat-handling-sail/Pages/man-overboard.aspx

I also like the AIS MOB devices and have them fitted in all life jackets.
 
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Zing said:
It is RYA recommended procedure in Yachtmaster training according to their website. I checked first here:

http://www.rya.org.uk/knowledge-advice/cruising-tips/boat-handling-sail/Pages/man-overboard.aspx
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Take another look: the RYA recommends the figure-of-8 method and not a crash stop !!

The advantage of the figure-of-8 method is that it's easy and doesn't require a gybe. The disadvantage is that it's slow and the boat must sail 5-10 boat lengths away from the victim before heading back. it may consequently lose sight of him in the confusions, especially in rougher conditions.

The crash stop method is quick and easy but the boat (esp if flying a spin) will be a total mess - so basically only do this if casualty can swim over quickly. Another plus is that one is at least close by.

The heave to method prv suggests is great but requires a dab hand on the tiller and knowledge of how boat forereaches when hoved-to in order to properly execute. Boat is also a pig to handle when foils are stalled.

It is for this reason that almost all racers go for the gybe -stop method described by Dutch01527 above. This is fast, controlled and safe when in good hands ....but if no mainsheeter on deck the gybe can be wild + dangerous in a blow. Requires practice but well executed it's a dream.

And finally, surprised nobody has mentioned smoke (good idea to have a canister handy as RYA suggests; smoke/light emergency signal mandatory (I think) either side of the bridge on a Solas compliant ship.

And not to forget the new laser hand flares which are visible at night to about 15 miles (from ship bridge /shore) and circa 2 miles in daylight.
Like this: http://www.rescue-flares.co.uk/
 
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Zing said:
It is RYA recommended procedure in Yachtmaster training according to their website. I checked first here: ... .
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It is a standard manoeuvre that is taught for many things that require positioning a boat to approach under sail and by controlling speed. It is a starting point for learning about these things.

The crash stop is great until you realise that the guy making the tea down below is in the process of dying because a full kettle of boiling water has landed on his head. Okay, that's an exaggerated claim to make a point that crash stop may not be the best solution when the point of sail implies that a crash stop will work.

The reach tack reach figure of 8 is also designed to maximise the chances of coming back to the OP by using things like beam reach, waves and wind relative position on reciprocal courses. It is highly likely that a crew will lose sight of a MOB.

The beauty of the crash stop is that when the engine is engaged (sails still in heave to position) one can usually with just use a few bursts of reverse get positioned and then let her drift down onto the casualty. It is remarkably easy and if folks have not tried this I recommend that you do. Tack, heave too, engine on, power backwards upwind of casualty, neutral, drift onto casualty, recover, sail away, dry off, GandTs all round, nervous laughter and back slapping. Okay, I am being flippant again on the last 3 points.
 
JBJag27 said:
I was thinking that by "crash stop" people meant heaving-to, what am I missing?
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The other guy who also went overboard when you tacked (the crash stop) into the heave-to position.
 
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