MOB experiences.....

photodog

photodog

Lord High Commander of Upper Broughton and Gunthor
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I have been involved in two...... one in the water, one near miss.......

First was in Haslar Marina a few years back whilst doing my Coastal Kipper.... early AM one of the other students (Female, doing her Comp...) got up to go to the showers....
As she was leaving she fell between the pontoon and the boat.... I was half dozing fwd and heard a very slight kerfufal, and then a very faint call for help..... no one else on board heard a thing.... she was recovered fairly sharpishly.... but I was the only person, all of whom were asleep, who noticed anything..


2nd was a couple of winters back, down doing some GRP repairs on the boat in the marina.... no one else about... was getting back onto the boat with some epoxy stuff in hand when the step, a old log, slipped off the pontoon, I fell and only prevented myself from going totally into the water when I managed to grab a stanchion.. ended up with epoxy filler on my face, glasses, hair etc....


What did I learn from those experiences?? This sort of thing happens in the most benign circumstances. Complacency is a big danger.

I would be interested in others direct experiences, mine being pretty lame, and what you think you learnt....
 
Totally agree about complacency being the big danger as that was the reason for the only time I've been a MOB. Was my own dumb fault as I put all my weight on a guardrail whilst showing off to pick up someone else's fender that had gone in the drink. The guardrail was secured with a pelican hook that mustn't have fastened properly and in I went, bodysurfing whilst still holding the wire! And to make matters worse, everyone else on the boat was a novice. Luckily, as the boat slowed I managed to get back on. Amongst other things, I'm now suitably paranoid about checking gates etc are properly secured.
 
[ QUOTE ]
I have been involved in two...... one in the water, one near miss.......

First was in Haslar Marina a few years back whilst doing my Coastal Kipper.... early AM one of the other students (Female, doing her Comp...) got up to go to the showers....
As she was leaving she fell between the pontoon and the boat.... I was half dozing fwd and heard a very slight kerfufal, and then a very faint call for help..... no one else on board heard a thing.... she was recovered fairly sharpishly.... but I was the only person, all of whom were asleep, who noticed anything..


2nd was a couple of winters back, down doing some GRP repairs on the boat in the marina.... no one else about... was getting back onto the boat with some epoxy stuff in hand when the step, a old log, slipped off the pontoon, I fell and only prevented myself from going totally into the water when I managed to grab a stanchion.. ended up with epoxy filler on my face, glasses, hair etc....


What did I learn from those experiences?? This sort of thing happens in the most benign circumstances. Complacency is a big danger.

I would be interested in others direct experiences, mine being pretty lame, and what you think you learnt....

[/ QUOTE ]


Sounds like you need to avoid pontoons.
I recommend a swinging mooring to rid you of further MOB opportunities
 
Fortunately I don't have any MOB experiences to share myself, other than a near wobble off the plank in Gibraltar once, but I think your post is a timely reminder to all at this time of year to take extra care, especially with the recent news of two sailors dying on their way to a moored boat.
 
Recent run in the Cribbian islands met with unforecast winds n weather, 30-40kn winds and 8-12 foot waves. We were all fine but our liferaft was washed off the deck.
Did our procedures, got it back, but hard to get hold of so took two runs.
Things learned from the experience? Put away the genoa, it complicates things (we are a cat) and never think that any practice is wasted!
C'mon, fess up, when was the last time you did an MOB practice???
 
I've had two, both benign.

First was when skipper misjudged his approach to the pontoon, and ended up too far away. Thought I'd save the situation by making a heroic leap. More like a comic leap. Fortunately I was young and fit in those days, and was back on the pontoon by the time the driver came around for a second go.

Second was on the moorings in Cowes Roads in a nasty wind/tide chop, when I was stepping down into an ISC launch. Launch was going down as own boat was going up, leaving me a giant step down into the launch. I failed to make it and dropped between the launch and the boat. Fortunately there were a bunch of blokes in the launch and they had me out before I'd come to any harm.

On neither occasion was I wearing an LJ - now I do!
 
Our dog fell overboard twice this summer (senile), both times at night, first time when anchored, luckily we allready had the rib launched and ready, second time in the marina.

On both occasions five things struck me.

1. How easy it is to lose sight of the casualty, and I suspect his applies to both dogs and humans.

2. How difficult it is to get casualty aboard a rib or pontoon, even a dog.

3. How others react has a great bearing on how calm you can keep and not panic in order to carry out a rescue, in this case swmbo screeching and wailing at the possible loss of her favourite mutt. It would 10x worse if it had been one of the kids.

4. How quickly a normal situation develpops into a complete crises.

5. how innefective torches are in this situation, even in a well lit marina. Certainly when at anchor a white flare would have been better but you just don't think about it at the time.

And all this is on a vessel not moving. Makes you think about what other factors might appear when its one of the kids dissapearing the hogwash abaft the boat whilst you're in the heads! What use is throwing in a fender and then retreiving it as in MOB sims for y/m exams? It teaches only the very basic responses and should not be regarded as final training but more of a start to investigating how you, your boat and crew, would react in different circumstances.
 
My near-miss experience was I had just bought the boat and it was still on the hard! I leaned on the guardrail gate to look at the transom and the clip came undone. I just managed to avoid falling a considerable distance onto concrete. I now have a cable tie that I put over the clip to make sure that cannot happen again to anyone. I still makes be shudder to think of the injuries I wound have suffered, without having ever sailed the yacht!
IMG_5446.jpg


TudorSailor
 
Not sure your "white flare" would be a great help. It would immediately destroy your night vision. It would be splattering hot chemicals all over you & the boat & anything in the water nearby. In addition, the person holding the flare cannot do anything to help, they will be too busy trying not to set themselves or the boat on fire.

We have regularly rescued toys, balls & fenders from the sea as we come across them, but haven't seen many to rescue this last year. But I doubt SWMBO has the ability (or even the will /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif ) to rescue me!
 
Thanks for a good tip on locking the gate clip - now added to my To Do list.

I was taught never to put any weight on guard rails, they are there to show you where the edge of the boat is, especially on deck at night. I get quite miffy when people press down on the rails to climb on and off the pontoon, or worse still pull on the stantions.

Our dog slipped between the boat and the pontoon a few weeks ago .... and disappeared!! He popped up a few seconds later on the other side of the pontoon, and my son (of 22years) put his feet in the water to help hoist the dog out. A soggy labrador is pretty heavy !!
 
apart from faling off pontoons etc, serious mob was near (1mi offshore) harbour getting ready with fenders. Most memorable issue was the quietness (no Aaaarg!) and then that al of thought someone saying man verboard was a joke. At which point mob was 150yds astern.
 
May have told this one before...

We were returning from our summer cruise, crossing from Chanel du Four towards Mount's Bay. Great day, bit of swell but slicing along on a beam reach. Auto-pilot doing all the work and only me awake. Admiral off watch in her pit. About half way. I decided to wash down the deck.

The bucket got away from me and got knotted around my leg. I end up hanging off the pushpit being dragged backwards by the bucket.

After what seemed an age of me shrieking "get up on deck NOW! WITH A KNIFE!" the admiral finally poked her head out of the companionway hatch. She looked around, looked up, and reached over to the auto-pilot control and hit the [left 10 degree] button four or five times <edit> may have been more, wasn't counting</edit>, shot me a daggers look and returned to her pit. The boat stalled and I survived.
 
Interesting that you should mention Haslar. A few years ago sat on the boat in the early hours and heard a thud and a splash. Went out to investigate and found someone embarrassingly climbing back onto the swim platform of a 40 footish mobo. Luckily he was OK, missed his footing but no one else about if he had got into difficulties.

Only time I fell in was coming home late, in the dark, singled handed and racing the falling tide. Boat runs aground about a yard from the pontoon but knowing there is a ridge there, I jump onto the pontoon with the bow line to pull it in - done it before, reduces the weight in the boat enough to pull it through the soft mud and into it's gully alongside. Heave on the line, feet go from underneath me and I slip down between the boat and the pontoon - knee deep in mud, water to the chest and pontoon at head height. Lifejacket of no real consequence (taken it off approaching pontoon anyway) and had also taken vhf and phone out of pockets. Unable to pull myself up onto the boat or the pontoon initially but no real drama as there are liveaboards about and if I shout there are people who will hear. Fortunately manage to get a foot out of the mud and scramble onto the pontoon in an ungainly sodden heap, jump back on the boat, motor back off and head down to raft outside another boat with little more than dented pride and soggy clothes.

Reminded me that, a bit like car journeys, the most dangerous bit is probably just when you think you are safe.
 
I've just remembered an MOB experience many years ago. On Bala Lake, sailing my Heron with a complete novice. We were steaming along on a broad reach & I was explaining how & why to trim the jib sheet to him (as crew). I moved up onto the gunwhale to keep her on an even keel & missed the toestrap as I leaned back. In shock I released the main sheet & went straight over in a backward somersault. Fortunately, releasing the main & tiller caused her to round up & it was an easy swim to the transom to climb back aboard. Crew thought it was all part of how boats are sailed . . . It would have been difficult to talk him into sailing back to me, but I could have swum to the bank failry easily, the lake is less than a mile across.

Lots of times I have capsized dinghies (I also eskimo roll my kayak) - that's what they are for after all, but I am usually wearing a bouancy aid. BA is MUCH easier to swim in than an LJ.
 
Two.

Firstly myself, on a stormy night in Glasson Dock. Just checking the warps on the harbour side and stepped backwards into the dock. Full oilskins, but managed to swim round to a ladder. Nobody heard and nobody would have done on such a wild night.

Secondly - my fault again - tied up in a marina. I was on deck and dropped the (expensive) length of flexible gas tight stainless tube that is our stove chimney. It fell between the boat and the pontoon and is visible just below the surface, gathering downward momentum. My wife, on the pontoon, promptly lies down, leans out and grabs it, just beyond the point of balance. She then executes the most graceful entry into the water head first, like a seal off a rock.
 
Two easy ones: In Bray harbour, my younger brother trod on a rope and the guard rails flipped him over the side. LUCKILY the tide was in, my elder brother heard the splash and fished him out. He was 8 and not much of a swimmer, then.
Running to the line in Burnham week.All very relaxed. Unintentional jibe swept a crewmember off the coachroof. We got the gun before we were able to go back and grab him. Bit of confusion as we crossed the line a second time. No LJ worn either time.
I MOBed myself and had a long and cold swim to shore in choppy water. The LJ valve blew out (!) and I had to do the whole thing with one thumb in the inflation tube. Bit close that one.
A
 
Doing a club bar duty last night, this subject came up whilst we were waiting for any customers. Reason being that one guy had fallen overboard on the boxing day race whilst attempting to furl the sails. Chilly but recovered after 5 mins and several attempts. One such failed because they were struggling to get him back over the guard rails and couldnt make it until someone remembered to cut the lashings at the end. Thats what they are there for and why a pelican hook fastened by cable tie isnt as good an idea. Much harder to cut.
 
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