MOB - Horseshoe Lifebuoy or Rescue Sling?

AllanG

AllanG

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I need to renew my horseshoe lifebuoy on my 29 ft yacht, but before I do, I am considering the pros & cons of other MOB systems.

Has anyone replaced their horseshoe lifebuoy with a rescue sling system and, if so, what are the advantages / disadvantages?

What MOB system do you use?

I mainly day-sail around the Solent area.

Many thanks!
 
Not the same thing. Life ring is spozed to keep MOB afloat until you can drop the sling in the water and sail around the MOB so that he/she can grab the sling prior to recovery.

I have a Baltic horseshoe life ring and an Oscar recovery sling. Never had to use either and plan to keep it that way by hooking on whenever there's a possibility of a dunking.
 
A horseshoe lifebuoy makes a passable emergency fender.

Dare say there are secondary uses for a rescue sling but I wouldn't know because I don't have one.
 
Warning : Lifebuoys were designed a long time ago when average waistlines /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif were not as large as today.

Try it before you buy it. You may find it impossible to get into.
 
I believe it is possible to throw a rescue sling further than the horsehoe buoy. Which makes all the difference as a primary response tool.
 
Agree with Twister Ken. The horseshoe with light is there to go over the side immediately(the helmsman should be able to do this without letting go of the helm!), it needs a drogue so that it stays near casualty, and a light so that yacht and casualty can both find it. A seattle sling/oscar etc is a separate recovery device.
You could add a webbing sling to a horseshoe so that once you have contact with it the casualty can be hauled in.
The sling on its own will get victim back to the boat, to get him aboard you may need a tackle and a rehearsed plan.
BTW UV seems to trash the normal horseshoes, so I kept the tatty old one to leave on when the boat is on the mooring, and put the new one away after sailing. Then the light gets checked each time.
For day sailing around the solent, a bathing ladder and camera to record the embarassment may be more useful, along with a throwing line. A seattle sling is no @~~~## use when the boat is moored, when it has been known for people to fall in!
 
The extra distance you can throw a sling is probably irrelevant as the boat will have moved in the time it takes to open the bag etc. I believe that a quickly deployed free floating buoy is essential. A decent throwing line should be ready on deck too. I see the sling as a good idea, I would probably have one on an offshore boat, but I don't see it as 'primary response'.
A boat at 5knts is doing 2.5m/s, so if it takes even 10seconds to get to the bag, gather the rope and chuck the sling, you still have to be able to throw it 25m. Can you do that? upwind? While keeping the boat under control? And can each of your crew do this? And unless the boat stops or turns before the 50m of line is paid out, the MOB will have the sling ripped out of his hands anyway.
I believe, particularly at night, first response should be lifering, before even altering course.
 
[ QUOTE ]
I believe, particularly at night, first response should be lifering, before even altering course.

[/ QUOTE ]

Maybe a Danbuoy. And finger pressed hard on the MOB button of the GPS.
 
Yes maybe a danbuoy. On my old boat it would depend which lifering was nearer, as the stbd one had the danbuoy as well as a light. The danbuoy was in a launcher tube in the transom.
GPS MOB, well good thing for someone below to do, but I've never had a boat where it could be reached from the helm. Something to think about.
Also your lifering with light will hopefully drift in the same tide as the MOB (provided the drogue is adequate). If it gets to a GPS based search, its already going badly wrong.
So my default spiel to crew is lifebuoy then heave to.
 
Two stages of an MOB - find the MOB - get him/her on board. The second stage is not too difficult with an older low freeboard boat but considerably more difficult with high freeboard. I have gone for a rescue sling as if there is a line between the MOB and the boat, the MOB can be guided to the ladder. I also have a snatch block on the after end of the boom so that, in extremis, the boom can be used as a derrick to haul the MOB out. Not used this in anger but have experimented and it seems to work. I have not been overboard for some time but when I did, I do remember how exhausted I felt - I would have been very grateful for some help getting up a ladder. I have a horseshoe as well, attached to a Dan.
 
Sounds like a sound plan Chas.
You could actually say 3 stages: Find MOB, get boat+MOB connected, Get MOB aboard.
Stage 3 is indeed the scary bit. Particularly when you consider the effect on the casualty of blood draining to feet etc. But I can't convince myself that any of the parbuckle/rescue net gismos would be easy to use off of Gilkicker, let alone Portland in a blow. So I reckon some sort of sling and a tackle to a halyard or runner, then across to a self tailer.
I think I will stick to falling off pontoons, dinghies and the occassional keelboat.
 
I have come to the conclusion that each crew member on deck at nigh needs a waterproof H/H VHF radio attached to there lifejacket. these are now cheaper than a dan buoy and much more effective as the MOB is going to be able to see the yacht much more easily than the yacht can see them.
 
FWIW, I have a horseshoe with a long line attached. The idea is to gently circle casualty so he can catch hold of it. In effect using it like a sling to get boat/casualty in contact. I then have a bathing ladder that can be easily deployed. Fortunately never tested in anger - but then that always leaves a doubt as to whether it will work!

All stuff like buoy/ line & light are kept below when not aboard to extend life & reduce UV/ weather damage. Reading the above replies I may get a second horseshoe for instant deployment without the line, but the plan has always been throw buoy & line, then stop boat, drop sails & motor carefully (mind the line in the water now!) back to/ round casualty and bring back to boat.

Must throw SWMBO overboard one day to check it all out. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
 
Many thanks for all your responses.............looks like I will be sticking with a lifebuoy as the first means of rescue.

Brgds, Allan
 
A good point that bobgosling made, if you are buying a new one, some are made of solid polystyreene and wll not 'open' easily. Others are made of a softer material and are more flexible, so easier to get on, thats the one to go for.

I hope you also will ignore the advice that a horsehoe lifebuoy can also be used as a fender, if hope the poster was joking.
 
No actually, I wasn't entirely joking. I had a high topsided boat put alongside ours in a gale in harbour - if I recall correctly in the pool at St Peter Port. It had a vicious aluminium toe rail; their fenders were too small and kept popping out, my fenders were already all deployed against the boat to leeward. I dug out my old horseshoe lifebuoy to use as a fender - it compressed a lot, but prevented any further damage.

I also subsequently used it occasionally as a stern fender - it fitted the small transom on our Sadler 32 a treat.

It would still have worked as a lifebuoy if needed - a lot better than an extra fender would have.

I believe that in an emergency you should be prepared to use anything that will address the job in hand. If my comment helps someone else "think outside the box" in a demanding situation, so much the better.
 
If you are saying it was your old lifebouy, then congrats for as you say "thinking outside the box" and sorry if I misunderstood that from your original post.

My concern was that people might be tempted to use, what is, lifesaving equipment in a situation that might damage it, rendering it unusable in time of need.
 
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