MOB in a self-tacker with an inexperienced crew

scotty123 said:
Wearing a survival/wet suit etc, might be useful if in extreme conditions, but most MoB's happen on a warm sunny day, when all are wearing shorts/suntan lotion.
You need to know what to do 'now', it can happen anytime.
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That's why I said dry-suit too .... I used to wear one when cat sailing in all weathers, If you start over-heating then cool down by getting wet. I wouldn't wear a wet-suit because the ones that keep you really warm also restrict movement - but it's dependent on conditions, if it was light coloured maybe - you can cool it by pouring water down your neck. The point is to extend the time you can stay in the water - this will be water temperature dependent. I can spend hours windsurfing, cat sailing or kite-surfing with the right gear, even in cold water.

It's a bit chicken and egg, you need to spend hours on the water to get to the point where the crew know what to do, and you need to ensure your survival if you go overboard before they know what to do.
 
My Wife stepped of the bow of my boat in HYCO and in she went when trying to make that 'giant leap for mankind' onto the pontoon finger ........... I'd told her a thousand times NEVER try to step onto that finger especially when there's no boat on other side to steady it. WAIT till I nudge the main pontoon and step onto that.
What made it worse - I had to back the boat to avoid having her between boat and pontoon ... and at least put one line fast ... before I could get to her.

You can imagine the names she called me !

The only way to get her up was the 'dunk and lift' ... its what you're taught in MN to aid you getting a person out of the water - to use the buoyancy of the aid and person by pushing DOWN into water and then lifting quick when buoyancy acts ... you can get quite an increase in lift...
It still took two of us to do it ... and she's not heavy.

Its been many years since that - but still she will rub it in !!
 
I have a self tacking jib. My process is start engine , head to wind, drop both sails ( main into stack pack, jib with downhaul ) and motor around.

However if I go over I do not believe that my wife would be able to come and get me. We have tried a number of times but she is not really interested in learning and I do not want to pressure her.
 
Dutch01527 said:
I have a self tacking jib. My process is start engine , head to wind, drop both sails ( main into stack pack, jib with downhaul ) and motor around.

However if I go over I do not believe that my wife would be able to come and get me. We have tried a number of times but she is not really interested in learning and I do not want to pressure her.
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How long does all that take?
 
Not enough has been explored about keeping the crew onboard.With modern rigs furling headsails avoid having to go up the Bowes in normal weather.In extreme weather inexperience crew should be below.A wire running fro the back stay to the bows should keep clipped on cre in the middle of the boat.Probably in majority of mob will be in calming conditions and lack of thought or whilst getting on and off into a dinghy.An area that causes problems is the getting out the cockpit on to the deck this can be addressed by a steel tube structure over the spray hood allowing constant hand grip ......
 
BenMurphy said:
I have recently purchased a Hunter Horizon 272 which plan to sail from Cardiff. Plan is to take my (completely inexperienced) family out around the protected area of Cardiff Bay, bring them up to speed and get some confidence instilled.

One thing that I think is important is getting them familiar with a MOB drill and what to do if I fall overboard. My question is - what is the best approach for MOB recovery for an inexperienced crew? The added complication here is that the HH 272 has a self-tacking jib, so the classic "heave-to, drop the headsail and motor around" approach taught by the RYA isn't going to work easily.
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I've seen boats with self tackers have a line which will hold the jib backed. Handy for getting off the mooring and anytime you want to stop.
You could consider a Seattle Sling approach, which is a bit like that sardine fishing which was on TV the other day.
 
AntarcticPilot said:
You are assuming that the MOB can assist the recovery.
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You are quoting someone who has been over the side 3 times from a cruiser in their sailing career. So i do know a bit about it. As well as that I have been dunked in the water as a dinghy sailor many times ( I really mean many) & been rescued, having been separated from dinghy & sailboards quite a few times as well.( You cannot believe the sharracking I used to get from the wife when she was on rescue boat duty. I did everything to avoid being rescued by her!!!!!) I have also been trapped beneath a dinghy 4 times over the last 50 years. ( that puts the fear of god up one) . The last time at 70 years of age .
last year I had to go over the side to clear a net from the prop & I was totally exhausted. Fortunately I managed it in one dive.I could not have done another

I live in fear of going over. I know that the next time will be the last. Every control line I have goes to the cockpit ( all 26 of them) If I move about on deck, unless in harbour, I "shuffle bum" about.
In my defence I did say that the MOB could only get into a raft if fit enough. If not, one can say that at that point it is probably game over anyway. But one has to try all the options. Speed is the essence & the MOB has to conserve energy- as i pointed out.
Another point to consider, is to slow down if a crew has to go on deck. If one has a problem or wants to rig fenders & lines etc., that is the time problems can occur. So why charge along at 6 or 7 kts. Stop the boat. Not that hard is it?. Then, if a crew goes over on a life line, he is not going to get drowned in the first 20 seconds. Twice when I went over the boat was hardly moving & one of those I was SH.
 
Bloody hell, The only safe answer Is clearly to sell the boat and sail on one of those virtual apps instead.

?
 
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