MOB Recovery - small boats

Judders

Judders

Well-Known Member
Joined
19 Jul 2005
Messages
2,514
Location
Hampshire
Visit site
I've purchased most of my safety equipment so this weekend I'll have the fun of installing the brackets etc, but I am yet to work out my MOB recovery method. Having learned on big boats, I fear the methods I have practiced in the past may not be well suited to an 18'er with very (very) narrow sidedecks.

What methods to smaller* boaters use?




*users of smaller boats, not vertically challenged yachties.
 
Do you have a bathing ladder, and can it be accessed from the water, I find on some boats that a short bit of rope attached to the ladder is all that is needed to pull the ladder out, then sometimes if no hand holds are near the ladder higher up, a short bit of rope tied to assist is normally enough, this is OK if the MOB can help themselves .
 
With a long keel and transom hung rudder, steps cut into the aft face of the rudder work well.

With modern boats, however, the rudder hangings may not be up to the job, but I would look around for the lowest point of freeboard and locate a ladder there.
 
Yer maybe.... in ideal conditions. but in practice No... but i spose it depends on the free board on the boat. from experience in a sea the boat pitches about too much to recover from stern especially on a yacht the stern will lift and crash down. better to recover from mid ship (if possible). For year I had it in my head this was the way to recover someone especially as we have a walk through stern that folds down with ladder. but I found out the hard way once.

anybody else tried it at sea ?
 
I have a bathing ladder so if the MOB is able to help themselves then all well and good, but I ought to have a plan in mind for if they are not.

I do take Steve's point on board though.
 
Have you got a copy of Feb 07 PBO ? there is a 5 page article on MOB recovery on both sailyboats and stink boats done by the RNLI... lots of ideas there with pictures. But i suggest rather having an idea in mind you might try it at anchor in the summer months. all my ideas failed this year when i came to try them in a practice exercise.
 
I would suggest a long ladder (that can be securely fixed in use - even if not permanent), but if the MOB is not able to help themselves - then perhaps the "answer" is that they are a bit fooked for getting back on board /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

My preferred option for getting a MOB back would be using an inflatable dinghy - firstly as a method of giving them something to hang onto that is attached to the rescue vessel and secondly it gives them something stable with a low freeboard to climb into - with or without any assistance from crew. (although an inflated life jacket does make it very difficult for a MOB to get aboard an inflatable - practise in the summer when at anchor??!)

Of course not everyone has an inflatable ready to deploy, but may be worth spending the time inflating one?? when needed. Or not.

But all theory so far /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

Or you could just tow the MOB home /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
I have a hook-on bathing/boarding ladder. Not a lot of use it turns out.
I assisted some canoeists, one of whom had capsized. He was getting pretty tired and I reasoned it was better to get him aboard, right and empty his canoe, an then assist him back into it.
He was so tired he could hardly get his leg up to the bottom rung. Then, even with my help, he had great difficulty raising his body from the water, all the time the hook-on ladder being a bit wobbly.
Even on a small boat like the Foxcub I would suggest a transom fixed fold-down ladder so that you can get some rungs well below water level.
My boat looks a though it used to have one, judging by the stopped up holes and I will probably fit another myself.
(you can just see the hook-on affair poking up in the cockpit)

boardingladder.jpg
 
Interesting thread and one which crops up regularly. I guess its one of those things that we know we should address but try not to think about. Bit like pensions.

I have a boarding ladder on the stern, but have only ever used it to get aboard from a dinghy. I will have to don a wetsuit and try it from the water next summer.

I agree with Delf, the best thing is to not fall in in the first place; my tiny SWMBO would have great difficulty getting the outboard started/sails down/me back on board so I act as though singlehanded when moving about on deck.
 
I've been on a number of helicopter survival courses and know how difficult it is to clamber into a liferaft while wearing a pair of overalls, a survival suit and an inflated lifejacket.

IMHO it would be virtually impossible for an unaided MOB to get back on board any yacht while wearing sodden clothing and an inflated lifejacket.

Every effort should be made to ensure you don't fall in in the first place. Lifelines should be short enough to keep you on deck, otherwise they just make it easier to find your corpse.
 
i do,nt know how many of you have actually attempted to climb into an inflatable but i tried it a couple of years ago and found it near impossibe.the heignt of the inflated tube,the lack of any purchase with your feet/legs,i fear,makes it extremely difficult without someone pulling you from inside the inflatable,and this was on a beautiful warm and calm day.
 
I ve asked the same for smaller sportsboats.. if the MOB isnt able to do it pretty much by himself....I dont think there is any chance of lifting a sodden adult back if injured/unconscious. Best solution I found was a part filled inflatable or ringo to get him out of the cold sea until help arrives. Not promising, lets put it that way.
 
Then I think a triangle rescue sling is a must for even small boats?

This is what we used on JSASTCs Nic 55s. It was basically a triangle of strong fabric with a clew in each corner. Two ends were attached to the toe-rail and the third to a halyard. the MOB was then positioned between the halyard end and the vessel and then the halyard bought up, thus the casualty is raised to the deck level.

The added benefit, particulalry offshore, being that the MOB stays horizontal, avoiding a rush of blood away from the torsoe & head if they have been in the water too long.
 
prvided it can be attached at all three corners a sail would be fine. I was considering using my gib from my old wayfarer, since I was planning on having it aboard in case of emergancies anyway.
 
I keep the storm jib ready for this - not ideal as it's not very flexible and doesn't let water through but a lot better than nothing I hope.
 
I don't want to depress you, but it often ends in tears.

Recovery systems were reviewed, along with other MOB procedures in Final report - Crew overboard 2005 symposium .

Note especially the comment on triangular slings, or parbuckles (two corners attached to the rail, with the third corner to a halyard). The report points out two important hazards. A buckle made of a sail can trap water in which a victim of impaired consciousness could drown, and having only two attachment points to the rail risks dropping the victim through the gap. The report's clear messages are that there is no procedure or device that is applicable to all situations or boats, and that survival chances are improved by plenty of practice.

Mark
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top