MOB recovery system

[lurob]

Any advice, recommendations or experiences (good or bad) relating to MOB recovery systems? Need to get one suitable for use by one person (8 stone) to lift 14 stone skipper out of the water... on second thoughts, should I just increase the life insurance policy? Seriously, can anyone help with some advice here please?

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[Happy1]

Try this link for a training course :-

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.ttt-services.co.uk/hiab.htm>http://www.ttt-services.co.uk/hiab.htm</A>

It may be just what you need /forums/images/icons/wink.gif

<hr width=100% size=1><font color=purple> "You only see what you recognise, and you only recognise what you know" <font color=purple>

 

[Jools_of_Top_Cat]

Here is one I learnt when about to work with Merchant Navy, lost bottle whole other story.

If you have inflatable dinghy in water or any low freeboard boat with enough bouyancy; bring casualty amidships and have him facing you in the water. lift his arms and cross them, bob him up and down in the water to get some bouyant bouncing going on, on the third 'big duck' pull like made crossing your arms and he will lift and spin finishing in a sitting position on the side of dinghy liferaft etc.

Try it, it works, try it on the side of a swimming pool!

<hr width=100% size=1>Julian

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.topcatsail.co.uk/Honda_00.html>Honda Formula 4-Stroke racing</A>

 

[johnsail]

I see that you've made 1289 posts Happy1. I hope some were more useful than this one.

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[wpsalm]

remove the stanchions and lifelines get rid of the safety harness...this will help you to be more alert and pay attention to what your doing...

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[Jools_of_Top_Cat]

I said that once and got shot down for it, it went a little like watch how people hug the coach roof, tred carefully around the foredeck and think about necessity of leaving the cockpit to do things.

When I worked on Trawlers bow rails were just something that got in the way, once worked on a boat that had her winches on the foredeck, no rails, I never let go of the winch equipment, and was always careful.

There is definately something in this......

<hr width=100% size=1>Julian

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.topcatsail.co.uk/Honda_00.html>Honda Formula 4-Stroke racing</A>

 

[Dominic]

Why need to recover - How to recover

Part one of the recovery is re-joining boat to person.

Part two is getting the person on board from the water.

Part zero is preventing the person from becoming seperated from the boat.

Now think these through and ask your question again.

I imply from your question that you are totally happy with your ability to bring the boat alongside the person (stage one). The rest is going to involve ropes and winches - the final answer will depend on the shape and size of the boat.

For example - is your spare halyard long enough to reach the water and still have 3 turns around the winch ?

Or do you have a handybilly ready to drop from the end of the boom ?

When you are anchored, jump in the water and start working this out. (Also practise stage one and consider stage zero)



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[Happy1]

Re: Why need to recover - How to recover

What about minus stage one. e.g. how did they end up as a MOB in the first place, and preventative steps, surely that is something that must be considered, as well as the recovery /forums/images/icons/wink.gif

<hr width=100% size=1><font color=purple> "You only see what you recognise, and you only recognise what you know" <font color=purple>

 

[Happy1]

Ok a bit tongue in cheek maybe, but why are there not winches for MOB situations. I have a portable 12v winch, others have lectric windlasses, why not an MOB recovery winch? There are a lot of people out there with a much larger partner, it is good to see some thought going into the recovery issue /forums/images/icons/wink.gif

<font color=purple> "You only see what you recognise, and you only recognise what you know" <font color=purple>

 

[Dominic]

Re: Why need to recover - How to recover

I thought I covered that in;

"Part zero is preventing the person from becoming seperated from the boat."


i.e. Preventing an MOB in the first place

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[Robin]

Lifesling and similar

Lifesling is a padded rescue sling attached by long floating line, stored in a pushpit mounted holder. The idea is to do a circuit of MOB so the line/sling gets close enough to him, MOB is then pulled in (midships) and line temporarily hitched to a cleat. A tackle (buy pre-made or make your own) is attached to say the main halyard and the tail taken down through the genoa fairled onto a winch. MOB can he be pulled up on board. There are similar designed systems now from others, XM and poss Lazilas (?). The halyard is needed to get the tackle high enough to have enough open length, I think a minimum 10' is required.

Tough luck on small powerboat MOBs who will not have the height for the tackle to work.

Have a look in Plastimo catalogue or West Marine USA catalog for more info, they are not expensive at around £60 I think, we have one but haven't used it in anger.

There are also things like the Jon Buoy (inflatable device) and systems using a small headsail as a parbuckle.

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[Happy1]

Re: Why need to recover - How to recover

You're right, Sorry Dom /forums/images/icons/wink.gif

<hr width=100% size=1><font color=purple> "You only see what you recognise, and you only recognise what you know" <font color=purple>

 

[vyv_cox]

Assume that the heavier person is incapable of anything but hope they can at least put a sling over their shoulders. If not, e.g. unconscious, then there are very limited options.

Now work out for your boat how the lift can be made with minimum effort, which really means using winches and tackle. We use a 6:1 mainsheet, left on the boom, and the genoa winches. The two cannot be used together as fitted (normally) so you need to think about where additional turning blocks need to be sited. Alternatively, you may decide to use blocks attached to a spare halyard but again you need to think out how it will work in practice, bearing in mind that conditions might be very poor at the time of rescue.

Finally, when you have thought it all through, try it. We spent a whole afternoon developing our rescue system by hauling each other out of the water, anchored on a warm sunny day. It hardened our resolve never to use it again. The padded sling method is far from ideal. We now intend to construct a tri-buckle arrangement instead. This at least offers the possibility of getting a semi-conscious person aboard and it almost halves the winching effort.

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[Happy1]

Very good to try out your system, as we have mentioned on here before, some people do not realise the extra weight that will be involved with a person in soaking clothing. Planning and preparation saves lives /forums/images/icons/wink.gif

<hr width=100% size=1><font color=purple> "You only see what you recognise, and you only recognise what you know" <font color=purple>

 

[qsiv]

I also tend to favour the tribuckle approach - although I fear that if it is rough enough to have somebody overboard (and implictly injured so that they cant help you or themselves), the idea of unfurling a jib/genny and rigging it over the side could be horrifically difficult.

I cut up a piece of old trampoline netting (roughly 8' x twice freeboard, which can be clipped to toerail and halyard. Advantage is that it is fairly esy to sink (a sail isnt), and it drains freely as you winch up. Downside is that I failed to remove it from a boat I owned, and the new owner probably hasnt a clue what it is for! I must have a replacement made up.

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[vyv_cox]

That's pretty much what we intended to do. We have seen netting similar to the stuff used for Dart trampolines on sale somewhere, something made up from that would seem as ideal as it is possible to get.

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[SydneyTim]

I learnt a few issues with MOB the easy way by losing a spinnaker in it's bag over the side in 30-35 knots off Sydney. Here's the learnings IMHO.

The lashed down bag was washed over by a not very big wave that broke it free.
Learning point - yes it is very important to not fall in to start with, but I challenge anyone in the "no life lines, no harness brigade" to hang on to something when hit by a big green wave. Hang on to something at all times, but give yourself another chance by wearing a harness and having triple life lines not double. Try standing up to a decent wave at a surf beach now try it in Bass Strait or the Atlantic.

Weight issue is significant a wet spinnaker bag is a lot lighter than a crewman, but it still took a lot of effort to get back on board. Be able to cut away life lines easily to make the lift a lower one.

Life slings are excellent as they allow you to completely stop the boat after making contact with the MOB and before hauling them on board. Sailing or motoring up to them in a sea and stopping dead in the water just as you grab hold of them is not possible in real life, therefore you add the drag of them in the water to the weight of them to lift. Also the baot and the MOB rise and fall at different times with the swell, the boat and the lifter go up before the MOB so trying to haul someone on baord is very very hard without a rope attached to them.

Keeping contact with MOB when short handed is very very difficult. Make sure you can start the engine in the cockpit, have an MOB button for the GPS in the cockpit, and as soon as they're in the water throw everything you have that floats in, especially a nice tall dan bouy.

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[graham]

I have used a few different methods.

One of the simplest is an A frame attatched to the side of the Wheelhouse which hangs out about 45° when in use providing a high level anchor point either for a block and tackle or a block which a line runs through then down to a large winch.

We use a bit of gear called a "matesaver" to grab the casualty when you get close enough.It is a long alloy pole with an adjustable loop on the end which you can catch an unconcious person with.There are attatchment points on the pole to hook on the lifting tackle.

I have also used a "Jacobs Cradle" Which is a semi rigid mat made out of plastic links which is permanently attatched at gunwhale height and can be rolled over the side and used to parbuckle the casualty aboard with a winch line or haliard attatched to the bottom corners.

There are lots of systems available using hydraulic stern platforms and hydraulic side arms that come out the side of the wheelhouse roof .These are probably suitable for larger boats and the costs will be high .They are very easy to use though.

It is hard to make any recommendations without knowing what boat it will be used on .

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