Also about 30 years sailing. During which time I have fished out one girlfriend, and one son (twice) and fallen off a gangplank (into mud) once. All these occasions were at anchor in rivers.
I have always understood that the really dangerous things are (for men) peeing over the side, and, for everyone, using a dinghy, espescially transferring between dinghy and boat. So one of our rules is - lifejackets ALWAYS worn in the dinghy, even on a fine summer afternoon.
REMEMBER it can be VERY dangerous to be on any boat with your drysuit half unzipped if there is any chance you could fall in. IF YOU DID FALL IN, it would fill with water and you could either a) Drown or b) Be very difficult to recover due to the weight of the water. It would be almost impossible to unpeal in the water. You never know it is an innocent thing that could save your bacon one day.
Safe boating
<hr width=100% size=1><font color=purple> "You only see what you recognise, and you only recognise what you know" <font color=purple>
The wife, however, frequently manages to fall into marinas, but not off the boat:- Pwllheli, Aberystwyth, St Louis, Vannes, Gelves, Chipiona to mention a few: and usually not the drink taken.
<<I will list below what he has achieved at 16yrs>>
Strewth Grumps, I dread to think what will happen when HE starts posting on here. Just keep him busy and away from the forums will you /forums/images/icons/wink.gif
Just in case it must be pointed out that sailing in your diving gear can be very dangerous if you are wearing your lead boots./forums/images/icons/wink.gif
Ken
What I was trying to say (badly) was that if you already have a sling rigged ready to go on the halyard. Once you have the MOB alongside you use the sling and attach it to the halyard, most halyards will reach down to the top guard rail thereafter its the sling down to the MOB.
Charles point about recovering from the stern is a good one - I suppose with a platform on a sugar scoop it must be a bit easier to "mantleshelf" onto it or be assisted - our dinghy lives in davits and whilst I've not done it in anger, I have a notion to lower the dinghy down and then one could either climb up from there or drag it round the leeward side and recover from there if the soggymob was beyond self help.
Do I remember a US coastguard statistic that indicated that some % of male bodies recovered had their flies undone suggesting they'd fallen off whils in mid -pee?
I've read this thred with great interest, I've lost a few people over the side, it sounds really bad for me but they slipped (honest!, once while stepping from one boat to the other, he managed to climb up, didn't even get his feet wet, the other time we were racing and my the crew slipped over the side but managed to hold on, lil 22fter close to the waterline, heave! ...I've also help test the MOB devices
EPIRBS are fine IF you have something on board that can receive the signal, otherwise you'll have to wait for the big boys and they couldl be some time
The drysuit theory is a tad excessive, I'm sure more people get run over by cars than fall over the side, I don't feel the need to wrap myself up in foam for the walk to the station in the morning same goes for the helmet...the boom would still hit your head and the force could still knock you into the water...you might be still awake and able to help recover yourself tho
Don't rely on the MOB button on any electrical device it will tell you where the casualty went over the side, not where they are at any given time, wind and tide can affect a person in the water. What they do provide you with is an idea starting point for a search. If you have the crew write the position down as a backup
A Mayday call depends on your situation...don't forget there could be another yacht out of sight that could assist you in a search
Personally I have a light and mini flares tucked into the velco of my lifejacket just in case, I don't consider this to be excessive.
Finding the MOB is only half the story, you have to get them on board. The mainsheet was always my favoured method, until I realised that it's best if you can turn the mainsheet upside down, otherwise if you let go of the end it's now in the water with the soggy one!
Another thought is if the kicker can be taken off and attached to the toe rail, this fixes the boom in one position and can be eased to bring the casualty to the cockpit. Also by looping a lifeline around the legs of the casualty and clipping both ends to the harness it keeps them in a nice "ball" and the blood doesn't rush to their feet.
If you have an electric windlass, you could use that to get them up (with the aid of a halyard of course) don't go dropping the anchor on them tho!!
I had a problem once off Seaview (IOW) I was skippering a weekend charter yacht and we had picked up a buoy waiting to go into Bembridge. A couple of the party went in for a dip. Two strokes of luck, I had put the cabin heater on for them and two I had started the engine (out of gear) to charge the batteries which had been allow to discharge during the weeks earlier cahrter. I was on deck when I noticed a couple swimming like mad, out to sea. In fact chasing their yacht which was dragging its anchor with aid the offshore breeze. It was obvoius that the yacht was winning the race. Luckly it was only took seconds to slip the mooring and with the engine running I give chase.
I dropped the boarding ladder and got the hushand (he was exhusted) on borad then took off after the wife who was still give it some. I pull along side her only to find she had a bad leg and must have been in the region of 23 to 25 stone. Again luckly the charter party were fit police officers. But with the bad leg, the weight and the small gap in the stanchion rail gate, along with her now exhusted condition it took 5 for as to get her aboard.
We safety picked up the yacht. With the heater and the basic first aid from the trained police officers, they soon recovered and we got them back aboard they own yacht.
But if I was single-handed I dont know what would have happened.
When he was 12 one of my sons walked off a pontoon in the Orwell daydreaming. Then he climbed back on it, walked a bit further and fell off the other side! 10 am, stone cold sober. When I asked what was up he said 'I was thinking.'