MOB while at anchor with current

[thinwater]

But what if you can't get them out of the water?
It's easy to say you'll get them straight into the dinghy, but suppose it proves more difficult than expected, for any one of a number of reasons?...

You go to shore... obviously. It is an assumption of this thread that it is nearby. Do you think kayakers ever take someone "aboard" when rescuing? That is the reason there is always a loop on the stern (for the swimmer to hold).

As for loosing track... it is a pretty good bet they are down current. As for pressing the MOB button, that only records where the boat is anchored, which isn't changing.

 

[oldmanofthehills]

You go to shore... obviously. It is an assumption of this thread that it is nearby. Do you think kayakers ever take someone "aboard" when rescuing? That is the reason there is always a loop on the stern (for the swimmer to hold).

As for loosing track... it is a pretty good bet they are down current. As for pressing the MOB button, that only records where the boat is anchored, which isn't changing.

I used to anchor about half kilometre of Lundy Island as did not trust the holding further in, and have otherwise anchored considerable distance from shore elsewhere in the Bristol Channel, which is mostly fringed with dangerous mudflats in the upper BC. Our old Cornish moorings are about half mile from the shore which at half tide is also an unwalkable dangerous mudflat.

If they fall in harbour they can b well swim to the side and climb out themselves, but I dont assume we are near shore or that the shore is a place of safety.

 

[Juan Twothree]

As for pressing the MOB button, that only records where the boat is anchored, which isn't changing.

I obviously wasn't referring to the MOB button on a chart plotter.

I was referring to the help button on a VHF, or the activation button on a PLB or EPIRB.

 

[Roberto]

One may be totally isolated of course, but I would not scrap in advance the chance of other boats being around, before the arrival of any official SAR unit. Maybe they could look for the danbuoy and quoit you just threw in the water, and maybe help you (+casualty) while the dinghy you are in is being carried away by the current.

There are only the two of us, and some of the places where we sail, the nearest lifeboat is up to five hours away, so neither of us would be wasting time on the radio, even if we had radio reception. Dhan buoy, throwing ring, dinghy, in that order. The dinghy is always in the water when we're anchored.

 

[thinwater]

I used to anchor about half kilometre of Lundy Island as did not trust the holding further in, and have otherwise anchored considerable distance from shore elsewhere in the Bristol Channel, which is mostly fringed with dangerous mudflats in the upper BC. Our old Cornish moorings are about half mile from the shore which at half tide is also an unwalkable dangerous mudflat.

If they fall in harbour they can b well swim to the side and climb out themselves, but I dont assume we are near shore or that the shore is a place of safety.

Could you not stabilize the boat on the fringe of the mud flat, with a paddle in the muck, board the swimmer, and refloat? You may have to use some ingenuity and it could be difficult. I'm am well familiar with unwalkable flats (we have them too) and have battled with them. Not all whitewater rescues are easy either (sheer cliffs and faster currents).

---

There are lots of ugly senarios to be imagined, and resque will be unplesant and difficult. Sometimes you have to know when not to fall in.

 

[NormanS]

One may be totally isolated of course, but I would not scrap in advance the chance of other boats being around, before the arrival of any official SAR unit. Maybe they could look for the danbuoy and quoit you just threw in the water, and maybe help you (+casualty) while the dinghy you are in is being carried away by the current.
[/QUOTE
Yes, but many of the places where we anchor are not frequented by other boats. In these circumstances you are on your own, and just have to cope with whatever is thrown at you.

 

[Roberto]

Speaking of overboard, when the kids were very young we used this, the lanyard was to wash it in the water.
We were once at anchor in a river in the middle of nowhere, upstream I see a blue spot, coming downriver, with the binos I see it's our plastic kid bucket, but upstream?
I take the dinghy and collect the bucket, back to the boat somewhat puzzled. Later, the younger daughter made us understand she used the bucket, then threw it in the water to wash it as we adults did, except it was not tied. The bucket went upriver with the rising tide for a few hours, then was being brougt back as I saw it.
So an additional option might just be don't bother and let the tide do all the job.

 

[LittleSister]

You can save all this palaver about chucking out dan-buoys, sending maydays, launching boats, getting the anchor up, not to mention the angst about which to do first, by sailing single-handed!

For those with more than one person aboard, one or two posters above have said they take some precaution or other 'if the tide is strong', but it takes very little current indeed to outpace most swimmers.

 

[TSB240]

The biggest risk in any MOB is often losing sight of the casualty.

Pressing and holding big red button will take you from your position when you can view casualty. Great if someone else to delegate that task too.

Another good argument for having a red button on a cockpit command or remote vhf mic especially if short or single handed.

You can always cancel a call for help if you are successful in retrieving your POB and not needing physical or medical help.

Your call for help may also be picked up by others on radio watch close by that would be in a far better position to make recovery.

 

[NormanS]

Another good argument for having a red button on a cockpit command or remote vhf mic especially if short or single handed.

You can always cancel a call for help if you are successful in retrieving your POB and not needing physical or medical help.

Your call for help may also be picked up by others on radio watch close by that would be in a far better position to make recovery.

No argument there, except that if you're single handed, you'll have to remember to press the button as you're falling over the side. ?

 

[Supertramp]

Does anyone else feel they face more risks driving to their boat than actually sailing it? Sensible judgements reduce risks, precautions reduce damage.

 

[capnsensible]

You can save all this palaver about chucking out dan-buoys, sending maydays, launching boats, getting the anchor up, not to mention the angst about which to do first, by sailing single-handed!

For those with more than one person aboard, one or two posters above have said they take some precaution or other 'if the tide is strong', but it takes very little current indeed to outpace most swimmers.

If you want to practice keeping an exceptionally good lookout whilst being challenged, try skippering a sailing catamaran. Add two four hour trips a day, spending half of that anchored of a beach. Mix in two kayaks, a bouncy floating platform and up to 12 guests, most of whom have never been on a boat. And are wearing very little.

When you point out it's a bit windy and explain the best direction to go in, do not be surprised if most of them don't. You may have to do this in sign for the non English speakers.

It's mostly the paddles they lose. And snorkel face masks.

Makes for a loooong season.

 

[Sandy]

You can save all this palaver about chucking out dan-buoys, sending maydays, launching boats, getting the anchor up, not to mention the angst about which to do first, by sailing single-handed!

Still being at anchor means you can swim to the shore and hitch a ride back to your boat in somebody else's dinghy.

 

[LittleSister]

Still being at anchor means you can swim to the shore and hitch a ride back to your boat in somebody else's dinghy.

That's what I'm usually dependent on. If no-one around, as is not unusually the case, or I'm anchored off-shore (e.g. among the sandbanks off the East Coast) I'd be dependent on Plan B.

(I've yet to work out what Plan B would amount to.)

 

[grumpy_o_g]

That's what I'm usually dependent on. If no-one around, as is not unusually the case, or I'm anchored off-shore (e.g. among the sandbanks off the East Coast) I'd be dependent on Plan B.

(I've yet to work out what Plan B would amount to.)

I know someone who nearly drowned at Burnham-on-Crouch after he got separated from the dinghy after a capsize (a Fireball I think). He swam to shore fine but got stuck in the mud on the rising tide. In the end the safety RIB ran up onto the mud as close to him as they dared and they just about managed to get him on board. I suspect he would have floated up as the tide rose but he was VERY cold by the time they got him back to the clubhouse.

 

[Yealm]

I totally disagree.
It only takes a few seconds these days to push the big red button on your VHF.
Get rescue assets alerted, THEN start your own rescue attempt.
The survival clock starts ticking from the moment the person enters the water, not from when you call for help.

If you press the red button but send no other message, what happens ?
Does the RNLI send a boat to the GPS location ?

 

[Juan Twothree]

If you press the red button but send no other message, what happens ?
Does the RNLI send a boat to the GPS location ?

The response would be decided by the CG, but would almost certainly involve them tasking either a lifeboat or helicopter, depending on the location.

 

[bluerm166]

This was an all too real situation when as a teenager I crewed for my father in an 18 ft National.In a moderate wind and strong tide further crew were a rugby player ,fortunately suitably well built but without sailing experience,and his girlfriend who was a regular dinghy crew but with no helming ability.

As they say things can go bad very quickly and they certainly did when we returned to the mooring.In this scenario we managed to separate dad and me ,both helmsman,from the National and to place me in the tender on an unfeasibly long painter strongly attached to an adjacent buoy,fortunately upstream. Dad sailed to the mooring and picked up the buoy only to be dragged off the slippery expanse of foredeck in the strong stream.

Surprise, but then a rapid realisation of the situation we were all in.

Of course the National fell away but remained in irons while dad was quickly being dragged under with the buoy.Faced with the delay of hauling in the painter ,sorting the oars and releasing it I swam to the 18 which by the luck of the gods remained in irons until I got there and was hoisted over the transom by the rugby player.

I sailed around and the rugby player picked up dad who by this time was in a bad way having taken on too much seawater.The wind allowed me to sail at full speed right up the club ramp where ,as luck would again have it,our sailing doctor was present and able to pump him out .

Phew – a very salutory experience ,arising of course from our own decisions but in much the kind of scenario set by the OP.

 

[oldmanofthehills]

According to stats only between 17 and 25% of folk survive MOB, and thus I treat it as a probably fatal experience, certainly an unobserved MOB without LJ is a death sentence - one may get commutation to mere hypothermia and trauma one may not.

My wife was lucky to survive slipping on a risky adjacent boat and falling into quick mud, and if I had not seen the incident and got a rope round her she would not be here. If local cub members had not then rushed to our aid it might also have come out worse.

If clipped on and in water then it becomes merely a serious risk of death experience but folk have drowned while being dragged along.

Stay safe - Stay onboard except when entering water is controlled.

 

[Juan Twothree]

My wife was lucky to survive slipping on a risky adjacent boat and falling into quick mud, and if I had not seen the incident and got a rope round her she would not be here. If local cub members had not then rushed to our aid it might also have come out worse.

We've had a call to a man who slipped from the deck of his yacht, and ended up stuck in deep mud next to it. He'd been on his own.

It was a dark evening, in December, with the tide flooding.
Mobile phone, radio and everything else was on the yacht.
He was shouting for an hour before a passing dog walker heard him, and raised the alarm.
Another half an hour, and the water would have covered him.
Not a nice way to go.